The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-13


whole of it-every drop of it,"
II.
When Sharpe left, and they were alone
Mr.. Dallas said to Tom:
Il suppose that talk about a bargain has
made you curious. Well I hire that man
to come here'-Tom nodded-"ah, but not
as clerk, as a companion, and the bargain
is that 1 pay him four glasses of wine for
his talk. l have brains, but they are bus
mess brains, and haven't much education
and 1 don't care to read, so I buy good talk
and company from Sharpe, and the price
is four glasses of wine per night. He's
cheap at the money, my boy. When you
come into your kingdom, Tom-oh, yes, 1
know you hope that that may be a long
time yet that 1 am not an old man. and so
on-I say. when you come into your king
dom buy poor man like Sharpe, who has
been at a university and has read lot.
He's a capital investment. You needn't
look angry. Tom; the man with money buys
the man of education all the time; of
course he does. When Sharpe first came
here 1 gave him gin. He drinks gin when
he is spending his own money, and why
shouldn't he drink gin here? But he struck
and would only give me gin talk; said he
couldn't give gentlemanly talk without
port, and 1 had to agree to port, confound
him. Keep a scholar, Tom; a scholar who
can talk"
Tom screwed up his courage and began:
There something 1 want to speak about
uncle. You have done everything for me-
and hope I am not ungrateful, but-hang
it all, 1 can't say It'll do not like-well, it is
this, won't you give those letters back to
the lady? You will not trade on them any
more, will you? And that officer of the
guards"
''Whew!" cried Mr.. Dallas, gazing in as
constituent at his nephew. Whats come
over you? 1 never asked you to worry your
self about my business-indeed, 1 have al
ways wanted you to keep clear of it..
'Oh, but uncle. it is terrible to think of
two people who have been in love with one
another"
Stuff and Iionsense!'' said Mr.. Dallas
looking curiously and with some amaze
ment at Toms crimson face why's that's
fairy tale. Haven't just been telling you
that 1 buy Sharpe to talk to me. reel off
stories, like what's his name in the Arab
ian Nights"
Tom looked doubtful, and Mr. Dallas
laughed uneasily.
THAT comes of being kind-hearted, Tom;
getting into a state of mind over fairy
tale. Why, you'll be asking me to raise
SEarpe's wages next, and give him a fifth
glass of wine"
But what have been thinking of is that
money is not everything, and"
Exactly. / have heard that remark be-
fore from those who haven't any money and
from the parsons. But money is pretty
nearly everything to a man-and don't you
forget it. 1t can't keep you from dying, it's
true, but it can keep you alive when, with
out it. you would have died. 1t can buy
beauty, honors and titles horses, carriages
and servants; place, power and dominion;
food, drink and clothing. Are these things
nothing? Take it from me, my boy, they
are pretty nearly everything. And Tom,"
here his hard voice softened, and in kindly
fashion, he laid his haid on the young mans
shoulder, 'ft has bought me schools and
colleges and good horses for the boy, who
is my true SON.
Yes, uncle" replied Tom, 'but you know
could not bear to take help from you if
thought
Il know-I know-but you need not think
these things. 1 lend money to those who
want money, and 1 can tell you the borrow
ers are worse men than the LENDER
Tom "swithered," as the Scotch say, and
after pause he said
And those letters?"
Fairy tale letters"
Then you never had them?"
''Why they never existed, tell you"
at was a terrible tale" said Tom, with
a sigh of relief 1T made me shudder."
That's where Sharpe scores, you see. You
can't get sensations like that out of reading
a story but have some one tell it you by
word of mouth, ana 1t makes you grew
all over"
Sharpe was so realistic.
Hes fine actor spoiled is Sharpe" and
Mr. Dallas grinned.
One morning, while Tom was sitting in
his Temple Chambers over a late breakfast.
he was surprised by a visit from a dapper
little man with an air of important bust
ness writ large all over him. "A brief"
thought Tom with delight, and he became
unpleasantly conscious of his gay dressing
gown and the white table cloth Uttered
with the remains of his meal. Certainly
the room looked most unlawyerlike. 1t was
session time, too, and he wished he had
been caught reading some law book or at
least the Times instead of that condemn
ing yellow-boarded novel.
Il beg pardon for intruding." said the
man. MY name is Craig. and come on
behalf of Mr.. Dallas"
oh" replied Tom relieved, yet disap-
pointed; it was only message, not a brief.
Pray take a seat.
TT has not been a case of early to bed
.r.1 r1r 60 ~ sd