"Who are you? What have you there?"
"Young feller I found outside. 'Fraid of steppin' on him, so I picked
him up to save him. You can run along now, sonny," he said to the clerk.
"He let on I couldn't see you," Scattergood explained.
"What's your name?"
"Scattergood Baines."
"Of Coldriver?" Scattergood was surprised, but did not show it. "Yes."
"Sit down."
"Thankee.... Come to do a mite of business with you. Interested in pulp,
hain't you. Quite consid'able interested?"
"Very much."
"Know the Higgins's Bridge Pulp Company?"
"Of course. Understand they're in difficulties."
"In some, and goin' to be in more. That's why I come down."
Thereupon Scattergood explained in detail his contract with the pulp
company, and his theories of what that company was planning to do to
him. "Double barreled," he said. "Crane and Keith owns them bonds.
Figger on freezin' out the stockholders and buyin' 'em out for a song.
Figger on bustin' me. Next we hear the mill'll be in receiver's hands.
No money. Can't pay no contracts. My notes'll come due, and I'm done
for. Simple. Crane thought it up."
"What do you want of me? So far as I can see, you are up against it.
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