They became more voluble than ever.  Mr. Ford started anew to tell how he had first read “The Ring of Bells,” and Mr. Ends at the same time was striving to repeat his niece’s appreciation of “The Ring of Bells,” said niece being a school-teacher in Alameda.

“I’ll tell you what I came for,” Martin said finally.  “To be paid for that story all of you like so well.  Five dollars, I believe, is what you promised me would be paid on publication.”

Mr. Ford, with an expression on his mobile features of mediate and happy acquiescence, started to reach for his pocket, then turned suddenly to Mr. Ends, and said that he had left his money home.  That Mr. Ends resented this, was patent; and Martin saw the twitch of his arm as if to protect his trousers pocket.  Martin knew that the money was there.

“I am sorry,” said Mr. Ends, “but I paid the printer not an hour ago, and he took my ready change.  It was careless of me to be so short; but the bill was not yet due, and the printer’s request, as a favor, to make an immediate advance, was quite unexpected.”

Both men looked expectantly at Mr. White, but that gentleman laughed and shrugged his shoulders.  His conscience was clean at any rate.  He had come into the Transcontinental to learn magazine-literature, instead of which he had principally learned finance.  The Transcontinental owed him four months’ salary, and he knew that the printer must be appeased before the associate editor.

“It’s rather absurd, Mr. Eden, to have caught us in this shape,” Mr. Ford preambled airily.  “All carelessness, I assure you.  But I’ll tell you what we’ll do.  We’ll mail you a check the first thing in the morning.  You have Mr. Eden’s address, haven’t you, Mr. Ends?”

Yes, Mr. Ends had the address, and the check would be mailed the first thing in the morning.  Martin’s knowledge of banks and checks was hazy, but he could see no reason why they should not give him the check on this day just as well as on the next.

“Then it is understood, Mr. Eden, that we’ll mail you the check to-morrow?” Mr. Ford said.

“I need the money to-day,” Martin answered stolidly.

“The unfortunate circumstances—­if you had chanced here any other day,” Mr. Ford began suavely, only to be interrupted by Mr. Ends, whose cranky eyes justified themselves in his shortness of temper.

“Mr. Ford has already explained the situation,” he said with asperity.  “And so have I. The check will be mailed—­”

“I also have explained,” Martin broke in, “and I have explained that I want the money to-day.”

He had felt his pulse quicken a trifle at the business manager’s brusqueness, and upon him he kept an alert eye, for it was in that gentleman’s trousers pocket that he divined the Transcontinental’s ready cash was reposing.

“It is too bad—­” Mr. Ford began.

But at that moment, with an impatient movement, Mr. Ends turned as if about to leave the room.  At the same instant Martin sprang for him, clutching him by the throat with one hand in such fashion that Mr. Ends’ snow-white beard, still maintaining its immaculate trimness, pointed ceilingward at an angle of forty-five degrees.  To the horror of Mr. White and Mr. Ford, they saw their business manager shaken like an Astrakhan rug.