The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-01-10

SuOW 1uI DiduCo.
Peter McKim came in, rather well
dressed for man out of employment, but
Jim paid such little attention to his own
clothes that he never noticed those of any
one else.
Chow are you, McKim? Have you
found another job yet?'
"No, sir, | haven t. y
"Well, 1 allowed you to come in here
just to have the pleasure of telling you that
[ never accept an apology, and that when
I hit man, hit him hard. So you see
it's no use appealing to me. -
''Quite so, Mr. Blades. just dropped
in to tell you that, in spite Of appearances
to the contrary, was not in the least an
cry with you that day on the train.
ANGRY with me? Well I'll be-.
For straight cheek that beats me-
'Yes, and you re not easy to beat, Jim. -
"Look here, my man, I'm not going to
have any more of your impudence. My
name is Mr.. Blades
'Oh, no, it isn't. You merely think
it is, Everybody calls you Jim. But we
won't quarrel about names. I'm college
man myself, although you might not think
so, and the most money [ ever made was
forty dollars a month | had to be de-
terential to every one"
"Oh, you re mighty deferential mani
II had to be, said, or | would lose my
place, When l was put on the Wall
Street Express passenger agent is an
old college chum of mine who had got on
better in the world than | did, and he gave
me the position-I took tickets from the
Bunco Brigade, men worth all the way
from five hundred thousand to ten mil
lions, and more when you came along.
Now | studied these men, listened to them
talking, and kept asking myself, How do
such people make so much money, when
I'm plugging along here for forty dollars a
month? When you came, the problem
presented still greater difficulties. Here
was one of the richest men in America, all
of whose money had been made in the last
few years, yet he was person Of no edu-
cation, with manners of a dock -whalloper,
the ay-seed of western farm hardly yet
out of his unkempt hair
"Now you 60 on like that for a minute
more, and I'll have you thrown out of
here"
''Yet there was undeniable power in his
sharp, granite face; dogged resolution, in
finite courage; flash of the eye that
showed an ability to make decision as
quick, as unerring and as final as stroke
of lightning
Eyes, you d better hedge
''I was fascinated with the study of that
face The evil qualities were as plainly
discerned as the good. Fierce anger when
aroused, then an implacable desire for re-
venge, a determination to get even, and a
cruel ruthlessness in the execution of any
project. y
CHOW [ warned you once. "
II sized you up, Jim, and had the con-
ceit to put myself against the man who had
beaten all America l said to myself,
the man who can make Jim Blades angry
can do what he likes with him. | haC
no money, so | went to see my friend the
passenger agent. He owned 5, 900 shares
in this no-account road, and the president
owned 10000 Nominally this stock
hovered between l l and 12, but there was
no market for it, and it couldn't be sold at
any price unless the Plainville extension
was put through. [ unfolded my plan to
the g. p A. and he took me up to the
presidents room. There it was discussed
and viewed from all sides. The president
was afraid that | would merely get them
into big suit for damages, and that you,
with all your money, would have the best
of it, but | pointed out that even if you
did take to the law, the road was all but
bankrupt anyhow, and couldn't be in any
worse position. Don't you fear, said l.
Jim Blades will never think of going to
law for his revenge. I'll deliver Jim
Blades to you some fine morning the mad
dest man in New York State, and all you
have to do is to fire him out, and he II buy
this road merely to bounce the lot Of us.
Whenever it is known that Blades owns
the road, the stock will jump like mad
Then you sell out But how is it to be-
come known?' asked the president, and [
replied, He'll tell it for us; he II want to
make money out of the deal; man like
him can't help making money in "a scheme
for vengeance.
- whats to hinder us announcing
that he bought the road, without running
the risk of angering him?' asked the G..
P. A. Nothing, said |, except that he
would deny it next day, and prove his
denial. What are you going to make out
of the deal?' inquired the president. Il
want you and the passenger agent to lend
me l 500 shares of stock for few weeks.
Or, rather, want you to give me a"calr
for thirty days on 800 shares of your
stock at III. I'll merely take the profit,
that is the rise, on the shares during that
time. And so it was arranged 1t all
came off on schedule time, thanks to my
correct reading of your character. [
punched tickets, and threatened to punch
heads, so here am |, a-well to do man,
While my lTleIu tuc VI. II. 10 CotlioiI-
ably off and the president is rich. -
Jim Blades pondered for moment,
scratched his head, made grimace, then
said abruptly
''How much did you make?''
II sold at 5S5; might have made a
couple of thousands more, but was afraid
to hang on too long. I netted exactly
$40, 800"
The great spectators eyes partially
closed and he spoke in voice Of extreme
friendliness.
"Say, Mr.. McKim, l can tell you how
to double that money before tomorrow
night. -
The ex-conductor laughed.
"No, you can't, Jim, for I've put it
all into government bonds. I've never
yet earned five hundred dollars year, and
now | have an assured income as long as
the old United States lasts.