Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A Question of Ethics.
BY Barry Pain.

don't know. and you write them out,
and that goes into a paper. You told
me so yourself. Does this paper pay
you anything for what you get from
me?"
1T does" said the interviewer.
"Much?"
al forget the precise amount That
is all arranged by my agent. l try to
get away from the merely commercial
side, and
Walker! AS it happens. asked a
friend of yours the other day what
you were paid, and he said he didn't
know. but you weren't worth it. Do
you ever ask yourself if you're worth
it?"-
Really" said the interviewer, 'this
is a purely personal matter and does
not concern you in the least, James
Robinson. What I wanted today was
to elicit your views
Don't run away from it. You want
ed to elicit my views, cork them down
on n sheet of paper, sell them and then
keep the money yourself. And you
say that doesn't concern me in the
least. oh. ratsi'
81 assure you am merely following
the usual custom in my profession"
''Plucky fine custom. too-for the pro-
fession."
land tits always open TO you to re-
fuse an interview"
81 don't want to be hard on anybody.
Fair play is all want. Now. what ex-
actly do they pay you for?"
Because by many years experience
and very hard work 1 have acquired
n considerable knowledge of technique.
bright and engaging style and a.
"Oh, my aunt! You don't think any
body would pay money for all that
skittles. What they pay for i'll these
interviews is the real stuff, and the
real stuff amt you; it's me-
You forget that | also record my
own remarks and observations"
You do! ! dare say you do bit too
much of that. But you wouldn't get
along without me. If l wasn't there,
you couldn't do an interview with me.
And If you did-well. | believe the
law comes down pretty sharp on that
kind of thing. 1t wouldn't be worth
while TO risk it. Now. suppose I've
got lot of apple trees and you've get
q shop. ought you to take my apples
and sell them in your shop and keep
all the money yourself? That's how
put it. That's common sense"
Suppose, also. that the apples are Of
no use to you and that you are quite
unable TO sell them yourself. I've no
objection to the argument from anal
ogy, supposing that the analogy is
complete"
I'm not going to be scared off by
your talking like Euclid. You're MAX
ing so much money that you don't
even know how MUCH it is. You own
ed up TO that, you know. and I'm in Il
pretty bad way. First put up a dol
lar on a rattle for a revolver. Then
put up my watch in the swimming
bath. and the man at the shop says
Hold on said the interviewer.
why did you put your watch in the
swimming bathT
That's pretty simple. l wanted
something to dive for, and another
chap said he'd put his watch in if l
put in mine. His is going as well as
ever, which doesn't seem fair. since lie
proposed it. Things don't happen in
fair way as n general rule, and
like fairness when can get it. That's
interviews. Now. suppose you tell me
what you think my share ought to be-
81 don't think" the interviewer said,
that it's good thing for n small boy
like you 10 have n lot of money to
waste. Your father wouldn't like it.
But 1 think you would be officially JUS
Keep it longr murmured James
Robinson sarcastically.
-"ethically justified in suggesting
that / should start a small bank ac-
count for you, which in after life
Don't you worry about that. I don't.
What worries me is mot having any
money in my clothes now"
After some further discussion an ar
was made which was re-
garded as satisfactory by James Rob
inson and relieved the immediate finan-
cial pressure.
"And look here" he said. eff there's |
anything else you're bothered about |
any time and want to elicit views |
about. just come along to me. and if l |
can help you will. I've read political |
bits in the papers before now. and l |
never mind saying what think. I've |
got into more rows than most boys |
through that i just through saying |
what / thought. Hypocrites get on in |
this world. There's n housemaster's |
wife that will ask any boy to tea if he |
says he's keen on daffodils. l have to /
sit outside, and 1 don't care. Well, !
don't say anything to the governor |
about the money"
"I'ye tried to make an arrangement |
to which YOUR father would not great
" object
Eyes. / know all that. It's not OBJ
iections I'm thinking about. But, don't
you see. If he knew what ! was getting
from you he might take that into con-
;ideration, and I've just written to get
him to sprirg another ten bob"
The interviewer expressed disapprov-
II in severe terms and left.-Black and
White.