big head shook impressively--"William's human,
Jenny--don't ever forget that. The love of money's an awful thing." A
lustful glitter like the shine of an inextinguishable fire made his
eyes fascinating and terrible. "It takes hold of a man and never lets
go. To see the money pile up--and up--and up."

The girl turned away her gaze. She did not wish to see so far into her
father's soul. It seemed a hideous indecency.

"So, Jenny--don't trust William, but look after your own property."

"Oh, I don't care anything about it, popsy," she cried, fighting to
think of him and to speak to him as simply the living father she had
always insisted on seeing.

"Yes--you do care," said Hastings sharply. "You've got to have your
money, because that's your foundation--what you're built on. And I'm
going to train you. This here strike's a good time to begin."

After a long silence she said: "Yes, money's what I'm built on. I
might as well recognize the truth and act accordingly. I want you to
teach me, father."

"I've got to educate you so as, when you get control, you won't go and
do fool sentimental things like some women--and some men that warn't
trained practically--men like that Davy Hull you think so well of.
Things that'd do no good and 'd make you smaller and weaker."

"I understand," said the girl. "About this strike--WHY won't you give
the men shorter hours and better pay?"

"Because the company can't afford it. As things are now, there's only
enough left for a three per cent dividend after the interest on the
bonds is paid."

She had read in the New Day that by a series of tricks the "traction
ring" had quadrupled the bonded indebtedness of the roads and
multiplied the stock by six, and had pocketed the proceeds of the
steal; that three per cent on the enormously inflated capital was in
fact eighteen per cent on the actual stock value; that seven per cent
on the bonds was in fact twenty-eight per cent on the actual bonded
indebtedness; that this traction steal was a fair illustration of how
in a score of ways in Remsen City, in a thousand and one ways in all
parts of the country, the upper class was draining away the substance
of the masses, was swindling them out of their just wages, was forcing
them to pay many times the just prices for every article of civilized
use. She had read these things--she had thought about them--she had
realized that they were true.

She did not put to her father the questi