Holworthy Hall

“ McHenry, who had hoarded his cigars, found that the others were all consumed, and was horrified to learn that rather than pay one and a half for a good perfecto, his friends were now willing to forego the pleasure for a day or so. Only Phillips and Sewall were short the ten cigars which Spinden had once agreed to buy from each of them, and it cost them fifteen dollars apiece to cover! The furniture trust was shattered by the simple fact that everybody could sit free in the kitchen. ”

“ Phillips positively refused to quote rations more than one meal in advance; McHenry raised the rate of cigars until it was almost prohibitive; Spinden charged a dollar for enough hot water for shaving, with the shaving mug a dollar extra, and a bath twenty cents a quart; and Sewall reaped a golden harvest on the poker game, although he did succumb to Phillips' urgent entreaties, and gave him a perpetual ticket for ten dollars. ”

“ What exchange?"
"The Sheepscot Consolidated Stock Exchange," explained McHenry, laying down a king-high straight against Sewall's four sevens.
Sewall gathered in the matches, and pondered.
"What idiotic nonsense is this?" he demanded. "Don't be a prune, Pepper. We're all out of cigars."
"I know it," agreed McHenry. "There's lots of time. The exchange is open from five to six." ”

“ Phillips was unable to hold out longer.
"I'll take twenty of those perfectos at the market," he said, although the price was now five-eighths—showing a rather substantial profit for McHenry. Pepper shook his head.
"When were you elected to this exchange?" he queried. "When did you buy a seat?"
"A—what?"
"Seat," repeated Pepper, blowing a beautiful smoke-ring. "You have to have a seat, you know, before you can trade. Perhaps I ought to say that there's only one left."
"So—so the man who buys it has to do all the business for the others?" ”

“ The only drawback was that Spinden and Sewall and Phillips consumed their tobacco much faster than McHenry. Throughout the long afternoon they simply sat and smoked and talked of Cambridge, and what they would do when they got back, and how they would magnify the size of the big game in the nighborhood of Sheepscot, so that all would envy them. Finally Phillips yawned and mentioned poker.
"All right," said Sewall. "The books are open."
"The books—what books?"
"Organized sport," Sewall told him. "This is a gentleman's club. I'm the officers. ”

“ He alleged that there was three feet of snow on the ground, and a head wind would make progress all but impossible. Furthermore he was able to recite the various brands of tobacco carried by the Emporium. The three malefactors of McHenry's wealth groaned in unison. They dined in great ill-humor, and did not recover their spirits even when afterwards they continued to whipsaw McHenry for large sections of his ample allowance.
"But Pep can't stick it out," said Sewall to Spinden as they went to bed. "He can't last—he's too good-natured. ”

“ The underlying motive behind it all was that each man wanted to make a little profit on the trip—not much, but just enough to call it a profit; and so each one of them refused to sell full rights to anything. ”

“ Spinden grinned. He had won least of the three at poker, and he hadn't a great deal of money.
"Twenty percent commission is what we usually get in Sheepscot."
"Well, I'll be darned!" said Sewall, falling into one of the hair-cloth chairs. ”