The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-04-19
minute a hundred men will jump
forth and hammer and saw and toll

from morning until night. And the
results Of all their labor will be mine
because while they work for you, you
belong to me. l could buy men, wom-
en- or souls with you-but 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 tnrned 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 pay
you for second-class board and lodg-
ings." He leaped to his feet In
quivering rage, for the moment made
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
a quarter of it. And you never will
have, either, you spendthrift. II
didn't charge you for your living you
would have just that much more to 90
to the dogs with. You ought to thank
me for 1t. Second.class board! You
will be glad to get bone to gnaW yet,
you puppy" Suddenly he subsided
to a sheer and began smoothing my
coat over like a 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?"
Il don't know. never figured 1t
up. Probably seventy-five more"
He sat down with a thump and sat
glaring at me as his voice gradually
cose 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
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 a
year. My shirt cost 40 cents, my
collar six and my necktie eight. Mean
to say am not as well dressed as
lyou!"
THAT is a matter Of personal opin-
ion. Anyway, 1t is none Of your busi'
ness SO long as l pay you for my liv'
Ing. At any rate have never had to
ask you for money" He reached for
ward with his long arm and began
humping me on the chest with his
bony knuckles.
"Hey! Wouldn't you though If YOU
, thought you could get it? Wouldn''
you though, Mr.. Peacock, with YOU
: fine clothes, If you thought you coult
wheedle a dollar out of me? But you
q know your Uncle Abner amt foo
|. enough to let you have 1t. I'd rathe
q trust it tosBruce, for with all his fool
D ishness he has got twice the sens
a that you have. He takes chances ant
|. some day may win fortune, whil'
l you only spend, spend, spend. Get
y cent from mel I'd like to see you.
q With a quick run he gathered up tn
q money, showed 1t into the safe, spu
d the combination until 1t ratified like
roulette wheel and faced me agai
:. with his nose wrinkled. l faced hir
, in a boiling rage. For while ha
!. always cherished the natural and Il
n ultimate hope that l, as his next c
y kin, might some day profit by reaso
n of his accumulative instincts, he coul
have left his money strewn broadcas
n throughout the house from the tim
a had first come to live with him an
Ia would not have touched dollar {
IN It, even had known never would b
i. even suspected. Furthermore, non
ID had better reputation for honest
"a than myself, and his everlasting trea
I'd ment Of me as potential thief ha
a. always nauseated me. Not caring ho
X. he might regard the act, I drew tn
ne key to the front door from my pock'
Ill and flung 1t on the table before hir
q, 1t was the only key to the house
Id had ever possessed and its surrend'
lis left me without means Of entranc
nd but without another word l stake
ty out into the open, banging the do'
mt behind me. Never had been in
a more villainous mood than now as
nd strobe through the trees on my VIZ
%. downtown.
In. desired to see Bruce again. WI
he concerned to know just what turn
an dependency might take, and thong
sn, that might cheer him up a bit Kno
ne. ing his usual place Of habitat in b
hours Of recreation 1t was not long
nd fore had located him. He W
bumped up buzzard-like in a semi-p
OK. vate room Of cafe, his hands SCUM
ng ing the depths Of his pockets and /
ill chin resting upon his breast. A COG
tail, apparently untasted. stood on t
rse table before him. I sat down on t
out other side of the board, noticing til
led his eyes were closed.
,ou He had the general appearance OF