The Springfield herald., 1912-02-09

from morning until night And the
results Of all their labor will be mine
because while they work for you, you
belong to me. I could buy men. wom-
en- or souls with you-but l won't. l
am Just going to breed you. am 60
Ing to breed you until you get me an
other like yourself. and then am 60
Ing to do 1t all over again. And you
will never get away from me on this
earth, either" He turned to me with
that disgusting leer of his.
Tom. how many Of these beauties
have you saved up?"
| Not any. And 1t doesn't look as
though ever would at the price I pay
you for second-class board and lodg-
ings." He leaped to bis feet In q
speeches. by my unprecedented In
science in daring to resent his insults.
But his voice came to him soon
enough. Grimacing like a chimpan-
zee he fairly squealed In his anger.
"Second-class lodgings! You never
had enough money In your life to buy
quarter of 1t. And you never will
have. either. you spendthrift. II
didn't charge you for your living you
would have Just that much more to 60
to the dogs with. You ought to thank
me for 1t. Second-class board! You
will be glad to get a bone to gnaw yet
you puppy" Suddenly he subsidized
to a sneer and began smoothing my
coat over like prospective buyer OF
old clothes
This suit. how much did it cost
you. huh?"
Fifty dollars"
And the rest Of that trousseau that
you wear around In the mud. includ
ing the overcoat?"
81 don't know. never figured II
up. Probably seventy-hve more"
He sat down with thump and sal
glaring at me as his voice gradually
rose again.
"A hundred and twenty-five dol
lars worth of dry goods on your back
as you strut around the streets! And
on your salary" He popped up like
a jack-in-the-box and stood before me
scarecrow-like, with arms outstretched
and his clothes hanging In shapeless
pouches from his slat-like frame.
Look at me! This suit cost me
nine dollars and l have worn 1t for 9
year. My shirt cost 40 cents, my
collar six and my necktie eight. Near
to say | am not as we'll dressed as
you"
That Is a matter Of personal opin
ion. Anyway. 1t is none Of your bust
ness SO long as pay you for my liv
ing. At any rate l have never had tc
ask you for money" He reached for
ward with his long arm and begar
humping me on the chest with hii
bony knuckles.
Hey! Wouldn't you though II yor
thought you could get 1t? Wouldn',
you though, Mr.. Peacock, with youl
fine clothes. II you thought you coult
wheedle a dollar out Of me? But yol
know your Uncle Abner amt foo
enough to let you have 1t. I'd rathel
trust 1t to Bruce, for with all his fool
ishness he has got twice the sense
that you have. He takes chances ano
some day may win fortune. while
you only spend. spend. spend. Get &
cent from me! I'd like to see you.
With a quick run he gathered up the
money, showed 1t into the safe, spur
the combination until 1t ratified like {
roulette wheel and faced me agar
with his nose wrinkled. 1 faced hin
in a boiling rage. For while l hac
always cherished the natural and lie
climate hope that 1. as his next Of
kin, might some day profit by reason
of his accumulative instincts. he could
have left his money strewn broadcast
throughout the house from the time
/ had first come to live with him ant
I would not have touched dollar Of
1t. even had known never would be
even suspected. Furthermore. none
had a better reputation for honesty
than myself, and his everlasting treat
ment Of me as potential thief had
always nauseated me. Not caring how
he might regard the act, drew the
kew to the front door from my pocket
and flung 1t on the table before him
1t was the only key to the house
had ever possessed and Its surrender
left me without means of entrance
but without another word l stalkec
out into the open. banging the dool
behind me. Never had I been in &
more villainous mood than now as
strobe through the trees on my way
downtown.
desired to see Bruce again. wat
concerned to know Just what turn his
dependency might take. and though
that might cheer him up I, bit Know
ing his usual place of habitat in his
hours OF recreation 1t was not long be
fore had located him. He wat
bumped up buzzard-lIke In semi-pri
yate room Of cafe, his hands sound
ing the depths OF his pockets and his
chin resting upon his breast. A cock
tail. apparently untasted, stood on the
table before him. l sat down on the
other side Of the board. noticing tina,
his eyes were closed.
He had the general appearance OF {
man who had been drinking. Ordi
parily Immaculate Of person. he was
now semi.dlsreputable. He had moi
shaved that day. his necktie was dis
arranged and his hair rumpled. How
ever. as l had never known him to be
the worse for liquor, was inclined
IN give him the benefit OF the doub'
in this case and ascribe his unkempt
rosa 10 brooding over his misfortune
u