It was with this feeling in his heart that Mr. Dexter entered the shabby-looking office on Eldridge Street and, handing the receipt to the bookkeeper behind the tall desk said “Mrs. Crehan wishes to repay her loan and get back the package which she gave as security.”
The bookkeeper glanced sharply at the receipt and then at the well-dressed, prosperous looking gentleman who presented it, and then went into the inner office, took the package from the safe and brought it out.
“Twelve dollars if you please” he remarked, in his brief business-like way.
“You loaned ten dollars on these articles, less than a month ago, and now you ask for twelve dollars. Do you charge twenty per cent. a month interest?” said Mr. Dexter in firm, quiet tones.
“It’s twelve dollars or you don’t get the stuff,” retorted the accountant in a surly voice.
“You had better be very careful, sir, or you may get into trouble,” rejoined Mr. Dexter speaking very sternly, and looking the other squarely in the face. “I am familiar with the usury laws of the State and they are very explicit, in matters of this sort. I advise you to hand me that package without a moment’s delay and accept the sum of ten dollars and twenty-five cents, which is interest at the rate of two and one-half per cent. a month and more than you are really entitled to.”
“I will do nothing of the sort!” said the old clerk raising his voice so that it reached the ears of his employer in the inner office, “and if you don’t care to pay the twelve dollars you may go about your business, and I’ll put the package back in the safe.”
“I’ll not pay any such outrageous charge!” screamed Mr. Dexter, at the very top of his voice, “and what’s more if you hesitate one minute longer I’ll go out and make a complaint against you to the proper authorities.”
But just at this moment the door of the inner office was thrown open and the money-lender came out exclaiming “What does all this noise mean? What do you mean, sir, by coming into my place of business——”
[Illustration: “And so this is the business you conduct, is it?”—_Page 317._]
“There’s the boss now himself. You can settle the matter with him,” remarked the bookkeeper, triumphantly. But to his surprise his master neither spoke nor stirred, and he was even more surprised to see Mr. Dexter gaze fixedly at him for a moment or two and then exclaim in tones of burning contempt, “And so this is the business that you conduct, is it? Lending money to these poor people and then charging them the most outrageous rates. I suppose you thought you could take advantage of this poor old woman who saved your life at the risk of her own when you were a mere child in arms! I believed in you Samuel in spite of the warnings that I received. But now, I have done with you forever. My servants will gather your effects together and send them to you, but I forbid you to enter my premises again under any consideration whatever.”
