iselled the head
of a workman wearing the square paper cap that the workman never wears,
and a bent-up forearm, the biceps enormous, the fist gripping the short
hammer that the workman never uses. An enormous round chimney sprouted
from one corner; through the open windows came the vast purring of
machinery. It was a boot and shoe factory, built by the great concern
who had bought the piece of property from Geary for fifteen thousand
dollars, the same property Geary had bought from Vandover for eight.

Across the street from the factory was a long row of little cottages,
very neat, each having a tiny garden in front where nasturtiums grew.
There were fifteen of these cottages; three of them only were vacant.

"That was _my_ idea," observed Geary, as they approached the row,
willing to explain even though he thought Vandover would not comprehend,
"and it pays like a nitrate bed. I was clever enough to see that
cottages like these were just what's wanted by the workmen in the
factory that have families. I made some money when I sold out my block
to the boot and shoe people, and I invested it again in these cottages.
They are cheap and serviceable and they meet the demand." Vandover
nodded his head in assent, looking vaguely about him, now at the
cottages, now at the great building across the street. Geary got the
keys to one of the vacant cottages and the two went inside.

"Now here's what I want you to do," began Geary, pointing about with his
stick. "You see, when some of these people go out they leave the rooms
nasty, and that tells against the house when parties come to look at it.
I want you to go all over it, top and bottom, end to end, and give it a
good cleaning, sweep the floor, and wash the paint, you know. And now
these windows, you see how dirty they are; wash those inside and out,
but don't disturb the agents' signs; you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Now come out here into the kitchen. Look at these laundry tubs and that
sink. See all that grease! Clean that all out, and underneath the sink
here. See that rubbish! Take that out, too. Now in here--look at that
bathtub and toilet. You see how nasty they have left them. You want to
make 'em look like new!"

"Yes."

"Now come downstairs. You see I give 'em a little floored basement,
here; kind of a storeroom and coalroom. Here's where most of the dirt
and rubbish is. Just look at it! See all that pile over there?"

"I see."

"Take it all out and