Middletown transcript., 1914-09-26

who are always working your hearts
and souls out for twenty-five. dollars
week because of your Sunday school
notions? Here's an opportunity right
in your hand. Don't let it go by. Take
advantage Of it."
Not me, Brand"
"All right We can get along with
out our end of that particular profit,
even if it is a useless waste. Waste.
1 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 II 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
a week-that 1 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 a
wife to take care of and can't even
buy heE 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, fddlesticks! 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"
Il know it, but l want to get mine
in the daylight like white man; not
in the dark like a 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? If you were
taking one nickel from the people, or
stealing a cent, l 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 better position. If you don't do
it, it's your own fault. Bob, If you
stick to these specifications you're
throwing that two hundred thousand
dollars and your share of it away, just
as if you dropped it 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" 4"
The sudden entrance of his wife pre-
vented a 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
it were, 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
welcome.
Il couldn't help but hear" she said,
"and 4 thought l had better let you
know. Am l in the way?"
Not at ALL" Brand promptly an
swered. You see. Mrs. Reynolds, Bob
and are old friends, and l would like
to be counted among his wife's friends
also"
Thank you. l can believe that"
She turned more serious face to her
husband. "Beb," she asked quietly,
don't you think you had better con-
slider what Mr.. Brand said?"
Now, Jane, please!" he exclaimed.
I'm glad to have your advice in all
things, but I cannot have you inter-
fere in this. Please don't"
Jane made no response. Her hus-
bands answer permitted none. 1t cut
like knife and brought the blood
rushing to her cheeks; blood that
seemed to forsake the heart, leaving
it chilled, and heat the brain with re-
bellious and alien thoughts.
"I-cannot-have-you- 1t was
the first time he had ever used such
terms. They sounded like the clarion
notes of a trumpet. The walls re-
ceived them and hurled them back to
her; walls that recalled her long hours
Of loneliness; hard walls, cold walls,
cheap walls; walls that she had fought
with; bare walls, that after days of
toll she had embellished with mex
pensive prints and such knick-knacks
as woman's taste can summon; walls
that reflected their poverty and her
struggle against it.
neutrality-suspicious." The
words burned and ranked. They
scorched her flushed cheeks and
pounded her temples. They pierced
her brain; they ran humping and
humping down her spine and left it
stiff and cold.
She drew herself up to her full
height and stood regarding the two
men in silence. Unconsciously they
realized that she was very beautiful,
like some aristocratic animal at bay,
startled. but not frightened Her eyes
travelled from one to the other; to the
immaculate Brand, in his proper eve