The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-07-07

"a
|N about forty-five and some
what over weight. He was
4 L plastering contractor In
small way, and although he had done
no work for a month he bore the
marks of his trade upon every gar
ment; even his hair and his mutton
chop whiskers seemed rather TO have
been mortar bleached than to have
grown naturally gray.
"Hello, Phillip!' said he. shaking
hands. $50 you were our Kelvin. after
all. Il didn't think anybody poor
enough to know us could become plu-
tocratic enough to stop at the Espla-
made In. these times"
IL don't know why not" returned
Phillip. at seems to me that these times
offer as many. If not more. oppOrtuni-
ties than ever to acquire wealth. 1t is
perhaps true, however. that nowadays
If man has the fighting ability to get
a start at all he has energy to go on
up. for the big fight is in getting out
Of the rut That explains. perhaps.
why we have practically no middle
class left to us. We have only the alb,
normally rich. the people who spend
all their money to live like the abnor-
mally rich and the very poor"
Something has to be doner' sudden
ly exploded Mr.. White. 1.-THE rich are
growing richer and the poor are grow
| ing poorer every year.
| Both Kelvin and Rensselaer, smiled
in recognition of that ancient "bro-
mde."
| Conditions must be changed entire
| ~" went on White. There never was
| any monarchy in the world where the
condition of the laboring classes was
worse than today nor where the pow
| er of money was so unlimited. Look
at Henry Breed! That one man alone
Towns an enormous share Of all the
property in this country, and the Unit
ed States government is not strong
enough to collect from him that 500
100000 fine. 1t has been held up I'm
the courts for fifteen years. Some day
this country will start a1ame and will
burn and destroy itself, to the horror
Of the world"
Dinner time came, and still Ben
White raved on. Kelvin. catching here
and there traces Of rather close
pinch in money matters. had not want
ed to stay to dinner. but he saw that
he would hurt them IL he refused. Be-
fore dinner he went up to see the bed
ridden Ed. youth Of about sc'-."teen.
and he came down from that Jew
rather sober.
At the table, fortunately for The Wis
itors, White had another topic of con-
versation. his gardening. but some
chance remark led him back to his ia
vOrite topic-the crimes of the pluto
Gratis against the proetariat-and he
began to accuse Phillip. as a wealthy
man.. for his share i'm the existing in
justice. 1t was In vain for Phillip to
aver that he had not reached the plu-
tocratic stage by any means, though
he was perfectly willing to do so.
Phillip found opportunity before he
left for a few minutes with Elsie.
Things are not going right in a bust
ness way" he ventured.
NO." she replied. phillip, knew
that you couldn't help but see It.
Father seems entirely to have lost his
ambition. Ed is an invalid, and will
be- have never been fitted for any
thing. but must go to work. must;
there Is no way out Of 1t. Tell me
what should do
'Tt's a hard problem. Elsie, to find
inches in this busy world for people
with no especial training" he told her.
"Stenographers earn good pay If they
are competent and intelligent, but IL
takes half year to learn, and even
then the advancement in wages is very
slow"
II know" she replied. II shall apply
for position as lady's maid some
where. I'd be green even at that, but
l am intelligent enough to learn"
Phillip shrugged his shoulders. I'm
afraid you wouldn't like 1t very WELL"
What else is there to do?" she de-
handed
II don't know" said Phillip. 81 rath-
er think. however. that the best way
for me to help you would be to secure
something for your father"
He's difficult to manage. He has
been very unfortunate"
Nevertheless think I can place
him." he said.
IF you only COULD" she replied.
I'VE would all be so grateful"
Her eyes spoke her gratitude as she
looked up at him, and they spoke OF
something else-at least so Rensse-
laerJudged as he came upon them.
On their way home Rensselaer,, who
had resumed his ranch bluntness in the
presence Of ranch friend. spoke of
the girl. Miss White is beautiful
young woman, beautiful in mind as
well as In face and figure" he declared.
"She has developed remarkably" ad-
mitted Kelvin. "She was little girl
In shoe top dresses when 1 boarded at
their house. Even then thought her
pretty, but never suspected that she