The Best Policy Part 21

Then, seeing Murray, they hastily separated and went their ways.

Now, why should a friend of Mays apply for insurance through another solicitor? Well, he might have been ignorant, when he made his application, of the fact that Mays was in the insurance business. But why did they give no sign of recognition when they met in the main office? It was quite natural that Mays should be anxious to learn how his friend came out with the physician, but why should he sneak out into the hall to ask the question?

Any evidence of secrecy and underhand work always annoyed Murray. He did not like this, although he could see nothing in it to cause him any anxiety. Nevertheless, he looked up the papers of the man who had just been examined and found that his name was John Tainter and that he lived near Mays. He was a good risk, however, and he got his policy. There was no earthly reason why it should be refused. But Murray watched Mays more carefully and gave painstaking attention to the risks he brought in.

The applicants were generally small tradesmen-usually foreigners-but there was nothing in the least suspicious in any case. Indeed, it was difficult to see how there could be anything wrong, for the safeguards made it practically impossible for a mere solicitor to put up any successful scheme to beat the company, and certainly it would not be tried with any trifling policy. But it annoyed Murray to find that a man he had believed so frank and straightforward was tricky, and he could not, try as he would, find any reason for this trickiness.

Then, one day, while he was waiting in a hotel office for his card to be taken up to the room of a man with whom he had some business, he heard a strangely familiar voice near him making a strangely familiar a.s.sertion.

"You bet you, they don't fool me very much," said the voice.

Murray turned to see who it was, but a big square column was in the way.

Murray's chair was backed up to one side of this, and the speaker was on the other.

"I can't just place that voice," mused Murray, "but I have heard it somewhere." There was silence for an instant.

"It's going to be vorth something, ain't it, yes?" inquired the voice at last.

"It looks like a big thing and no mistake," was the reply.

"By George!" muttered Murray, "it's that Adolph Schlimmer who tried to get a rebate on his policy, and the fellow with him is Max Mays."

Just then word came that Murray's man would see him, and he had to leave. He was careful, however, to keep the column between him and the two he had found in conversation. It was just as well not to let them know of his presence, for he preferred not to have their suspicions aroused.

There was now little doubt in his mind that some scheme was being worked out. But what? What could these two men, neither of whom was versed in the theory and details of life insurance, do that would be in any way hurtful to the company or advantageous to them? Of course, it was only a surmise that their confidential business concerned him in any way, but a.s.sociation with Schlimmer would be sufficient to make Murray uneasy about any of his men, and the strange action of Mays in the Tainter matter added to his uneasiness.

His first move was to investigate Mays thoroughly, and, to his astonishment, he discovered that, far from having a mother to support, Mays was living with a married brother and had no one to look after but himself. He had told the truth about his business record, but he had lied about his personal responsibilities. That lie had been an artistic one, however, for it had helped materially to get him a position with Murray.

Further investigation showed that there was a light-headed, frivolous young girl, to whom he was devoted and with whom he attended Sat.u.r.day-night dances in various public halls, but it had to be admitted, to his credit, that he never let these interfere with business and was always on hand with a clear head. At the same time, it threw an entirely new light on his character, and showed him to be not at all the sort of fellow his business record had indicated.

Murray was tempted to discharge him at once, but he refrained for two reasons: first, his action would be dictated by his own disappointment in the man rather than by anything he knew that was definitely derogatory, aside from his falsehood about his mother; second, he wanted a chance to investigate further the a.s.sociation with Schlimmer, and the only way to do this was to pretend to be entirely unsuspicious and entirely satisfied. If there was any kind of scheme that could be put up by two such men, he was interested in finding it out, especially if they had already taken any action. Until the thing was clear, he wished to have Mays within reach.

Mays was shadowed for a few days, but nothing was learned except that he unquestionably had business relations with the unscrupulous Schlimmer, and that they occasionally met in the office of a lawyer in that district.

"A lawyer!" mused Murray. "Now, what the devil do they need of a lawyer?

I can't see where he comes in."

"Tainter was with them once," replied the "shadow."

"I certainly never had anything puzzle me like this," remarked Murray.

