The Wrangell sentinel., 1909-10-21
S-----a.-C
 \ N

that good for nothing bet-I guess they win"
 Nonsense, Jimsy. How can you say such thing? You're good for q whole lot"
 Emma" he declared solemnly, there have been moments of financial stringency when that declaration seem- ed to be open to doubt"
 '.Jimsy, you're an idiot-' she laugh ed.
 "Discoveredm he ayowed, lowing tremendously.
 Brooks, who had been reading the paper, threw it down angrily.
 "D-n him" be growled.
 "Joew exclaimed his wife reproach- fully.
 "D-n who? inquired Smith.
 Why, Williams" be replied.
 Lots have done that" said the su- perintendent. But what's the matter now, Joe"
 His luck" went on Brooks. ''The Orinoco isn't scratched. If any one else owned a ship and she got into muss like that the chances are hun dred to one that she'd have foundered been a complete loss"
 That's right" assented Smith.
 But N'illiams-he don't lose her. He couldn't"
 T should think you'd be glad" re- marked Emma. "She's a brand new ship. isn't she?"
 No, I'm not glad" he declared fu- riously, rising and walking about the room. I'm tired of him, of his rot ten old steamship line, of all of it. you hear? Of all of it."
 Joe, pleaser' she protested. "You know r.
 T know you've slaved and bore with me long enough! Here I am-handling all the money of that line, ain't that so, Jimsy?'
 That's right" admitted the latter. But what's the matter?'
 Matter? Isn't it matter enough that I should do all this for mean, misera ble living? I suffer and work, and work and suffer, for that nasty, nig- gardly salary and this beast, this wild animal of a Williams, keeps us all starying-yes, starving! Don't de serve something a little better? Do you know what I could dol? I could steal thousands, and no one would ever know it."
 "Joew she calculated, greatly shock. ed.
 "Oh. I'm not going to do it; but, with all this responsibility, when I ask for money don't get it-not a dollar. You do, Jimsy: you're single and you can quit And then Williams-what does he do? Comes around here to my wife with my motherin-law-d-n him and rubs it in'
 Emma looked at him pleadingly.
 Joe. you mustn't. Captain Williams means well, but He turned upon her savagely.
 That's it-he means well. He meant well when be was a south Pa cific trader. He meant well when he treated his crew like dogs. He meant well when he'd kill a sailor with as much thought as a spider kills a fly. He meant well when he cheated na- tives, murdered men, smuggled China men into this country, sunk vessels for insurance. He meant well when he came east, bought the Latin-Ameri- can company and put your father out of business, and now-now that he has his money. his millions maybe, he means well when he refuses to give his men a fair share of what they pro- duee. Means walekAAks, be does notr' a
 "Joe, are you crazy?" demanded his wife, alarmed and little angry at his outburst.
 ~Well, there's a whole lot of truth in what Joe says" put in Smith con- ciliatingly. "You see, Williams did start out as captain of south Pc. cifc trader, but, like most of them fellows, I guess he stole good deal more than he traded. He had the rep utation of being the strongest man on the coast or in the tropics-could break a mans arm with as much ease as you'd snap a straw. He's harsh, W1l- Hams fs-harsh! When be came east he got control of the Latin-American. He loved money, and he got it-most any way he could. Yes, Joe ought to have more, that's sure. He ought to have more."
 You know I should" went on Brooks, somewhat modified by his friends acquiescence and support and