BREAD ON THE WATER.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10645, 20 December 1910, Page 6

BREAD ON THE WATER.

(By Howard IJwijrlit Smiley.)

''Aren't you ever going to brace up and ho a man, Jim Hitchcock?"

The little school-teacher's brown eyes flashed indignation at the young man wlio leaned hizily against the gate-post, smiling- in good-natured tolerance at this tirade.

"Why, Gertie," hu drawled in mild expostulation, "what puts the notion into your head that I'm. not a man? \ou don't take me foi a piece of cheese or a tombstone, do you 5 " take jou for a lazv, good-foi-no-tning—Oh, Jim' Can't -\ou understand » Why don't jou go to work and do something 0 " "I'm the busiest man in Urbandale." lie assured her gravely. "'.She trouble is that -ton don't undeistand. Your* ide.i of work and mine'don't-coincide ifi the least I am' worbing constantly,' but because I show no physical evidence of it, jou and the other "plebeian creitures around me think I am laz> I can't blame you for that, however; noMe-of jou know any better." (i "Perhaps ne don't'" retorted Gertie. "But we at least earn honest Tivmgs and are decently clothed and don't hve in hovels, and we have the Tespect of the community'" ' '

, "All of which amounts to absolutely nothing," returned Jim senouslv. "I earn my living honestlj, even if you can't see "how I" do it—that's your blindness, not mine. These clothes cover me quite sufficiently; I am warm and comfortable m them, and thej are .clean.

"M\ hovel, as you term it,is a very comfortable little two room shack, which is to me quite as neat and cozv as any home I ever saw, even if it isn't .is serumptiously furnished oi after the universal idea of how such-things sliould be. And as for the resnect of the community. I am truly thankful I haven't that. In order to gain it I must be like the communitv, which is asking altogether too much."

"I don't see win thej arc decent enough, aren't they?"

"Yes, in their own way, but they nra such helpless creatures. You don't want me to be 'absolutely helpless, do you?"

"It seems to me that that is what j'ou are now. You. certainlj' haven't anyvisible means of support, and thej' have. Why do jou call them helpless creatures?"

"Because they are. For they are not standing in their own shoes, but are dependent on it lot of people who have been dead .and'buried"for years."

"Why, Jim Hitchcock! I'm not!" '■ "Yes, you are. When you decided to earn your own living, did you choose a vocation that would :be a" credit to your intelligence? No, you merely stepped into a place that a dead woman had prepared for you. SomV schoolteacher had died or got married and you took h,er place. "You found everything cut and dried and ready for you. You have merely taken up the job where the other learner left off, arid all you have to do is to follow a set of rules and : do as she did. It is your dead predecessor who thinks, acts, and teaches for yon, and you are no more entitled to'praise for what you do than is a phonograph record for the song it renders, but which i' neither originates nor understands. You are, in common with the majority of the people c±f. this world,' nothing but m plivsieal record of something that a lot of dead folks have thought?' "T don't understand you."

"And T hardly'hope to make you, although it seems strangij.. does it not, that all you profoundly intelligent people rhnnot understand a fool?*"' "T never said you were tliafc, Jim. You are smart. You are the brightest man T ever knew, and you are a wonderful genius; but you are so everlasting lazy that you do.not make anything of it. Look at Billy■ Watson; he isn't anywhere near as bright as you, and yet he does splendidly, arid has money 'a the bank." "Yes, I know. When old Peter Adams died, five years ago, after having filled for a decade the position of clerk in Brewer's grocery store. Bill stepped into his shoes. He "took, rip'the job where Pete left off? and lie has held .t down without a break until to-day, when a new record will be inserted into the grocery-graph." ' ' "What do you mean?"

"Why, the other day I gave Bill an original idea in the line of grocery advertising, which' so impressed him that he tried it out yesterday without consulting his employer, and that so displeased Brewer that he fired Bill on the spot. Now Bill is hunting around for somebody else's shop to step into. He can't stand in his own shoes any more than you can." "Do you stand in your shoes?" snapped Gertie indignantly. "I hope so. I have never been accused of doing anything that would cause me to usurp another man's shoes, have I?"

"Do you mean by that that you have never worked and never will ?"

