the damaged knuckles in the air. "I just want to tell you,
whatever I did feel, I don't feel MEAN any more; not to-day, I
don't. There's a meaner man in this world than _I_ am, Mr.
Lamb!"

"Oh, so you feel better about yourself to-day, do you, Virgil?"

"You bet I do! You worked till you got me where you want me; and
I wouldn't do that to another man, no matter what he did to me!
I wouldn't----"

"What you talkin' about! How've I 'got you where I want you?'"

"Ain't it plain enough?" Adams cried. "You even got me where I
can't raise the money to pay back what my boy owes you! Do you
suppose anybody's fool enough to let me have a cent on this
business after one look at what you got over there across the
road?"

"No, I don't."

"No, you don't," Adams echoed, hoarsely. "What's more, you knew
my house was mortgaged, and my----"

"I did not," Lamb interrupted, angrily. "What do _I_ care about
your house?"

"What's the use your talking like that?" Adams cried. "You got
me where I can't even raise the money to pay what my boy owes the
company, so't I can't show any reason to stop the prosecution and