“Do the same thing to me, I suppose!” Brauer challenged.

Fred looked at him steadily.  “Precisely,” he answered.

The waitress arrived with their orders and Starratt changed the subject...  Brauer recovered his civility, but hardly his good temper.  At the close of the meal they parted politely.  Fred could see that Brauer was bursting with spite.  For himself, he decided then and there to eliminate Brauer at the first opportunity.

A few days later Brauer came into the office with an order to place a workmen’s compensation policy.  It covered the entire force of a canning concern, and the premium was based upon a large pay roll.

“I’ve had to split the commission with them,” Brauer announced, defiantly.  “That’s legitimate enough with this sort of business, isn’t it?”

Starratt nodded.  “It’s done, but I’m not keen for it.  However, there isn’t any law against it.”

The policy was made out and delivered to Brauer, and almost immediately he came back with a check for the premium.  “They paid me at once,” he exulted.

Starratt refused to express any enthusiasm.  Brauer sat down at a desk and drew out his check book.  “I guess I might as well settle up for the other premiums I’ve collected,” he said, “while I’m about it.”

He made out a long list of fire premiums and drew his check for their full amount, plus the workmen’s compensation premium in his possession.  But he took 5 per cent off the latter item.

Starratt made no comment.  But he was willing to stake his life that the check from the canning company to Brauer was for a full premium without any 5-per-cent reduction, and that Brauer, himself, was withholding this alleged rebate and applying it to making up the deficits on the fire premiums he had discounted.

The next day Fred’s friend said again:  “Kendrick’s doing some gum-shoe work, Starratt...  You’d better go awful slow.”

With the coming of May other anxieties claimed Starratt’s attention.  Bills that he had forgotten or neglected began to pour in.  There was his tailor bill, long overdue, and two accounts with dry-goods stores that Helen had run up in the days when the certainty of a fixed salary income had seemed sure.  A dentist bill for work done in December made its appearance and, of course, the usual household expenditures went merrily on.  The rent of their apartment was raised.  Collections were slow.  In March the commissions on collected premiums had just about paid the office rent and the telephone...  April showed up better, but May, of course, held great promise.  At the end of May the Hilmer premiums would be due and the firm of Starratt & Co. on its feet, with over two thousand dollars in commissions actually in hand.  On the strength of these prospects Helen began to order a new outfit.  Fred Starratt did not have the heart to complain.  Helen had earned every stitch of clothing that she was buying—­there