"For somebody else. yes. Can you tell me why I should?"

"For your own self-respect and the regard of your friends, and—" she paused and raised her left hand, the third finger of which was encircled by a small solitaire diamond ring. Instantly Jim was all seriousness. "Gertie," he said gently, "you have been wearing that ring a long time now." "Five years, Jim," she answered quietly. "Ever since the spring that-we graduated. Aren't you getting tired of waiting. Gertie?" "I try not to, Jim, hut it does seem that you might at least try and do something," replied . the girl, with a little tremble in her voice. "There are lots of other men just as good, if not better than I am, Gertie." "Oh, Jim!" "Now, there is Billy Watson; ho has been paying quite a little attention to you lately, taking you to parties and shows; he evidently thinks a lot of you." "rte asked me to marry him only last right; of course you know the answer I gave." "Why doriT; you marry him, Gertie?" asked Jim earnestly.

"Why, Jim Hitchcock, what do you moan ?"

"That I would like to see you settled down in a home of your own and well provided for, and I honestly believe that Bill can and will do it if you'll give him the chaiice. You .say yourself that I am absolutely worthless, so why do you wait for me any longer?"

Gertie stared at him in blank amazement for fully a minute before she ?poke.

"You're joking. Jim ; you can't mean that." she said finally.

"No. I am not, Gertie; I mean everv lV.)rrl."

'"And—and—you really want to hreaii our engagement?" she faltered. "I do," he answered quietly.

Tlio girl's eves filled with angry ears, m;d she did not trust herself ,to speak ri::rain, but, slipping the ring 'from her finger, she handed it to Jim. who' accepted it silently, and then, without n word, she turned in at the gate and lrft him. 11. Iu front of the Elk Cigar Store, Jim frund Bill Watson; and stooped to console with him over the. loss of his position in the grocerj' store. "It's tough work..old.man,'.' said lie, •'and, again, it may he a good tiling:. You weren't going to hold that job down all your life were you ?" "Yes/ I was," growled Bill. "Brewer, ■rn's going to sell me a half-interest in ■ .«! store next January, and now that's •til off. This is what I get for listening' to .vour'fool ideas instead of •.litendiug' "• business I understand."

i ',i> idea was all righ! .1 in a | 1"""! him. "The trouble t- tint ilspwrr is such an-old foge\ he evn'r ■sc* ~r luiicve .'<n\ ihi'ii (hat bears tho >iaint> •i "•'•\iinality. -Kver.ythirg uc tou'-h'--1 ,i<i 1 . be cut at'd dried a*>d incd w'&h ..( d before he'll even look at n'. He' lv»i.'t any confidence in hi* own intelyou see. He's just a record. A: \ fair-minded man will tt->ll m.;i that I'm* idea is a cracker-jack." •'Humph! You look like -■■ 111 \r. with bright ideas, don't yon ? Why, you Jon't even know enough to earn your owii living, to say nothing c* w\ins; to tell others how to inn thou- business."

Jim smiled patientli and changed the subject. 1 "By the nay, Bill, he s.ud, "I was I down in the city this morning. Rode I down on the switch-engine as far as I Commonwealth Avenue, and walked down-town Irom there. Everybody is 1 cleaning," house, and three different ,wqine'n stopped jme and wanted to hire'ine , '.to helpHhem. Offered me tweuty-fivs

cents an hour. ; Male help. seems scarce."

"Of ronr.se, you're too almighty lazy to accept the offers," growled Bill. "I should think you'd jump at the chance of earning a quarter an hour. i wnuldi" "I think you can do better. I believe 1 sec where you can clean up a neat little pile if you handle the thing i mlit 'Tins mother oi \om ide - ' inquiicd Hill sucaslic illj ' Call it am thing jou like, ' jnsui.ii.ti Jim good-naturedly. "But, listen "When I got down-town I noticed quite a crowd of meSi standing in front of the municipal c'mplojment bureau, and stopped to ascertain the seems tliat the Missoula Inter-urban Company, that arc building th'rough here, have finished grading, and have Jaid, off about two-thirds of the-road-■[bed! con'struction gang—over 300 men «—afid ""tlfey aie'back In" the city loolfing foi ]obs Now, these men drew fifteen cents an hour from the littor-urban?Ctfjnpa'ny, and thej 'U be mighty glad to hire out again at the same rate. Why don't you go down there and sub-hire them out to the housekeepers at twenty-five cents an'hour? 11 be~making ten cents clear on each man."

