Oh, can that. You know we don't publish all the news. Why, man, we'd
wreck society, or the ship of state, or whatever it is we are all
floating on, if we did that. We'd have every lawyer in this burg busy
in a week, and they're making too much money already. What the world
doesn't know the world doesn't grieve over. And the joke of it is,
everybody thinks he's putting it over somebody else, and while he's
busy thinking that somebody else is putting it over him. So they're
about even in the finish. Besides, if you talk about principle,
doesn't the Bible say to do unto others as you would that they should
do unto you? How would you feel in their position?

"I tell you," said Carson, warming up to his subject, "this is an
intricate game, this life business. Pretty seedy in spots, but, after
all, most people are merely victims of circumstances. And if
circumstances place a five-spot in your hand to-day, accept what the
gods bring you. To-morrow they will take it away.

"See this suit," he continued, indicating his attire, which greatly
out-classed Dave's. "A friend gave me that. I get all my suits that
way. When a scrap occurs in a bar-room; a booze riot, or knifing, or
something goes wrong upstairs, I just mention that it took place in 'a
down town hotel.' Then I order myself a suit, or something of that
kind, and have the tailor send his bill to the proprietor of the joint.
He pays. If he doesn't, next time I name his tavern right in the
story."

"Don't you call that graft?" asked Dave.

"Graft? Nonsense! Merely an exchange of courtesies. . . There are
others, too. You'll get wise to them in time."

But Dave was by no means satisfied with Carson's philosophy. He went
to his editor with the five dollar bill and the police court incident.
"What shall I do about it?" he demanded.

He fancied there was a note of impatience in the editor's reply. "Give
the money to the Salvation Army," he said, "and forget about the rest.
Isn't it Kipling who says 'There comes a night when the best gets
tight,' and so on? We could tell the story, but what good would it do?
And let me tell you, Elden, there are mighty few, men or women, who
have gone half way through life without something they'd like to
forget. Why not let them forget it? You're young yet, and perhaps you
don't see it that way, but you'll be older. There's a verse by
somebody runs like this:

"Don't take the defensive by saying
"I told