the matter with you,
anyway? Can't you be civil to Royce Pederstone's customers? Do you
want to turn away business?"

"Stick to business and it will be all right. There is nothing outside
of that that I want to talk to you about."

Brenchfield threw out his bulky chest and smiled, as he walked toward
the back door. Suddenly he wheeled round, put his fingers into his
vest pocket and pulled out a piece of blue paper.

"Phil,--aren't you going to let bygones be bygones? I'll make it well
worth your while. There's going to be big things doing here and I can
put you wise."

To show how little he thought of the suggestion, Phil commenced
hammering on his anvil and so drowned Brenchfield's voice.

The latter came over and laid his hand on Phil's arm.

"If you can't stop being foolish, you might at least be mannerly," he
commented.

"Yes?"

"Here,--take this!"

"What is it?" asked Phil.

"Look and see!"

Phil took the paper and opened it out. It was a cheque for fifteen
hundred dollars.

"What's this for?"

Brenchfield threw out his arm casually. "Just to let bygones be
bygones!"

"No other tags on it, eh?" asked Phil dubiously.

"Not a damned tag!"

Phil held it in his hand as if weighing the matter over, while
Brenchfield watched him narrowly.

"Here's its twin brother, Phil!"

He handed another cheque over. It was for fifteen hundred dollars
also.

"And this one? What's it for?"

"That's to get out of here on to-morrow's train and to stay out."

"Uhm!" answered Phil. "That makes three thousand dollars."

Brenchfield's face took on a little more confidence. He knew the
temptation proffered money held for the average man. Only, he forgot
that he was not dealing in averages with Phil Ralston.

"I've one more--a sort of big brother!" he remarked, handing over
cheque number three.

Phil opened it up and whistled.

"Pheugh! Seven--thousand--dollars! Coming up, eh? This must be the
price of suicide or a murder, Graham."

The Mayor frowned, but he held rein on his temper.

"That's for a little piece of paper in cipher. It is more than you'll
save all your life."

Phil put the three cheques neatly together, folded them up and went
over to the furnace. He placed them between some glowing coals and
pushed them home with a bar of iron.

He swung round just in time, for Brenchfield was almost on him.

The latter grinned viciously for a moment, then let his clenched hands
drop to his sides.