"How are j'ou going to do it?" sneered Bill. "Dead easy. For instance, you take the same street I walked down this morning, and. I'll v bet you land at least a do7cn "housekeepers on that street alone. Jhst represent yourself to them as an employment agent, and tell them you'll furnish them with good, strong men to beat their rugs and carpets at a quaitcr an hom. They'll giab at the chance."

"That ain't a. bad idea at all," said Bill thoughtfully "Of com so it isn't It won't cost you .i cent to try it, and I'll bet dollars to tomato-cans''that you win. I might suggest tint jou hire seveial good, reliable solicitois and get them "busy working other streets. "Then jou can divide the men up into gangs of ten oi moie, and put e.ith gang in charge"of one of the solicitors; it would be too much,for you to handle the whoWbiihchalbne. Somo of the housekeepers won't 1, want a man for over a couple' of hour's, and you must have another place' readj' for them as soon as they finish the lasti job." "By Jove! I believe I'll try it!" ex 1 - claimed Bill enthusiastically. "It certainly looks good." ' "And, by the way, Bill," put in Jim as the other turned to leave him, "you'd better drop in on Gertie this evening; I think she'"wants 1 to see you."

"What do you know —I thought—" stammered .Bill, reddening. "I don't know anything, except that she intimated to me that she had changed her mind about something she told: you last night " "I'm going right up there'" exclaimed Bill, his face lighting hopefully, and without more ado he turned and hurried away in the direction of the school-teacher's home.

Jim turned his steps toward the shack on the banks of Green ltiver, i and, after he had cooked and eaten his supper, ho went fishing, as was his wont o' nights. All tinough the long bonis of the night lie sat isi his boat and watched liis lines, and in the morning he carried the catch to the hotel and sold it, leeching in p.mnent his breakfast and one dnlldr and twenty rents in cash Then he went to bed. m If Billv Watson imagined lli.it he was running into .1 soft snap when he took up .Tim's suggestion, he iei\ quickly discovered his 'mistake; as a matte'i of fact, the job very ncailv grew out of his inexperienced control before he was h.ndh started As Jim had picdioted the cit-\ «,is in the thiocs of spung house-cleaning, and the demand toi male laboi hy fai exceeded the supply. The tired and overworked housewives were glad to hire am thing that resembled a man, if it would iaciht.itc the aiduous task that was theirs to accomplish Within three days full 200 of the exconstruction gang were busily engaged in beating 1 ugs and caipets and doing other tasks in various parts of the city, while Bill and a dozen hired solicitors were kept oil a steady jump finding new jobs for them to fill as fast as they I finished the old ones. He settled up with the men each night, and found to his amazement that liis profits amounted to over two hundred dollars a day, after deducting all expenses. Tliis continued for two weeks, and then, the annual house-cleaning being nearly accomplished, the demand for men began to drop off, until at the end of the third week it had ceased altogether, and Bill returned to his'home at TTrbandale. The next day he met Jim 011 the street. "Well, how are you coming on with that house-cleaning .stunt?" the latter inquired. "Oh, pretty good," answered Bill with feigned indifference. "It's all over now, but I cleaned up three thousand dollars while ~t lasted." "Phew!" whistled Jim in amazement. "That's a lot of money to make in three weeks! What are you going to give me, Bill?" "You!" exclaimed Bill scornfully. "I doii't see where ; yoii come in for anything. You dfdn't do nothing." "Why, I gave you the suggestion." "Huh, that's'.' nothing.'. It's the man who does'the work that counts in this world. If I had your facility for seeing things, coupled with my brains and executive ability, I'd have been a millionaire years ago. "Why didn't you tackle this yourself if it looked so good to you? Any fool could have done it." "Yes," smiled Jim quietly: "you did it. What are you going to do with all that nioiun, Bill?" lie added hastily, before Bill's slow mind grasped the significance of the remark'. ' "I'm going to open the finest grocery-store in''Urbandale,"'■ "answered Bill proudly. For a moment Jim looked worried at this news; than he nodded approvingly. "That's a good idea, Bill," he assured him. "You'll be just'the"man to do it, too, after all- the experience) you've had. Before you begin, however, T have another idea to suggest, that—" ■

"Oh, 110, you don't," Bill interrupted hastily, "l'vo had enough of your

foolish ideas. One of-them has cost me my job already. Give it to somebody else."

