"'Will you haul that rubbish for a dollar and a half?'

"'No,' he drawled through his nose, 'I won't haul no rubbish for no
dollar and a half, and you can tell old Skinflint I said so.'

"He hung up. So did I.

"'What did he say?'

"I thought the nasal inflection made it more forceful, so I said, 'No,
I won't haul no rubbish for no dollar and a half, and you can tell old
Skinflint I said so.'

"Mr. Orchard laughed, and Mr. Nesbitt got red.

"'Call up Ben Moore and see if he can do it.'

"I looked him straight in the eye. 'Nothing doing,' I said, with
dignity. 'If you want any more garbage haulers, you can get them.'

"I sat down to the typewriter. Mr. Orchard nearly shut himself up in a
big law book in his effort to keep from meeting anybody's eye. But
Nesbitt went to the phone and called Ben Moore. Ben Moore had a four
days' job on his hands. Then he called Jim Green, and Softy Meadows,
and finally in despair called the only one left. John Knox,--nice
orthodox name, my dear. John Knox would do it for the modest sum of
five dollars, and not a--well, I'll spare you the details, but he
wouldn't do it for a cent less. Nesbitt raved, and Nesbitt swore, but
John Knox, while he may not be a pillar in the church, certainly stood