Paul quickly snatched the heavy ruler. Dawes started. The young man ruled some lines in his ledger. The elder man was infuriated.
`But wait till I light on you, no matter where it is, I'll settle your hash for a bit, yer little swine!'
`All right,' said Paul.
At that the smith started heavily from the doorway. Just then a whistle piped shrilly. Paul went to the speaking-tube.
`Yes!' he said, and he listened. `Er -- yes!' He listened, then he laughed. `I'll come down directly. I've got a visitor just now.'
Dawes knew from his tone that he had been speaking to Clara. He stepped forward.
`Yer little devil!' he said. `I'll visitor you, inside of two minutes! Think I'm goin' ter have you whipperty- snappin' round?'
The other clerks in the warehouse looked up. Paul's office-boy appeared, holding some white article.
`Fanny says you could have had it last night if you'd let her know,' he said.
`All right,' answered Paul, looking at the stocking. `Get it off.'
Dawes stood frustrated, helpless with rage. Morel turned round.
`Excuse me a minute,' he said to Dawes, and he would have run downstairs.
`By God, I'll stop your gallop!' shouted the smith, seizing him by the arm. He turned quickly.
`Hey! hey!' cried the office-boy, alarmed.
Thomas Jordan started out of his little glass office, and came running down the room.
`What's a-matter, what's a-matter?' he said, in his old man's sharp voice.
`I'm just goin' ter settle this little --, that's all,' said Dawes desperately.
`What do you mean?' snapped Thomas Jordan.
`What I say,' said Dawes, but he hung fire.
Morel was leaning against the counter, ashamed, half grinning.
`What's it all about?' snapped Thomas Jordan.
`Couldn't say,' said Paul, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.
`Couldn't yer, couldn't yer!' cried Dawes, thrusting forward his handsome, furious face, and squaring his fist.
`Have you finished?' cried the old man, strutting. `Get off about your business, and don't come here tipsy in the morning.'
Dawes turned his big frame slowly upon him.
`Tipsy!' he said. `Who's tipsy? I'm no more tipsy than you are!'