"But you-made* a good thing out of the last idea, didn't you?" ' "Yes, but that was so simple that anv one could have done it/'

"Well, this one may be just'as sim 7 pie. It won't do any harm to listen to it, anyhow. I've been 'down the river, fishing for a couple of days, and yesterday I spent : in'the'vicinity of the Hogback. You know that place, don't you., that big sandstone ridge that cuts acioss the country in both directions for over a mile at right angles with the river ?

"You know the stream cuts through" tho ridge,at that "point so'that it has a solid rock foundation, with natural rock a hutments on'citlier side" over ten feet high. It's an ideal place for a clam. Bill; in fact; it is the'only' available site on tho river for twenty miles in both directions."

"'We'll," growled Bill, who was watching Jim with an "I-know-you're-a-fool-and-a-liar" expression, while in reality iie was eagerly drinking in every word of the information.

'The Missoula Inter-urban Company .';■( r.oing-to erect a large powerilam •u rhnt site. Bill."

■'How do you know?" demanded Hill.

"While I was fisliing off the. shore, ycsteiday the ""company/engineer and a couple of directors came along and sized lip the place: I 'was sitting behind a clump of bushes and they didn't see ale; but I'lifard enough to know tli.it they have., decided on"* the site, and will buy the'propertyin a few days." ' '

""Well v.h.it's all -fchat got to do with me 5 ".- 1 •'- -'»■}'•"*■'' ''.John owns the land on the sourli h(lp ot xhc river,- and Elmer Cushnan ilio north side. Neither of them knows as yet of the company's m-, tentioiis; .md/as the land is too rocky tor cultivation, and not any better for grazing, I have no doubt but that tlicj* could be induced to.selL.cb.eap, and then' j ou can' resell" to rthe Inter-urban Company at jour own. figure. "They will pa\ fifty thousand dollars" for the' ;they : havtf to. Theyjye J got to'have'a poVer-plant'tb'ruV'-QicSir j oars, 'and that is the only available-''site *

on,tlio river. It you—-hold on d minute, where " are you "going?" cried" Jim" in .surprise, as Bill turned aljni.ptly "away and started rapidly off down the street. "I'm going to get a rig and go out and see them farmers," Bill called back over his shoulder. "So-long."

"You're'an appreciative cuss," smiled Jim as he watched him hurrv away.

"Here I've steered you up against a fifty- thousand dollar pnmosition, and away you go without even saying thanks' or 'go to the deuce.' Wouldn't even offer me a slice of that three thousand you cleaned up, either. Oh, well, it's "all right, Billy _, boj r , jou'll take good care of the monej 7 ," and, still grinning', Jim walked away in the direction of the shack. IV.

There was a mighty roar from the Missoula Inter-urban Company when they discoveied that-JJilly "Watson had bought up the land- 1 surrounding the dam-site, of or acres, ( 'which he Tiad mduce'd the ""owners' to sell at the low figure of twenty dollars ah acre, but which Bill now insisted was worth not a cent less than one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars an acre. ,

The company declared this price to be preposterous. KThej" offered him five thousand dollars, pointing out that he was making an outrageous profit even at that price. Bill refused to listen to them. r ' ~'\

They doubled the offer, and he merely laughed" T-Jie\' tripled it, but Bill was 'still' obdurate, and at last they were. Compelled to-accede to his price, inasmuch" as they Wd'to" have a poweiplant, "and 1- this 'one was the only available" site" ori^the'river"

