ened to him is happening to thousands of other
boys. So I have come here to ask you, Mr. Rankin, if you are proud of
turning out such products? Aren't you ready to stop hiring
thirteen-year-old boys for your works?"

Say, it was straight from the shoulder, that talk,--no flourishes, no
fine words! And what do you guess Bobby Brut has to say? Not a blamed
thing! I doubt if he heard more'n half of it, anyway; for he's got his
eyes set on that pasty face of Dummy Kronacher, and is followin' his
motions.

The Dummy ain't payin' any attention to the speech, either. He's got
sight of all them animals with their heads bobbin', and a silly grin
spreads over his face. First he sidles over to the mantel and touches up
one that was about stopped. Then he sees another, and starts that off
again, and by the time Hooker is through the Dummy is as busy and
contented as you please, keepin' them tigers and things movin'.

"Well?" says the Rev. Sam.

"Eh?" says Bobby, tearin' his eyes off the Dummy. "Were you saying
something about the glass works? Beastly bore! I never go near them. But
say! I want that chap over there. I want to hire him. What's his name?"

"Dummy Kronacher," says the Rev. Sam, comin' out strong on the first
word.

"Good!" says Bobbie. "Hey, Dummy? What will you take to stay here with me
and do that right along?"

Dummy has just discovered a stuffed alligator that can snap its jaws and
wiggle its tail. He only looks up and grins.

"I'll make it a hundred a month," says Bobbie. "Well, that's settled.
Atkins, you're fired! And say, McCabe, I must show this new man how I
want this business done. You and your friend run in some other time, will
you?"

"But," says Hooker, "can't you do something about those helpers? Won't
you promise to----"

"No!" snaps Bobby. "I've no time to bother with such things. Atkins, show
'em out!"

Well, we went. We goes so sudden the Rev. Sam forgets about leavin' the
Dummy until we're outside, and then he's for goin' back after him.

"What for?" says I. "That pair'll get along fine; they're two of a
kind."

"I guess you're right," says he. "And it's something to have brought
those two together. Perhaps someone will see the significance of it, some
day."

Now what was he drivin' at then? You can search me. All I've been able to
make out of it is that what ails the poor is poverty, and the trouble
with the plutes is that they've got too much. Eh? Barney Shaw said
something lik