“Where are you going, Miss Florry?”

“Home,” she said.

He looked at her so wistfully that she could not mistake the hidden meaning in his words when he asked, with a deprecatory grin: 

“Where do you live?”

“With my father,” she said, and closed the door.

When Cappy and Matt returned to the Blue Star offices they were informed that Mr. Allan Hayes was patiently awaiting the arrival of the managing owner of the Lion.  Matt concluded, therefore, to remain secluded while Cappy went into his own office and met Mr. Hayes.

Two hours later Cappy summoned Skinner and Matt to his sanctum.

“Skinner,” he said briskly, “have you bought any shingles?”

“I have not,” said Mr. Skinner.

“Have you sent out those telegrams to the dealers?”

“Not yet, Mr. Ricks.  I was going to have them filed just before we close the office.”

“Well,” said Cappy smilingly, “don’t accept any quotations until to-morrow and don’t send out those telegrams until further advice from me.  I locked horns with that man Hayes, and I think I gored him, Matt.  It appeared he called on me first; and when I quoted him four hundred dollars a day on the Lion, he favored me with a sweet smile and said he could get the Unicorn for three-fifty.  So, of course, I had to explain to him that he couldn’t, because I wouldn’t charter her at any such ridiculous figure!  That took the ginger out of him and we got down to business, with the result that I’ve given him a forty-eight-hour option on both boats at four hundred dollars a day each, with a commission of two thousand dollars cash in full to him.”

“Why, he told me he would get two and a half per cent. commission!” Matt declared.  “He figured he’d have an income of twenty dollars a day for the next four years.”

“I daresay he did, Matt,” Cappy replied dryly; “but then, in the very best business circles you never pay a broker two and a half commission when you know who his principals are!  If he insists, you eliminate him entirely and do business direct.  Of course, my boy, if he had put the proposition up to me, and I had agreed to pay him the regular commission while ignorant of the identity of his principals, and he had then reposed confidence in my business honor and told me whom he represented, he would have been perfectly safe.  Remember, Matt, that the business man without a code of business honor never stays in business very long.  From the office to the penitentiary or the cemetery is a quick jump for birds of that feather.”

“Then, why did you offer him two thousand dollars?"’

“Because it never pays to be a hog, my son, and besides I want to close this deal and close it quickly.  Naturally Hayes isn’t fool enough to toss away two thousand dollars, and something seems to tell me he’ll urge his principals to take the boats at our figure, Matthew!” And the graceless old villain chuckled and dug his youngest skipper in the short ribs.  “Let this be a lesson to you, my boy,” he warned him.  “Remember the old Persian proverb:  ’A shut mouth catches no flies.’”