One week after 'closing the deal Bill and*his bride started on a honeymoon trip through the East. , The wedding had been a grand affair, attended by all the promin'enf citizens of the town. Jim wasn't invited, and on that % day he went fishing dowiv tlm river. When lie returned in the evening it was all over, and the happy 'couple had departed. As lfe*- was 1 coming away from the hotel, where he had sold his fish for seventy-six cents, he met Deke Painter and George Davidson, who gave him the particulars":' "She's a mighty'fine little woman," said Dekc in'* conclusion, "and you might 'a' had her for your wife if you'd braced up and been a man like you oughter; but-b' course you never will — 'yori're'too dufii'lazy and shiftless for that. Ain't nobody in town got no confidence in you, Jim." "I know it," agreed Jim cheerfully. "It's too bad they can't understand us, isn't it, Deke ? Just because we're clined-to' be a little different from them, and do hot work our hands off with plebeian toil, they call us lazy. Now —" "I ain't lazy!" avowed indignantly. "Everybody knows that ray health .won't"'low me to do no work! Now, if I' was a big, strong, healthy feller like you, I'd- —" "Yes, I know, Deke," interrupted Jim. "It's a shame the way the public looks at things. Now, they ought to. know that they can't blame the booze for your condition.

"If they'd only think a minute; — which they never do —they'd realise that it's your delicate constitution that is to blame; it just simply can't and won't assimilate the booze that you pour in, and, in eonseq'uence, you have to suffer perpetual ill-health, and be misunderstood by the community, just like'l' am, r only in'iriy <;"ase ] haven't even the booze"'lo fall back on for an excuse:- Jt seems that I am inexcusable, and—"

"Oh, 'you shut up'!" snorted Dckc angrily. "You think you're funny, but you ain't! You ain't nothing but a lazy, sliil'Uess 1001, who ain't even got brains enough to earn your own living! Go on and take a sneak now, before I give you a poke in the nose!" -, Jim snenked, grinning delightedly. "Deke's a little irritable," he told himself." "Goes off'the handle altogether too easy. Now, if I got mad every time some one called me lazy, I'd be in hot water all the time. If I could only make people understand that' .I'm so almighty busy day and night that I don't have time to make a living— as'they call it—perhaps they won'ld let up on me a little. No use trying, however; they'll never understand." V. One week after Bill's' return from "his honeymoon, Jim.found hjm on the main street of the town in earnest conversation with a local real-estate dealer. , They were standing in front" of a large vacant lot, which was evidently, the,subject of their dis'cussioh. ' Jim'advanecd and' offered his hand, smiling affably. ' " " ;

"I' haven't liacT th;e. ofrpßrtuiiity', to 'congratulate yon yet,' Bill',":' said 'lie 'cordially. "Hope, you had a, pl.eh.sant; tripf". '- ; • ";■'"' '■'.'■. '"_';_ ''' ".Yes," answered Bill, accepting the hand with a show of .impatience'; "we had a nice time."' And,with that he, turned his back .squarely- on Jim I ,*find"cohtrhiied'his talk with the-real-estate, dealer. ", "Going to buy this lot?"'inquired Jim pleasantly, ignorantly the other's discourtesy. "I guess so," answered Bill shortly. "What' for?" Jim put'the'question in an apparently stupid tone. The dealer turned on him with a frown'. "Mr Watson" intends to erect one of the finest grocery-stores in the State on this site," he said, importantly. "Is "that so!" exclaimed Jim in surprise. "Going to. run it:yourself, Bill?" "Certainly. I— Oh, run along, Jim> and stop'bothering'us. Can't you see that I am a very busy;man? You'd do well to get' busy yourself, instead of loafing round wasting other - people's time. Why don't you go to work and be somebody?" "My dear Bill," returned Jim goodnaturedly. "I am somebody. I aril busy. ' Very much so.. I am working. If you devoted one-half the: energy to work that I db, ybil would be dead-' of brain-fever inside of a week."

