[Pg 112]
“The People’s Mutual5 Bond and Loan Company” was the name which a sign painter, after a few days, blocked out upon the glass doors, but the mere6 name was only a whet7 to the aggravated8 appetites of the other tenants9. Turner and Fester and Squinch were in the latter’s office, discussing the mystery with some trace of irritation10, when the source of it walked in upon them.
“I’m glad to find you all together,” said young Wallingford breezily, coming at once to the point of his visit. “I understand that you gentlemen were once a part of the directorate of a national building and loan company which suspended business.”
Ebenezer Squinch, taking the chair by virtue11 of his being already seated with his long legs elevated upon his own desk, craned forward his head upon an absurdly slender neck, which much resembled that of a warty12 squash, placed the tips of his wrinkled fingers together and gazed across them at Wallingford quite judicially13.
“Suppose we were to admit that fact?” he queried14, in non-committal habit.
“I am informed that you had a membership of some nine hundred when you suspended business,” [Pg 113]Wallingford went on, “and among your effects you have doubtless retained a list of that membership.”
“Doubtless,” assented15 Lawyer Squinch after a thoughtful pause, deciding that he might, at least partially16, admit that much.
“What will you take for that list, or a copy of it?” went on Mr. Wallingford.
Mr. Turner, Mr. Squinch and Mr. Fester looked at one another in turn. In the mind of each gentleman there instantly sprang a conjecture17, not as to the actual value of that list, but as to how much money young Wallingford had at his command. Both Mr. Fester and Mr. Turner sealing their mouths tightly, Mr. Fester straightly and Mr. Turner pursily, looked to Mr. Squinch for an adequate reply, knowing quite well that their former partner would do nothing ill-considered.
“M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m,” nasally hesitated Mr. Squinch after long cogitation18; “this list, Mr. Wallingford, is very valuable indeed, and I am quite sure that none of us here would think of setting a price on it until we had called into consultation19 our other former directors, Mr. Grout and Mr. Christmas.”
“Let me know as soon as you can, gentlemen,” [Pg 114]said Mr. Wallingford. “I would like a price by to-morrow afternoon at two o’clock, at least.”
Another long pause.
“I think,” stated Mr. Squinch, as deliberately20 and as carefully as if he were announcing a supreme21 court decision—“I think that we may promise an answer by to-morrow.”
They were all silent, very silent, as Mr. Wallingford walked out, but the moment they heard his own door close behind him conjecture began.
“I wonder how much money he’s got,” speculated fish-white Doc Turner, rubbing his claw-like hands softly together.
“He’s stopping at the Telford Hotel and occupies two of the best rooms in the house,” said blocky Mr. Fester, he of the bone-hard countenance22 and the straight gash23 where his lips ought to be.
“He handed me a hundred-dollar bill to take the change out of for the first month’s rent in advance,” supplemented Doc Turner, who was manager of the Turner block.
“He wears very large diamonds, I notice,” observed Squinch. “I imagine, gentlemen, that he might be willing to pay quite two thousand dollars.”
[Pg 115]
“He’s young,” assented Mr. Turner, warming his hands over the thought.
“And reckless,” added Mr. Fester, with a wooden appreciation24 that was his nearest approach to a smile.
Their estimate of the youth and recklessness of the lamb-like Mr. Wallingford was such that they mutually paused to muse25 upon it, though not at all unpleasantly.
“Suppose that we say twenty-five hundred,” resumed Mr. Squinch. “That will give each of the five of us five hundred dollars apiece. At that rate I’d venture to speak for both Grout and Christmas.”
“We three have a majority vote,” suggested Doc Turner. “However, it’s easy enough to see them.”
“Need we do so?” inquired Mr. Squinch, in slow thought. “We might—” and then he paused, struck by a sudden idea, and added hastily: “Oh, of course, we’ll have to give them a voice in the matter. I’ll see them to-night.”
“All right,” assented Doc Turner, rising with alacrity26 and looking at his watch. “By the way, I have to see a man. I pretty near overlooked it.”
“That reminds me,” said Mr. Fester, heaving himself up ponderously27 and putting on the hat which [Pg 116]should have been square, “I have to foreclose a mortgage this afternoon.”
Mr. Squinch also rose. It had occurred to all three of them simultaneously28 to go privately29 to the two remaining members and buy out their interest in the list for the least possible money.
J. Rufus found the full board in session, however, when he walked into Mr. Squinch’s office on the following afternoon. Mr. Grout was a loose-skinned man of endless down-drooping lines, the corners of his eyelids30 running down past his cheek-bones, the corners of his nose running down past his mouth, the corners of his mouth running down past his chin. Mr. Christmas had over-long, rusty-gray hair, bulbous red ears, and an appalling31 outburst of scarlet32 veins33 netted upon his copper-red countenance. Notwithstanding their vast physical differences, however, Wallingford reflected that he had never seen five men who, after all, looked more alike. And why not, since they were all of one mind?