"The separate incidents are so trifling that it seems absurd to attach any importance to them, and yet, taking them all together, I am convinced there is something wrong. I'd like to hear what they have to say to each other."

"That," said the shadow, "can be easily arranged, for they are to meet next Sunday afternoon, and I can get the janitor easily to let us into the adjoining office."

"I'll be there," said Murray.

Now, Murray, in spite of his good nature, was a dignified man, but he knew when to sacrifice his dignity. He was an "office man," but he rather enjoyed an excuse for getting outside and occupying himself in some unusual way. In fact, Murray had the making of a "strenuous" man in him, if fate had not decreed that he should devote his energies to the less exciting task of directing the destinies of a life insurance agency. So he rather enjoyed the mild excitement of getting into the adjoining office un.o.bserved and lying p.r.o.ne on his stomach to get his ear close to the crack under the door. But the reward was not great. The lawyer-a big bl.u.s.tering fellow-was there, and so were Schlimmer, Tainter and Mays, but the meeting seemed to be one for jubilation rather than for planning.

"I got the papers all ready," said the lawyer. "Sign 'em, Tainter, and then we're ready to go ahead the moment Mays gives the word. We want to land all we can."

And that was the only business transacted. The rest of the time was given to gloating over some scheme that was not put in words.

"You bet you, I make that Murray sit up and take notice, yes?" remarked Schlimmer. "I gif him his chance once and I get the vorst of it, but I even up now."

"It's great," commented the lawyer. "You've got a great head on you, Schlimmer. Not one man in a thousand would have thought of it. We'll all even up, but they would have been mighty suspicious if I had let Tainter's application go in through Mays. That's where you get the advantage of having a lawyer in the deal."

And more to the same effect, but no definite explanation of the scheme.

Murray was at his office unusually early Monday morning, and the first thing he did was to have a clerk look up the Schlimmer case. Some company, he knew, had got into trouble over a Schlimmer policy, and he wanted to know all about it. He learned that Schlimmer had taken out a policy on his wife's life, had demanded and secured a rebate from the solicitor, and that another policy-holder had taken action that resulted in nullifying the policy and imposing a fine on the company.

"I think I understand it now," mused Murray, "but it looks to me as if pretty prompt action might be necessary."

All doubt, all hesitation had disappeared. Murray was wide awake and active. He called in his private messenger.

"When Mr. Mays reports," he said, "he is to wait until I have had a talk with him before going out. I shall send for him when I am ready." Then, giving the boy a slip of paper with a name and an address on it, "I want to see that man here at once. Take a cab and bring him. Tell him the validity of his life insurance depends upon it."

While the boy was gone, Murray slipped out himself, and, when he returned, a stranger accompanied him. The stranger was secreted in a room adjoining, and then Murray took up the routine of his regular work.

The only interruption came when a clerk informed him that Mays was waiting.

"Let him wait," said Murray. "I'm not quite ready for him yet. If he tries to leave, jump on his back and hold him."

After a time the messenger returned with the man for whom he had been sent, and Murray immediately took him into his private office and shut the door.

"Mr. Leckster," he said abruptly, "how much of a rebate did Mays give you on the policy you took out with us?"

Leckster was plainly mystified and frightened.

"Out with it!" commanded Murray. "Your policy isn't worth the paper it's written on unless the matter is straightened out mighty quick. How much was the rebate?"

"I don't understand," said Leckster, already nearly terror-stricken.

"How much of his commission did he give to you to get you to take out a policy?"

"Oh, he give me a half."

"Leckster," said Murray, "that was against the law. If any other policy-holder hears of it and wants to go into court, he can nullify your policy and get half of the fine that will be a.s.sessed against us for the act of our agent. If you want to make your policy una.s.sailable, you must refund that rebate. Now, go home and think it over."

Then he sent word to Mays that he was ready to see him.

"Mays," he said abruptly, "what was your scheme?"

"Sir!" exclaimed Mays.

"What was your scheme?"

"Surely you must be joking, sir," protested Mays. "I have no scheme."

"Why did Tainter," replied Murray in deliberate tones, "a friend of yours, put in his application through another solicitor?"