"Yoii'look like arbusy man, you do!" sneered the dealer. "Why, you poor fool, you never did a day's work in your life, and everybody knows'it.' Now, get out, arid 'let us talk! We're busy!" Jim turned arid started slowly. away; His face expressed'ho resentment" whatever, but:'rather 'perplexity and : worry ( After advancing a few steps, he paused irresolutely and pondered deeply for a. minute, and then turned and walked back to where the other two were stand"By'Jtho way, Bill," hebegari, "I had almost forgotten .that'l have a, little wedding-present . for you and Gertie'. Haven't had a chance to give it to you before, 'arid might as well do it nqW,." :,:...':■■. - 1

He dicV''from his''pocket' 1 a black olivet about a foot long V»v six inches v icle and nn inch thick This lie handed to Bill "What' l : this, 5 " asked Bill m a puzzled tone "What vould >on think it u<ts 6 " "Looks like a piece of rubber " "Yes, it docs," agreed Jim "It looks, feels and acts like rubber, but it isn't It's 'Near-Percha ' " "What on earth is that 0 " demanded Bill

"Well, it's \ name I've civen to a little discovers rime You see I have a small laboratory in. one corner of my shack, where .1 potter round and' cxpeiiment t with things, and NearPeicha''is' one of the lesults " "What's it for?"

"As peVhaps vou know', the tremendous demands made on rubber since the advent of the automobilp, and other vehicles requiring pncumatir t_; rps, has caused the supply of ilrit ptim.f oditv to fall off alarmingly, and ilh> ptui 1 to rise correspondingly. "7 realised that evrntiiflh "omothing would 'nve to bo found h take its place, mul T have been <i< wrk for some time fo discover that something.' and h ivp it last succeeded in ptodue'mg a vci \ creditable substitute The principal ingredients of NearPcrcha '.ie coal-liar awl <.kiiifmed milk witli„fl ff w chemicals, compounded at -a gcrtain temperature in a specially prepared oven It is not only fully as efficient *" 'as FHMe,''brit'sur; pa«so"s it in many respects;',it is mores elastic and has a much greater auhlitv, and, 'being" exceedingly tough, it i-v especiallv adapted for pneumatic tire*, rnd by far surpasses rubber for that purpose. "The cost of production is about two' pound, and, made up into tires, garden fiosif, boots and shoes, and a thousand other commodities, it will bring * to' the manufacturer anywhere _ from one to fifty dollars a pound. ' I ~ am making jou and your wife a wed-ding-present of ( the formula Xf ßill " The W-erocery 'clerk - '' libtSned to this discourse in speechless amazement, and his'companion was equally, at.a loss for

|; words. As J|m"'concluded; he drew | from his pocket a sealed envelope, which ! he handed to Bill. j "Here it is," he said quietly. ! "Why, you fool!" gasped the aston- | isiied dealer. "You poor, deluded | idiot! Do you realise what you are

doing? There's millions in that formula, and you are giving it away! Why don't you sell it and raa'ke-.something foi jourseli J lieie, I'll gne >ou a thousand dclL"s loi it light now'" "No," smiled Jim, moving awaj l- , "it, isn't for sale, Jenkins I've already given'it to BiH for a wedding-piesent " The.' other two w atclie'J him until he vanished iound the corner, and then turned and gazed each other for'several minutes, r Tt was the dealer who broke the silence. "Let's eagerlj', reaching-for^the.document. "Not erect' Bill craftilj, tucking lt.into his pocket. "This wed-dings-present" 'isn't' open-'fo'r inspection." William A Watson, Esq —his friends had long since ceased to address him as "Bill —that is, all except Jim —was seated alone on the poich of his palatial home m Coldspnng Park, overlooking Green River. William A. had jmiclmsed this site on Jim's suggestion At that time, nearly four vcars hack, the Missoula Interurban Company's pqwer-dam had not yet been completed, and Coldspnng Park was, 1 ifi anything', an undesirable location. The river shore was low and muddy over a. large expanse, and full of ,noxioiis water-weeds, as w ell as being "a' prolific "breeding'-place for mosquitoes

