cord on him he leaned right over against her
and cried and said that no matter what he had been, she was the one to
make him a Good Man. Then she stroked his Hair and begged Forgiveness
and he asked her who had been Knocking and she gave the whole Snap
away and begged him not to do anything Desperate. He said that
whatever he did, he would do out of Love for her.

After which he went home to oil up his Pocket Hardware.

[Illustration: _Fatherly Advice._]

Next Morning the Man who wanted to help Everybody did a Flying Leap
down the Back Stairway of his Office. Just as he ducked a Bullet and
cut into the Alley back of the Post-Office, it occurred to him that
the True Friend Gag had its Drawbacks.

He escaped with his Life, but there was always more or less Dark Talk
of his being mixed up in a Woman Case.

He is now what is known in Obituary Notices as a Practical
Philanthropist. That is, he refers all Hard-Luck Tales to a Society
which was never known to give up. The Office Boy has Instructions to
admit only those who are listed in Bradstreet. And, of course, he is
never called in to smooth out Family Fights because of the Blot on his
Character.

* * * * *

MORAL: TO be a successful Benefactor, wait and put the whole Lump Sum
into Libraries.

* * * * *

_THE EFFORT TO CONVERT THE WORK HORSE INTO A HIGH-STEPPER_

Once there was a plain, unvarnished Yank who made his Pile in a Scrub
Town situated midday between the Oats Belt and the Tall Timber. He was
a large and sandy Mortal with a steel-trap Jaw and a cold glittering
Eye. He made his first Stack a Dollar at a Time on straight Deals, but
after a while he learned a few Things. He organized Stock Companies
and then crawled out after hooking up with the Velvet. Every one
called him Mister and treated him with Politeness, but, just the same,
when he walked into an Office Building they all wondered what he had
come after and there was more or less locking of Safes. It is only
fair to remark, on the Side, that he wouldn't take anything which was
securely spiked down, and the Grand Jury never bothered him, because
he worked under a Contract.

The Financier was the high Centre Pole of a Bank and a Department
Store and several Factories that gave Young People a Start in the
World at something like $2.75 per Week.

He was accustomed to having all the Subordinates stand on one Foot
and tremble when