hard to show the
application of his story. That, however, was not going to worry the
sagacious Senator Gruff. He reckoned only upon raising a laugh at the
anxious Senator Coot's expense which would silence that question-asking
personage, who was more afraid of present ridicule, being sensitive,
than of future condemnation by his constituents. The yarn succeeded in
winning peals of laughter, and without giving Senator Coot a chance to
reply or repeat his poking about to discover the position of Senator
Hanway upon the issue of finance, Senator Gruff proposed the health of
Mr. Bayard.

"And perhaps," remarked Senator Gruff, "that eminent authority on
markets, and therefore upon finance, will favor us with his views on
money. I do not hesitate," concluded Senator Gruff, turning to Mr.
Bayard, "to cast you into the breach, because, of all who are here, you
are the one best qualified and, I might add, least afraid to be heard.
You have no constituents to be either shocked at your opinions or to
punish their expression."

Senator Coot's curiosity touching Senator Hanway's money position, a
fatal curiosity that had it not been smothered might have spread, was
overwhelmed in a general desire to hear Mr. Bayard. The great speculator
was known to every statesman about the table, and the whisper of
conversation became hushed.

"As said the gentleman who has so honored me,"--here Mr. Bayard bowed to
Senator Gruff, who complimented him by lifting his glass,--"there are no
reasons why I should not give you my beliefs of money. I will tell you
what I would and would not do for a currency, if I were business manager
of a country. I would not coin silver money, because the low intrinsic
value of such currency would make it a cumbrous one. I would not coin
both silver and gold, because of the impossibility of maintaining an
equality of values between the two coins. I would coin gold and nothing
but gold, because it offers those qualities, important above others in a
money metal, of high value and high durability."

"But is there gold enough to furnish all the money required?" asked
Senator Coot, who was nervously interested.

"For centuries," replied Mr. Bayard, who began to feel a warmer interest
than he had in any situation or any topic for over thirty years, "for
centuries production has been filling the annual lap of the world with
millions upon millions of gold. No part of it has been lost, none
destroyed. For every possible