In the meantime Newmark had closed his desk, picked his hat from the
nail, and marched precisely down the street to Heinzman's office. He
found the little German in. Newmark demanded a private interview, and
without preliminary plunged into the business that had brought him. He
had long since taken Heinzman's measure, as, indeed, he had taken
the measure of every other man with whom he did or was likely to do
business.
“Heinzman,” said he abruptly, “my partner wants to raise seventy-five
thousand dollars for his personal use. I have agreed to get him that
money from the firm.”
Heinzman sat immovable, his round eyes blinking behind his big
spectacles.
“Proceed,” said he shrewdly.
“As security in case he cannot pay the notes the firm will have to give,
he has signed an agreement to turn over to me his undivided one-half
interest in our enterprises.”
“Vell? You vant to borrow dot money of me?” asked Heinzman. “I could not
raise it.”
“I know that perfectly well,” replied Newmark coolly. “You are going to
have difficulty meeting your July notes, as it is.”
Heinzman hardly seemed to breathe, but a flicker of red blazed in his
eye.
“Proceed,” he repeated non-committally, after a moment. “I intend,” went
on Newmark, “to furnish this money myself. It must, however, seem to be
loaned by another. I want you to lend this money on mortgage.”
“What for?” asked Heinzman.
“For a one tenth of Orde's share in case he does not meet those notes.”
“But he vill meet the notes,” objected Heinzman. “You are a prosperous
concern. I know somethings of YOUR business, also.”
“He thinks he will,” rejoined Newmark grimly. “I will merely point
out to you that his entire income is from the firm, and that from this
income he must save twenty-odd thousand a year.
“If the firm has hard luck--” said Heinzman.
“Exactly,” finished Newmark.
“Vy you come to me?” demanded Heinzman at length.
“Well, I'm offering you a chance to get even with Orde. I don't imagine
you love him?”
“Vat's de matter mit my gettin' efen with you, too?” cried Heinzman.
“Ain't you beat me out at Lansing?”
Newmark smiled coldly under his clipped moustache.
“I'm offering you the chance of making anywhere from thirty to fifty
thousand dollars.”
“Perhaps. And suppose this liddle scheme don't work out?”
“And,” pursued Newmark calmly, “I'll carry you over in your present
obligations.” He suddenly hit the arm of his chair with his clenched
fist. “Heinzman, if you don't make those July payments, what's to become
of you? Where's your timber and your mills and your new house--and that
pretty daughter of yours?”
Heinzman winced visibly.
“I vill get an extension of time,” said he feebly.
“Will you?” countered Newmark.
The two men looked each other in the eye for a moment.
“Vell, maybe,” laughed Heinzman uneasily. “It looks to me like a
winner.”
“All right, then,” said Newmark briskly. “I'll make out a mortgage at
ten per cent for you, and you'll lend the money on it. At the proper
time, if things happen that way, you will foreclose. That's all you
have to do with it. Then, when the timber land comes to you under the
foreclose, you will reconvey an undivided nine-tenths' interest--for
proper consideration, of course, and without recording the deed.”
Heinzman laughed with assumed lightness.
“Suppose I fool you,” said he. “I guess I joost keep it for mineself.”
Newmark looked at him coldly.
“I wouldn't,” he advised. “You may remember the member from Lapeer
County in that charter fight? And the five hundred dollars for his vote?
Try it on, and see how much evidence I can bring up. It's called bribery
in this State, and means penitentiary usually.”
“You don't take a joke,” complained Heinzman.
Newmark arose.
“It's understood, then?” he asked.
“How so I know you play fair?” asked the German.
“You don't. It's a case where we have to depend more or less on each
other. But I don't see what you stand to lose--and anyway you'll get
carried over those July payments,” Newmark reminded him.
Heinzman was plainly uneasy and slightly afraid of these new waters in
which he swam.
“If you reduce the firm's profits, he iss going to suspect,” he
admonished.
“Who said anything about reducing the firm's profits?” said Newmark
impatiently. “If it does work out that way, we'll win a big thing; if it
does not, we'll lose nothing.”
He nodded to Heinzman and left the office. His demeanour was as dry and
precise as ever. No expression illuminated his impassive countenance. If
he felt the slightest uneasiness over having practically delivered his
intentions to the keeping of another, he did not show it. For one thing,
an accomplice was absolutely essential. And, too, he held the German by
his strongest passions--his avarice, his dread of bankruptcy, his pride,
and his fear of the penitentiary. As he entered the office of his own
firm, his eye fell on Orde's bulky form seated at the desk. He paused
involuntarily, and a slight shiver shook his frame from head to
foot--the dainty, instinctive repulsion of a cat for a large robustious
dog. Instantly controlling himself, he stepped forward.
“I've made the loan,” he announced.
Orde looked up with interest.
“The banks wouldn't touch northern peninsula,” said Newmark steadily,
“so I had to go to private individuals.”
“So you said. Don't care who deals it out,” laughed Orde.
“Thayer backed out, so finally I got the whole amount from Heinzman,”
Newmark announced.
“Didn't know the old Dutchman was that well off,” said Orde, after a
slight pause.
“Can't tell about those secretive old fellows,” said Newmark.
Orde hesitated.
“I didn't know he was friendly enough to lend us money.”
“Business is business,” replied Newmark.