The Irish standard., 1911-04-22
CHAPTER III.

\ XR WHITE came in. man Of
| N about forty-hve and some
what over weight. He was a
4 4 plastering contractor in a
small way, and although he had done
no work for 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 didn't think anybody poor
enough to know US could become plu.
tocratic enough to stop at the Hspla-
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
II a man has the fighting ability to get
a start at all he has energy to go on
up, for the big fight is I'm 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. '"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-
mide"
| Conditions must be changed entire
ly," went on White. '"There never was
any monarchy in the world where the
condition Of the laborlng classes was
worse than today nor where the pow
err of money was so unlimited. Look
Mt Henry Breed! That one man alone
owns 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 in
the courts for fifteen years. Some day
this country will start aflame 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 IL rather close
pinch III money matters had not want.
ed to stay to dinner. but he saw that
he would hurt them If he refused. Be.
fore dinner he went up to see the bed
ridden Ed. Il youth OF about seventeen,
and he came down from that interview
rather sober
| At the table, fortunately for the Wis
itors, White had another topic Of con-
versat 1on. his gardening, but some
chance remark led him back to his IA.
vorite topic-the crimes Of the pluto
crafts against the proletariat-and he
began to accuse Phillip. rs a wealthy
man, for his share In 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 80.
| Phillip found opportunity before he
left for few minutes with Elsie.
"Things are not going right in busi-
ness way?" he ventured.
NO." she replied. "Phillip, 1 knew
that you couldn't help but see It.
Father seems entirely to have lost his
ambition. Ed Is an invalid. and will
be. l have never been fitted for any
thing, but must go to work. l must;
there is no way out Of 1t. Tell me
what I should do"
tits hard problem, Elsie. to find
inches in this busy world for people
with no especial training" he told her.
"Stenographers earn good pay il they
are competent and intelligent. but It
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 Mt that, but
am intelligent enough to learn"
Phillip shrugged his shoulders. "1'm
afraid you wouldn't like it very WELL"
! "What else is there to dor" she de-
manded.
II don't know" said Phillip. II rath-
er think, however. that the best way
for me to help you would be to secure
something for your father"
Hes difficult to manage. He has
been very unfortunate"
| Nevertheless | think can place
him." he said.
IF you only could" she replied.
eve would all be 80 grateful"
| Her eyes spoke her gratitude as she
! looked up at him. and they spoke of
something else-at least so Rensse-
laer judged as he came upon them.
| On their wqv homo RanSrolaor puho
had resumed his ranch bIuntness in the
presence of ranch friend. spoke of
the girl. Miss White Is beautiful
young woman, beautiful in mind as
well US in face and figure" he declared
| "She has developed remarkably" ad
| Iniffed Kelvin ..Shn 1uaa a little Girl