Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-12-10

drew Il large bag from under his coat
and began TO collect in II the family
silver from the sideboard and n closet.
keeping his revolver ready and an eye
upon Wilmot all the time. Finally in
compartment of the sideboard he came
upon quantity of cooked food and
some bottles.
"Champagne." he muttered. What's
1t dom here: An this beef an bread
looks pretty fresh. Well. blast me-
He brought the food and drink to the
table
Il don't understand this" said he.
but we may as well get next to 1t.
Hungry. are We? Well. I'm thirsty.
Never was any other way. Sit down"
They took their places at opposite
sides OF the table. and keeping the re-
volver handy. Bill opened two bottles
Of wine. pushing one of them across to
his companion. They drank from sill
yer cups. Wilmot sparingly. Bill with a
deep. absorbing. natural thirst. like
that of sponge.
Presently Bill appeared to fall into Il
sort of trance. His head sank forward
little: his eyes stared mt the cup from
which he had drunk Minutes passed
slowly
After what seemed to Wilmot an
eternity Bill slowly emerged from his
torpor. He put mp his left hand and
rubbed his stubbly chin. Then he
pushed back the tangle of black hair
n;
and in so doing dislodged the rusty hat
which had been perched upon the back
of his head. 1t fell upon the floor with
an unnaturally loud sound. but Bill
gave il no heed
I'm Il back number" said he slowly;
that's what l am. Look ut that stuff
on the table. What II l get for it?
Mebbe $50. It's worth good deal
more. sure. But / got to take what
they'll give me. The fellers that buy
this sort o. stuff are all in a combine.
A gun that sells outside the ring goes
to the jug. It's the same all the way
around. The Teller that does the work
money an is i'm the combination gets
everything. I'm a back number: that's
what's the matter with me-
What you complain Of" said Will
mot. lis feature of our present indus
trial development"
Bill. whose head had sunk upon his
breast. looked up again.
"You seem to be an edjercated man."
said he. but" he added. with sigh.
"edjercation cuts no ice any more. It's
a grab game Now. look at this man
Murdoch What's he been a-doin'? Do
you read the papers? Well. then you
know. He's grabbed two railroads:
he's ruined an old fashioned million
aire named Harrison-a sort o. back
number like myself, judge-an' lot
o. little guys that put their money in
the road. But what's that: What did
the fellers get that built the road, the
fellers that did the work? Mebbe a
few contractors an bosses got a little
rake-off but most o. 'em was dagoes
workin' for dollar a day. An now in
comes this man Murdoch, this blamed
up TO date pirate. an grabs them two
roads an hands 'em over to the gang
An they say his fee II be near half a
million bones. Think he'll get as much
as that
..I've heard somewhere" said vii
mot, that il would be 100000"
A sudden shiver swept over him as
he named the sum. and for an instant
the money belt against his body seem
ed stuffed with ice.
-Four hundred thousand-' echoed
Bill Think what fellow like me
could do with all that money! But it
amt nothin' In these days. Why,
some o. these trust magnates blow in
more'n that on a steam yacht. Why n
blazes they should do it," he added re-
fiectively. Il don't know can get as
seasick as ! want to be for a dollar
and a half goin' down to Sandy Hook
on fishin' excursion. But the stom-
achs O them fellers will stand any
thing / guess. It's as much as mine
can stand sometimes to read about
'em."
you seem to be a sort Of a social
ist." said WilmOt.
sometimes get a-thinkin' about
them things" he admitted. II get
a-thinkin' about people workin'. work
in all over the world. They're a-goin'
1t all the time. for the world turns over,
an some of 'em work while the others
sleep. An what are they dom?
They're maxim things that they can't
have-jes' maxim 'em for fellers like
Murdoch Amt that queer? Amt it
queer to think o. lot o. men buildin'
on a great. big. fine fireproof hotel all
day an then goin' home to sleep in
Z by 9 rooms in little fire trap tene-
ments? ] saw lot O. men at work on
fifteen story department store build
in today. They'll work at that sort O.
thing for twenty. thirty or forty years.
some o. 'em. an when it's all over an
they're dead their wives won't have
enough to go an buy decent mournin'
clothes in those same stores. Oh. well.
well. What's the use o. talkin' to the
likes o. you about work? You don't do
any"
NO." replied Wilmot. remembering
his role I'm n tramD"