The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-09-18

appropriation goes, and you know II.
But l tell you it's graft"
NO, it's taking advantage of the
foolish and incompetent specifications
made for this job. Why, it's not even
sharp practise. It's making money on
another mans mistake It's picking
up the loose ends of business deal
and putting them in your pocket, and
believe me, It's the loose ends that
have made the American millionaire"
rs that the secret?"
Certainly. Why, it's the same op-
portunity that would come to you il
you were walking across a farm,
kicked up some dirt and discovered
gold. Would you go to the owner of
the farm and say: There's gold on
your land; 1 hope it makes you rich%
Certainly not. You'd buy the farm
You might stake him to the potatoes,
but you'd take the gold. What the
devil is the matter with you fellows
who are always working your hearts
and souls out for twenty-five dollars a
week because of your Sunday school
notions? Here's an opportunity right
in your hand. Don't let 1t go by. Take
advantage of It,"
mot me. Brand"
"All right We can get along with
out our end of that particular profit,
even If it Is useless waste. Waste,
tell you, and nothing else. But Bob,
you can't get along without the forty
thousand. and let me tell you some
thing; labor doesn't make money; toll
doesn't make money-for the toiler!
The only thing that makes money is
money, and if you haven't some Of 1t
to turn over and make into some
more, you're going to work for some
body else all your life. That's the
toiler's job. Now. be sensible. Take
this and stop worrying"
John, I'm afraid you have got into
the wrong house. It's true l haven't
got anything but twenty-five dollars
week-that l haven't paid for this
home, which you say you partly own,
and for which you so kindly over
charged me. It's true that I've got
wife to take care of and can't even
buy her the pretty things she wants
But supposing take your money.
What is the price / pay for it? My
conscience. I'd have money in the
bank, but fear and dread of God in my
heart"
Fear, fiddlesticks! It's not fear In
your heart, but chill in your feet,
that's worrying you. What you need,
Bob, is nerve, and-money. Good old
American eagles are the greatest
nerve builders in the world"
81 know it, but l want to get mine
in the daylight like white man; not
in the dark like footpad."
well, you're mighty particular
about yourself. but supposing you
think of some one else. How about
your wife? Don't you think you might
do something for her? II you were
taking one nickel from the people, or
stealing cent, wouldn't argue with
you, but you're not. You're simply
taking advantage of another mans
blunder. You can't stop that blunder;
you can't go to that man and have
these specifications changed. But you
can take this money and put your wife
in a better position. If you don't do
It, it's your own fault. Bob, II you
stick to these specifications you're
throwing that two hundred thousand
dollars and your share of it away, just
as II you dropped 1t in the river. I'm
showing you how you can save forty
thousand dollars. But, no, you won't
do it. Instead of that you talk about
grating and stealing and conscience,
and all of the gibberish you find in the
yellow papers. Now, I'm telling you
straight; you're throwing away an op-
portunity that may never come to you
again. You're stepping right over the
gold on the farm and you're handing 1t
to somebody else. Oh, I'm so sorry"
The sudden entrance of his wife pre-
vented reply by Reynolds. Both
men rose to their feet Bob, in the
height of his moral combat with
Brand, had almost forgotten her prox-
unity. He had not noticed that the
door to their room was slightly ajar.
Brand had, and in his peroration, as
1t we're, when he saw that Reynolds
showed no sign of accepting his offer.
he had purposely raised his voice so
that she could hear. Jane extended
her hand now as her husband present
ed the millionaire, and she smiled a
welcome.
81 couldn't help but hear" she said,
land thought l had better let you
know. Am / in the way?"
Not at all,,' Brand promptly an
swered. you see, Mrs. Reynolds, Bob
and are old friends, and would like
to be counted among his wifes friends
also"
THANK you. can believe that"
She turned more serious face to her
husband "Roh0 aha aalrad nuiatIv