登陆注册
15461500000012

第12章 IV(3)

"'Not necessarily,' says Andy. 'Philanthropy,' says he, 'when run on a good business basis is one of the best grafts going. I'll look into the matter and see if it can't be straightened out.'

"The next week I am looking over the payroll of our faculty when I run across a new name--Professor James Darnley McCorkle, chair of mathematics; salary $100 per week. I yells so loud that Andy runs in quick.

"'What's this,' says I. 'A professor of mathematics at more than $5,000 a year? How did this happen? Did he get in through the window and appoint himself?'

"'I wired to Frisco for him a week ago,' says Andy. 'In ordering the faculty we seemed to have overlooked the chair of mathematics.'

"'A good thing we did,' says I. 'We can pay his salary two weeks, and then our philanthropy will look like the ninth hole on the Skibo golf links.'

"'Wait a while,' says Andy, 'and see how things turn out. We have taken up too noble a cause to draw out now. Besides, the further I gaze into the retail philanthropy business the better it looks to me.

I never thought about investigating it before. Come to think of it now,' goes on Andy, 'all the philanthropists I ever knew had plenty of money. I ought to have looked into that matter long ago, and located which was the cause and which was the effect.'

"I had confidence in Andy's chicanery in financial affairs, so I left the whole thing in his hands. The University was flourishing fine, and me and Andy kept our silk hats shined up, and Floresville kept on heaping honors on us like we was millionaires instead of almost busted philanthropists.

"The students kept the town lively and prosperous. Some stranger came to town and started a faro bank over the Red Front livery stable, and began to amass money in quantities. Me and Andy strolled up one night and piked a dollar or two for sociability. There were about fifty of our students there drinking rum punches and shoving high stacks of blues and reds about the table as the dealer turned the cards up.

"'Why, dang it, Andy,' says I, 'these free-school-hunting, gander- headed, silk-socked little sons of sap-suckers have got more money than you and me ever had. Look at the rolls they're pulling out of their pistol pockets?'

"'Yes,' says Andy, 'a good many of them are sons of wealthy miners and stockmen. It's very sad to see 'em wasting their opportunities this way.'

"At Christmas all the students went home to spend the holidays. We had a farewell blowout at the University, and Andy lectured on 'Modern Music and Prehistoric Literature of the Archipelagos.' Each one of the faculty answered to toasts, and compared me and Andy to Rockefeller and the Emperor Marcus Autolycus. I pounded on the table and yelled for Professor McCorkle; but it seems he wasn't present on the occasion. I wanted a look at the man that Andy thought could earn $100 a week in philanthropy that was on the point of making an assignment.

"The students all left on the night train; and the town sounded as quiet as the campus of a correspondence school at midnight. When I went to the hotel I saw a light in Andy's room, and I opened the door and walked in.

"There sat Andy and the faro dealer at a table dividing a two-foot high stack of currency in thousand-dollar packages.

"'Correct,' says Andy. 'Thirty-one thousand apiece. Come in, Jeff,' says he. 'This is our share of the profits of the first half of the scholastic term of the World's University, incorporated and philanthropated. Are you convinced now,' says Andy, 'that philanthropy when practiced in a business way is an art that blesses him who gives as well as him who receives?'

"'Great!' says I, feeling fine. 'I'll admit you are the doctor this time.'

"'We'll be leaving on the morning train,' says Andy. 'You'd better get your collars and cuffs and press clippings together.'

"'Great!' says I. 'I'll be ready. But, Andy,' says I, 'I wish I could have met that Professor James Darnley McCorkle before we went. I had a curiosity to know that man.'

"'That'll be easy,' says Andy, turning around to the faro dealer.

"'Jim,' says Andy, 'shake hands with Mr. Peters.'"

同类推荐
  • 禅灯世谱

    禅灯世谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 玄圃山灵秘录

    玄圃山灵秘录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 皇明诗选

    皇明诗选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太上洞神三皇仪

    太上洞神三皇仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 紫微斗数

    紫微斗数

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 关尹子

    关尹子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 大唐浮宫

    大唐浮宫

    她是裴禹歆,一个无忧无虑的将军千金,可当遇到了这个大唐英雄——李世民后,生活变得不再简单。他们的幸福被太多人嫉妒,就连上天都不愿多些眷顾。一道圣旨,改变了裴禹歆的身份,不再是将候千金,而是等待和亲的晋安公主。只是一夜间,幸福不见了,从此只有千里相隔,相忘江湖……"我是突厥大妃,你是大唐皇帝,我们终将不再有交集。"她转身已是泪如雨下。"如若再见,我必不放手。"他望穿人群给她最后的承诺。当再相遇,还能回到过去吗?浮浮沉沉,荣华一世,争过、斗过,回头来也只不过是虚梦一场,再多的荣耀在这浮华的唐宫中,都将成为过去,流年中已记不清当初的身影……
  • 植物奥秘

    植物奥秘

    本书以通俗易懂的语言阐述了植物世界里的一些未解之谜,并进行不深入浅出、科学严谨的解析。
  • 证因亭

    证因亭

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 算杀

    算杀

    八字中的年柱其实是木星和土星的位置,月柱是太阳所处的纬度,日柱其实是月亮的位置,时辰是每天阳光的变化。八字对人命运的影响根源是动物对太阳的依赖。这本书讲述的是一个科学和玄学统一的故事。
  • 九山王

    九山王

    一个小鱼贩因为一次偶然帮助了一个大鱼完成渡劫,故事从此展开
  • 风起苍岚之穿越风云

    风起苍岚之穿越风云

    “只是玩个游戏,怎么搞的真的了!”风恋晚尖叫。她,因一场游戏而穿越,遇到男主,可是却是七灵根废材,她遇到了简心璃种种阴谋,却毫不放弃,走上修仙道路
  • 淡定力

    淡定力

    抚慰心灵的经典,启迪智慧的指南。淡定力是一种境界,是一种智慧。本书用史上最温暖的醒世良言,深刻揭示能使您内心强大的淡定法则,引爆您的最大潜能。
  • 云印天下

    云印天下

    龙印大陆,分九国而乱。云戈出生于莫干一族,不服天道,擎元印而乱诸侯,争霸九国。与兄弟和自己的部队共创军武神话。