was for the Money End of the Game, but when
he got up to make his Talk his Vocabulary would become jammed up and
caught crossways in the Flue and teacher would motion him back to his
Seat. Otis, however, could tell in well-chosen Phrases why the Scholar
was a better and happier Man than the Millionaire and so he always
received the Vote of the Judges.

Now, Brad was done up but unconvinced. He could not stand up before
the District School and tell why it was good policy to corral the
Coin, but he had a secret Hunch that it would be no Disgrace for him
to go out and do the best he could. Brad had a bull-dog Jaw and large
blood-shot Hands and a Neck-Band somewhat larger than his Hat-Band. He
jumped the Stockade when they started to teach him Botany. He weighed
180 and he thought he was too large to sit around and count the Petals
of the Ox-Eye Daisy when he might be out selling Lightning Rods to the
Yaps and making jug-handled Contracts. Accordingly he Dug.

"Bradford is making a great Mistake," said Otis, as he saw his Friend
tear from the Institution of Learning. "In order to get a few worldly
Chattels right at the jump, he sacrifices his Diploma. I shall be more
Foxy. I shall go right on through the High School and then I shall
attend College and get a Degree. When I have taken my Degree then
I will be the human _It_. My scholarly Attainments and polished
Manner will get me past the Door and into the Inner Circle of the
Hot Potatoes. As for Bradford, although it is possible that he shall
have combed up a little Currency he will be a mere ordinary, sordid
Business Man--not one-two-seven when he tries to stack up against one
who has just been delivered of a Thesis on the Correlated Phenomena of
Unconscious Cerebration."

While Brad was out in the back Townships short-changing the Farmers
and buying 8 per cent. Mortgages, Otis was working his way through
College and living on Oatmeal except on Holidays and then Prunes.
He was getting round-shouldered and wore Specs and was all gaunted
up, but he never weakened. He was pulling for the Laurel Wreath of
Scholarship, or in other words, the Degree. After humping it for 4
years he passed his final Exam and the Faculty decided that he was a
Bachelor of Arts.

That was the Day when he had the Laugh on Brad.

In the meantime, Bradford had been choking various People and taking
it away from them. He had four Salesmen under him and had butted into
the Firm, but he was still sh