and other insects. The park, however, was a beautiful grove "of grand old'oaks and elms, crowing on rich, grassy ground that sloped gently down, terminating in a natural terrace, that dropped abruptly, down to the edge of the muddy shore, a distance of six feet. Jim had pointed William as soon as the po'wer-dam was c'o'm-' pleted it would raise the river to nearly a level with the top of the terrace, covering up the mud and water-weeds,* and this, together with a little judicious dredging, would make the place one of the most desirable suburban residence sites in that section. William saw'the point and bought the site. He also followed Jim's suggestion largely in the building of the home. He was considerably surprised at Jim's .irchitectural ability. The result was that he had a home that was everything he could desire — and several things he didn't. For instance, there was that largo boat-house at the lower end of the park that sheltered a magnificent river-launch, several canoes and row-boats, and whose walls were decorated with over three hundred dollars' worth of fishing tackle which Jim had kindly selected for him. He could never quite reason it out with himself why he had wasted so much good money on .his place,.even ab Jim's suggestion, for he never used any of the contents, ami the house had lemainod closed almost from tlio first. Not but what he could afford it. His progress during the five years that had elapsed since Jim had presented him with the Near Percha/fdrmula had been all that any man could desire. Watson's Near-Percha' Automobile Tire Company had been a huge success from the start, and. now that plant alone covered over' tw'erity acres of ground arid employed a force of fifteen hundred men. and Was being constantly enlarged to meet the over-growing demand for tires. Watson's Near-Percha Boot and Shoe Company, and Watson's Near-Perclia Surgical Instrument.. Company, as .well as several minor Near-Percha concerns',' brought the factory area, up to over one hundred acres, and five thousand employees of all classes drew their monthly pay cheque from the-general office of_ the Watson Near-Percha concerns, and promptly returned a* part of it in the form of rent for the Watson tenements and cottages that had sprung up throughout the factory district. (Jim's suggestion.) All over the State flourished Watson's Combined Grocery Stores —Bill's pet hobby finally realised —which successfully competed with the lesser concerns of that order, and poured many ducats into their owner's already much-inflated bank-roll.

Yes, William A. was quite satisfied with his success in the business world, and never lost the opportunity of pointing out to his younger confreres that brains and executive ability, coupled with sagacity., were all that are required in order to rise to the ranks of 'the multi-millionaires.

And through it .nil Jim fished. He still occupied his shack on the banks of Green River, some distance below William A's home, and lie still continued to sell his fish at the hotel arid subsist on the returns. He had viewed William A's rise with a 'distant 1 and speculative eye. He seldom came in contact with the magnate, and then it was merely to slip up unostentatiously and offer a quiet suggestion, which William A. received contemptuously and followed out assiduous-

ly. On this day, as William A. sat on the porch waiting for the dinner-call, Jim appeared.'. around the bend of the river poling a small boat np-streairi. He tied up at William's dock, arid came slowly up the gravel path to the house, carrying a string of black bass. "Good evening, Bill," ho remarked casually, as he reached the veranda. "Want to buy: a nice mess of bass?' William looked the catch over without rising. "What arc they worth?" he asked.

"I generally get a shilling a pound." "That's too much; I'll give you ten cents and your dinner,'if you'll dress •em.'' .■„:'> ■■;' ■'" ' "

"Oh, sure," acceded Jim witli'a weary smile. "That's very liberal for you, Bill." ' ■ '

"Fish ain't wortli much this time o' year, anyhow. Take 'em round to the back of the house and clean 'em, and then go to the kitchen and ask the coofc,for; your dinner. 1 »■'.■'■•■•'■■'•'■' "You look-tired,. Bill," said Jim irrelevantly. "I. am tired. You'd be, too, if you worked like I do.":

'"Wiry don't you take a rjast? You needit." '" '■ ' ■■.* '* ; ' : ~

"Me rest? I'd look pretty doing that, wouldn't I, with about a thousand irons in the.fire all,the. time! Why, I cai't take iny' hands; off; the helm for' a' minute'.! without Vf something '■" going wrong!" "What if it does? l"ou could close up every plant you have right now and still have more "than you! need. No use killing yourself for "the sake of your old business." '.- ; " . ■■ ■

"Oh, it's all right for you to talk that way. You know a lot about it, don't; you ? Why, you loafer, if you should do a day's, work around these parts you wouid'scare all'the* natives out of the ".territory!" "That hasn't anything, to .do. with you, Bill," returned: {.Jim seriously. 'You're all-tired out, and you show it in every line: of your face. . You better, take a vacation of at least six months and go * travelling/, of ; the first .news you'll vget-you'll be dead: A : iri'aii can't stand the strain you're under; all tlie time and live."