The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-17

fer. If at all. from nothing worse than
the pangs Of temporary hunger
Mrs. Grantoa,- no longer squinting-
twas a mere trick she had assumed
rose up in the boat and stretched out
rug to us.
CATCH" she cried, IN a merry voice,
and flung it at us, double. II fell al
our feet. She was a capital thrower.
Now, you dear Sir Charles she
went on, take that to keep you warm!
You know 1 am really quite fond OF
you. You're not half a bad old boy
when one takes you the right way.
You have human side to you Why,
often wear that sweetly pretty brooch
you gave me al Nice, when I was Nine
Picardet! And I'm sure your goodness
to me at Lucerne, when I was the lit
tie eurate's wife, is a thing to renem-
Der. We're so glad TO have seen YOU
in your lovely Scotch home you always
were so proud Of! Don't be frightened.
please. We wouldn't hurt you for
worlds. We are so sorry we have 10
| take this inhosptta-ble means of evad-
/ ing you. But dear David must call
/ him dear David still-instinctively felt
that you were beginning to suspect US:
and he can't bear mistrlst. He is so
sensitive! The moment people mis-
trust him he must break off with them
/ at once. This was the only way to get
you both off our hands while we make
the needful little arrangements to de-
part, and we've been driven. to avail
ourselves of it. However, I viii give
you my word Of honor. as a lady, you
shall be fetched away tonight. II dear
| David doesn't do II. why, I'll do it
myself" And she blew another kiss
/ to us.
Charles was half beside himself di-
vided between alternate terror and an
/ ger. "Oh, we shall die here!" he
exclaimed. "Nobody'H ever dream of
coming to this rock to search for me"
What pity you didn't let me teach
you to swimi" COloney Clay interposed.
TT is a noble exercise, and very use
full indeed in such special emergenciesI
| Well ta-ta! Pm off! You nearly
| scored one this time, but, by putting
/ you here for the moment, and keeping
you till we're gone, 1 venture to say
I've redressed the board, and think
we may count ii a drawn game. mayn't
we? The match stands at three. love
with some thousands in pocket
You're a murderer, sir!'' Charles
| shrieked out. I'VE shall starVe or dis
| herei"
Coloney Clay, on his side, was all
reasonableness Nov, my dear sir"
he expostulated. one hand held palm
outward. "do you think it probable I
would kill the goose that lays the gOI-
| den eggs with so little compunctiOn7
No, no, Sir Charles Vandrift; I know
| too well how much you are worth to
/ me. / return you on my income tax
paper as five thousand per year. clear
profit of my profession. Suppose you
were to die! / might be compelled to
/ find some new and far less lucrative
/ source of plumber. Your heirs, execu-
tors, or assignees might not suit my
purpose. The fact Of IL is, sir. your
| temperament and mine are exactly
adapted one to the other. I understand
you, and you do not understand ne
which is often the basis of the firmest
| friendships. I can catch you just where
/ you are trying to catch other people.
Your very smartness assists pae. for
admit you are smart. As a regular
| financier, I allow. I couldn't hold a
candle to you. But in my humber
walk of life know just how to utilize
/ you. I lead you on, where you think
you are going to gain some advantage
over others, and by dexterously play
/ ing upon your love Of a good bargain,
your innate desire to best somebody
/ else-I succeed in beating you. There,
sir. you have the philosophy Of our
mutual relations"
He bowed and raised his cap. Charles
! looked at him and covered. Yes, gem
] Jus as he is, he positively covered.
"And do you mean to say" he burst
out, you intend to go on so bleeding
me?"
The colonel smiled a bland smile
''Sir Charles Vandrift." he answered,
at called you just now the goose that
lays the golden eggs. You may have
thought the metaphor a rude one. But
you are a goose. you know, in certain
relations. SmaTtest man on stock ex-
change, I readily admit; easiest fool
to bambOozle in the open country that
| ever met with. You fail in one thing
the perspicacity OF simplicity. For
that reason, among others, have chos-
en- to fasten upon you. Regard me.
my dear sir, as a micFobe OF Million
aires, a parasiteSupon capitalists. You
know the old rhyme:
Great fieas have little feas upon their
| backs to bite 'em,
And these again have lesser f1eas, and
| so ad inflnitum!
"Well, that's just how I view myself
You are a capitalist and millionaire.
In your large way you prey upon So
ciety. You deal in corners, options,
syndicates. You drain the werld dry OF
its blood and its money. You possess.
like the mosquito, a beautiful instru-
ment Of suction-founders' shares-with
which to absorb the surplus wealth Of
the community. In my smaller way.
again, | relieve you in turn Of a por-
ton of the plumber. I am a Robin
Hood of my age; and, looking upon you
as an exceptionally bad form of mill
lionaire-as well as an exceptionally
easy form of pigeon for a man Of my
type and talents TO pluck have, so
to speak, taken UP my abode upon
you"
Charles looked at him and groaned.
The young man continued, in a tone
of gentle badinage. I love the plot
interest of the game" he said, "and so
does dear Jessie here. We both Of US
adore it. As long as I find such good
pickings upon you. 7 certainly am not
going to turn away from so valuable a
carcass, in order to batten myself, at
considerable trouble. upon minor cap
italists, out of whom it is difficult to
extract q few hundreds. It may have
puzzled you to guess why I fix upon
you so persistently. Now you know,
and understand. When a fiuke finds
sheep that suits him. that fluke lives
upon him. You are my host; 1 am
your parasite. The coup has failed.
But don't hatter yourself for a moment
|. 1t will be the last one"