By way of illustrating35 the point, Mr. Grout and Mr. Christmas, finding that the list in question had some value, and knowing well their former partners, had steadfastly36 refused to sell, and the five of them, [Pg 117]meeting upon the common ground of self-interest, had agreed to one thing—that they would ask five thousand dollars for the list, and take what they could get.
When the price was named to him, Mr. Wallingford merely chuckled37, and observed, as he turned toward the door:
“You are mistaken, gentlemen. I did not want to buy out your individual businesses. I am willing to give you one thousand dollars in stock of my company, which will be two shares each.”
The gentlemen could not think of that. It was preposterous38. They would not consider any other than a cash offer to begin with, nor less than twenty-five hundred to end with.
“Very well, then,” said J. Rufus; “I can do without your list,” which was no matter for wonder, since he had a duplicate of it in his desk at that very moment.
Henry Smalzer was the first man on that defunct39 building and loan company list, and him Wallingford went to see. He found Mr. Smalzer in a little shoe repair shop, with a shoe upturned on his knee and held firmly in place by a strap40 passing under [Pg 118]his foot. Mr. Smalzer had centrifugal whiskers, and long habit of looking up without rising from his work had given his eyes a coldly suspicious look. Moreover, socialistic argument, in red type, was hung violently upon the walls, and Mr. Wallingford, being a close student of the psychological moment and man, merely had a loose shoe-button tightened41.
The next man on the list was a barber with his hair parted in the middle and hand-curled in front. In the shop was no literature but the Police Gazette, and in the showcase were six brands of stogies and one brand of five-cent cigars. Here Mr. Wallingford merely purchased a shave, reflecting that he could put a good germicide on his face when he returned to the hotel.
He began to grow impatient when he found that his third man kept a haberdashery, but, nevertheless, he went in. A clerk of the pale-eyed, lavender-tie type was gracing the front counter, but in the rear, at a little standing34 desk behind a neat railing, stood one who was unmistakably the proprietor42, though he wore a derby hat cocked on his head and a big cigar cocked in the opposite corner of his mouth. Tossed on the back part of the desk was a race-track badge, and the man was studying a form sheet!
[Pg 119]
“Mr. Merrill, I believe,” said Wallingford confidently approaching that gentleman and carelessly laying his left hand—the one with the three-carat diamond upon the third finger—negligently upon the rail.
Mr. Merrill’s keen, dark-gray eyes rested first upon that three-carat ring, then upon the three-carat stone in Mr. Wallingford’s carmine43 cravat44, then upon Mr. Wallingford’s jovial countenance with the multiplicity of smile wrinkles about the eyes, and Mr. Merrill himself smiled involuntarily.
“The same,” he admitted.
“Mr. Merrill,” propounded45 Wallingford, “how would you like to borrow from ten dollars to five thousand, for four years, without interest and without security?”
Mr. Merrill’s eyes narrowed, and the flesh upon his face became quite firm.
“Not if I have to pay money for it,” he announced, and the conversation would have ended right there had it not been for Wallingford’s engaging personality, a personality so large and comprehensive that it made Mr. Merrill reflect that, though this jovial stranger was undoubtedly46 engineering a “skin game,” he was quite evidently “no [Pg 120]piker,” and was, therefore, entitled to courteous47 consideration.
“What you have to pay won’t break you,” said Wallingford, laughing, and presented a neatly48 engraved49 card conveying merely the name of The People’s Mutual Bond and Loan Company, the fact that it was incorporated for a hundred thousand dollars, and that the capital was all paid in. “A loan bond,” added Mr. Wallingford, “costs you one dollar, and the payments thereafter are a dollar and a quarter a week.”
Mr. Merrill nodded as he looked at the card.
“I see,” said he. “It’s one of those pleasant little games, I suppose, where the first man in gets the money of the next dozen, and the last five thousand hold the bag.”
“I knew you’d guess wrong,” said Wallingford cheerfully. “The plan’s entirely50 different. Everybody gets a chance. With every payment you sign a loan application and your receipt is numbered, giving you four numbered receipts in the month. Every month one-fourth of the loan fund is taken out for a grand annual distribution, and the balance is distributed in monthly loans.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Mr. Merrill, the firmness of his [Pg 121]facial muscles relaxing and the cold look in his eyes softening51. “A lottery52? Now I’m listening.”
“Well,” replied Wallingford, smiling, “we can’t call it that, you know.”
“I’ll take a chance,” said Mr. Merrill.
Mr. Wallingford, with rare wisdom, promptly53 stopped argument and produced a beautifully printed “bond” from his pocket, which he made out in Mr. Merrill’s name.
“I might add,” said J. Rufus, after having taken another careful inspection54 of Mr. Merrill, “that you win the first prize, payable55 in the shape of food and drink. I’d like to have you take dinner with me at the hotel this evening.”
Mr. Merrill, from force of habit, looked at his watch, then looked at Mr. Wallingford speculatively56.
“Don’t mind if I do,” said he, quite well satisfied that the dinner would be pleasant.
