"We haven't got on very well with Mr. Grady. The first time he came on the
job he didn't know our rule that visitors must apply at the office, and we
weren't very polite to him. He's been down on us ever since. We can't make
any satisfactory agreement with him."

Carver turned away impatiently. "You'll have to," he said, "if you want to
avoid trouble with your men. It's no business of mine. He's acting on
their instructions."

"No, he isn't," said Bannon, sharply. "What they want, I guess, is to be
treated square and paid a fair price. What he wants is blackmail."

"I've heard that kind of talk before. It's the same howl that an employer
always makes when he's tried to bribe an agent who's active in the
interest of the men, and got left at it. What have you got to show for it?
Anything but just your say so?"

Bannon drew out Grady's letter of warning and handed it to him. Carver
read it through, then tossed it on his desk. "You certainly don't offer
that as proof that he wants blackmail, Mr. Bannon."

"There's never any proof of blackmail. When a man can see me alone, he
isn't going to talk before witnesses, and he won't commit himself in
writing. Grady told me that unless we paid his price he'd tie us up. No
one else was around when he said it."

"Then you haven't anything but your say so. But I know him, and I don't
know you. Do you think I'd take your word against his?"

"That letter doesn't prove blackmail," said Bannon, "but it smells of it.
And there's the same smell about everything Grady has done. When he came
to my office a day or two after that hoist accident, I tried to find out
what he wanted, and he gave me nothing but oratory. I tried to pin him
down to something definite, but my stenographer was there and Grady didn't
have a suggestion to make. Then by straining his neck and asking
questions, he found out we were in a hurry, that the elevator was no good
unless it was done by January first, and that we had all the money we
needed.

"Two days after he sent me that letter. Look at it again. Why does he want
to take both of us to Chicago on Sunday morning, when he can see me any
time at my office on the job?" Bannon spread the letter open before
Carver's face. "Why doesn't he say right here what it is he wants, if it's
anything he dares to put in black and white? I didn't pay any attention to
that letter; it didn't deserve any. And then will you tell me why he came
to my room at night to see me i