threw up his job
because he wished to go fishing, which of course made him angry because
his fellow-clerks were slaves, and he therefore got himself discharged
by the president, which made him hate the president so that the hatred
showed in Hendrik's face and made two sandwich-men so afraid that he
couldn't help organizing the sandwich-men's union because he could boss
it, and that would make people talk about him, which would put money in
his pocket; and once he was both rich and famous he would be the equal
of the greatest and as such could pick and choose; and he would pick
Grace Goodchild and choose her for his wife, which would make him rich.

In Europe the ability promptly to recognize the kindness of chance is
called opportunism. Here we boast of it as the American spirit. That is
why American bankers so often find pleasure in proudly informing you
that it pays to be honest!

"Listen, you!" said Hendrik to the sandwich-men. These were the tools
wherewith he would hammer the first rung into place.

They looked at him, incredulous in advance. This attitude on the part of
the majority has caused republics at all times to be ruled by the
minority. The vice of making money also arose from the fact that
suspicious people are so easy to fool that even philosophers succumb to
the temptation.

"Just now you are nothing but a bunch of dirty hoboes. Scum of the
earth!" It would not do to have followers who had illusions about
themselves. This is fundamental.

"Say, I didn't come here to listen to--"

"You--!" said Hendrik Rutgers, and did not smile. "You came here just
exactly for that. See?" And he walked up to within six inches of the
speaker, not knowing that his anger gave him the fighting face. "You
came to listen to me just as long as I am talking--unless you are pining
to spend your last three hours in the hospital. Do you get me? Which for
yours?"

"Listen!" replied the sandwich-man. He had been poor so long that from
force of habit he economized even in words.

"By cripes! here I am spending valuable time so as to make you bums into
prosperous men--"

"Where do you come in, Bill?" asked a voice from the rear.

"I don't have to come in. I am in. You fellows have got to join the
union. Then you'll get good wages, easy hours, decent--"

"Yeh; but--"

Hendrik turned to the man who had interrupted--a short chap advertising
a chain of hat-stores and asked, "But what?"

"Nutt'n!" The hatter had once helpe