In his own carpenter-shop Wallingford found Mr. Albert Wright at a foot-power circular-saw, with his hair and his eyebrows57 and his mustache full of the same fine, white wood dust that covered his overalls58 and jumper; and up over the saw, against the wall, was tacked59 the time-yellowed placard of a long-since-eaten strawberry festival. With his eyes and [Pg 122]his mind upon this placard, Mr. Wallingford explained his new boon60 to humanity: the great opportunity for a four-year loan, without interest or security, of from ten dollars to five thousand.
“But this is nothing more nor less than a lottery, under another name,” objected Mr. Wright, poising61 an accusing finger, his eyes, too, unconsciously straying to the strawberry festival placard.
“Not a bit of it,” denied Wallingford, shocked beyond measure. “It is merely a mutual benefit association, where a large number of people pool their small sums of money to make successive large ones. For instance, suppose that a hundred of you should band together to put in one dollar a week, the entire hundred dollars to go to a different member each week? Each one would be merely saving up a hundred dollars, but, in place of every one of the entire hundred of you having to wait a hundred weeks to save his hundred dollars, one of you would be saving it in one week, while the longest man in would only have to pay the hundred weeks. It is merely a device, Mr. Wright, for concentrating the savings62 of a large number of people.”
Mr. Wright was forcibly impressed with Wallingford’s illustration, but, being a very bright man, he [Pg 123]put that waving, argumentative finger immediately upon a flaw.
“Half of that hundred people would not stay through to the end, and somebody would get left,” he objected, well pleased with himself.
“Precisely,” agreed Mr. Wallingford. “That is just what our company obviates63. Every man who drops out helps the man who stays in, by not having any claim upon the redemption fund. The redemption fund saves us from being a lottery. When you have paid in two hundred and fifty dollars your bond matures and you get your money back.”
“Out of—” hesitated Mr. Wright, greatly perplexed64.
“The redemption fund. It is supplied from returned loans.”
Again the bright Mr. Wright saw a radical65 objection.
“Half of those people would not pay back their loans,” said he.
“We figure that a certain number would not pay,” admitted Wallingford, “but there would be a larger proportion than you think who would. For instance, you would pay back your loan at the end of four years, wouldn’t you, Mr. Wright?”
[Pg 124]
Mr. Wright was hastily sure of it, though he became thoughtful immediately thereafter.
“So would a large majority of the others,” Wallingford went on. “Honesty is more prevalent than you would imagine, sir. However, all our losses from this source will be made up by lapsation. Lapsation!”
Mr. Wallingford laid emphatic66 stress upon this vital principle and fixed67 Mr. Wright’s mild blue eyes with his own glittering ones.
“A man who drops a payment on his bond gets nothing back—that is a part of his contract—and the steady investor68 reaps the benefit, as he should. Suppose you hold bond number ten; suppose at the time of maturity69, bonds number three, five, six, eight and nine have lapsed70, after having paid in from one-fourth to three-fourths of their money; that leaves only bonds one, two, four, seven and ten to be paid from the redemption fund. I don’t suppose you understand how large a percentage of lapsation there is. Let me show you.”
From his pocket Mr. Wallingford produced a little red book, showing how in industrial and fraternal insurance the percentage of lapsation amounts to a staggering percentage, thus reducing [Pg 125]by forfeited71 capital the cost of insurance in those organizations.
“So you see, Mr. Wright,” concluded Wallingford, snapping shut the book and putting it in his pocket, “this, in the end, is only a splendid device for saving money and for using it while you are saving it.”
On this ground, after much persuasion72, he sold a bond to the careful Mr. Wright, and quit work for the day, well satisfied with his two dollars’ commission. At a fifteen-dollar dinner that evening Mr. Merrill found him a good fellow, and, being interested not only in Wallingford’s “lottery” but in Wallingford himself, gave him the names of a dozen likely members. Later he even went so far as to see some of them himself on behalf of the company.
Two days after that Mr. Wallingford called again on his careful carpenter, and from that gentleman secured a personal recommendation to a few friends of Mr. Wright’s particular kind.
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1
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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conspicuously
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| ad.明显地，惹人注目地 | |
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chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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whet
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| v.磨快，刺激 | |
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aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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warty
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| adj.有疣的，似疣的；瘤状 | |
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judicially
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| 依法判决地，公平地 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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cogitation
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| n.仔细思考，计划，设计 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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ponderously
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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defunct
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| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
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strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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carmine
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| n.深红色，洋红色 | |
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cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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propounded
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| v.提出（问题、计划等）供考虑[讨论]，提议( propound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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51
softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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52
lottery
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| n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事 | |
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53
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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54
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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55
payable
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| adj.可付的，应付的，有利益的 | |
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56
speculatively
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| adv.思考地，思索地；投机地 | |
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57
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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overalls
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| n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣 | |
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59
tacked
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| 用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝 | |
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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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poising
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| 使平衡( poise的现在分词 )； 保持（某种姿势）； 抓紧； 使稳定 | |
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savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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obviates
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| v.避免，消除（贫困、不方便等）( obviate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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66
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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68
investor
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| n.投资者，投资人 | |
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69
maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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70
lapsed
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| adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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71
forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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