The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-03-15

| NJ about forty-five and some
| what over weight. He was a
4 Il plastering contractor in a
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. I didn't think anybody poor
enough to know us could become plu-
tocratic enough to stop at the Espla-
made in these times"
81 don't know why not" returned
Phillip. ''It 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
| il man has the fighting ability to get
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 abb
normally rich, the people who spend
| all their money to live like the abnor-
mally rich and the very poor.'
"Something has to be donew 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
"" 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
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 $780,
100000 fine. 1t has been held up in
the courts for fifteen years. Some day
| this country will start af1ame 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 a rather close
pinch in 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, a youth of about. seventeen,
AID he came down from that interview
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 proletariat-and he
began to accuse Phillip, as a wealthy
man, for his share in the existing in
justice. It 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 few minutes with Elsie.
''Things are not going right in bust
ness way" he ventured.
'No," she replied. phillip, I 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 it. Tell me
what 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 if they
are competent and intelligent. but it
takes half year to learn. and even.
hn dvo tn ;c,x
SLOW"
II know" she replied. II shall apply
for position as lady's maid some
where. I'd be green even at that, but
am intelligent enough to learn"
Phillip shrugged his shoulders. 'tI'm
afraid you wouldn't like it very WELL"
what else is there to do?" she de-
manded.
81 don't know" said Phillip. 1T 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 I think 1 can place
him." h yaid.
IF ytt only could!'' she replied.
1--WE 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-
laer judged as he came upon them.
On their way home Rensselaer,, who
had resumed his ranch bluntness in the
presence of a ranch friend. spoke of
the girl. miss White is a beautiful
young woman. beautiful in mind as
well as in face and figure" he declared.
"She has developed remarkably" adj
mitted Kelvin. "She was a little girl
in shoe top dresses when I boarded at
their house. Even then thought her
pretty. but 1 never suspected that she
would become such a beautiful WON.
an"
"She Is much more than beauti.
ful." insisted Rensselaer, "She is the
sort of woman who would spend her
whole life in the endeavor to make her
husband happy. and she would sue.
coed. ] would swear that she is OF
even temper and unfaltering steadfast-
ness. Moreover. she is intelligent
enough to keep pace with her husband,
no matter what his progress"
'She is fine girl" admitted Kelvin.
"Isn't It startling. though. to think
how much her mother must have look
ed like her at the same age?'