proposed to say in a few
words, which should be as much like deeds as he could make 'em, what he
was willing to do. He paused so long again that Champion winked at John
and was afraid to look at Shotwell.

He remembered, the speaker finally began again, another good
saying--couldn't seem to be sure whether it was from Shakespeare or the
Bible--that "a fool and his money are soon parted." Now, he was far from
intending that for anyone present----

"No-o," slowly interrupted Hersey, turning from a large spittoon, "we
ain't any of us got any money to part with."

"Well, I haven't mistook any of you for fools, neither. But I think that
proverb, or whatever you call it, is as much's to say just like this,
that if a man ain't a fool, 'tain't easy to part him from his money!"
(Applause.)

"How about a fool and his land?" asked John, with a genial countenance.

"O _you're_ all right," eagerly replied Gamble, and smiled inquiringly
as the company roared with laughter. "Why, gentlemen, our able and
efficient secretary is all right! Land ain't always money, and the fool
is the man who won't let his land go when he's got too much of it.
(Applause.) But that's not what I was driving at. What I was driving at
was this: that if we want to get any man or men to put big money into
this thing out o' their own pockets, we've got to make 'em officers of
the company an' give'em control of it. Of course, our secretary is in to
stay; that's part of his pay for the land he gives; but except as to
him, gentlemen, there'll have to be a new slate. How's that, Mr.
President?"

"Certainly; we're all pro tern, except Mr. March--and Colonel Ravenel."

"Yes, Colonel Ravenel, of course; but the man he selects for the other
trustee must be someone satisfactory to the men on the new slate, eh,
Colonel?"

Ravenel smiled, nodded, and as Gamble still looked at him, said, "All
right."

"Now, gentlemen, if any of you don't agree to these things, now is the
time to say it." A long pause. "If we are all agreed, then all I've got
to add, Mr. President, is just this: you say there's three hundred and
sixty shares for sale at their face value; I'll take two hundred when
anybody else will take the balance." (Applause.)

As Gamble sank down Garnet glanced over to Fair, who was sitting next to
Jeff-Jack; but Fair began to read some of the company's printed matter
and the whole gathering saw Ravenel give Garnet a faint shake of the
head.

"Ravenel!" sug