登陆注册
19632800000012

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
  • 上清道类事相

    上清道类事相

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 苗宫夜合花

    苗宫夜合花

    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。
  • 玉箓生神资度转经仪

    玉箓生神资度转经仪

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 嘉定镇江志

    嘉定镇江志

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Apology

    Apology

    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
  • 眷然归与情:法国人家

    眷然归与情:法国人家

    本书是旅游类图书,属于别处系列之一。系作者在法国采访数个家庭后的感悟和体会。
  • 楚妃谋略

    楚妃谋略

    五年痛苦隐忍,只为助他登上高位,但登基之后,他却下令灭她全家,赐她毒酒,甚至斩杀了他们的儿子!她恨,她悔,却只能含恨上流着血泪的眸!幸得老天垂怜,让她得以重生。除渣男,斗恶女,她步步为营,含笑将前世仇人亲手送上西天!惩姨娘,治公主,她精谋细算,悠然送害她妒她之人打入黄泉!重活一世,她不为情不为爱,只为护住自己的至亲。但她怎么也没有想到,擅长算计人心的自己,最后还是被某妖孽男算走了自己的心!
  • 绝世荣华之一代夫人

    绝世荣华之一代夫人

    他是南阳王,无心无情,冷酷霸道。身边女人不少,能让他看入眼中的没有几个,可是他却碰上了她!成亲一年,根本就不能让他有任何兴趣的王妃!她是南阳王妃,蕙质兰心,足智多谋。在他其他女人的算计下依然能够活得好好的她,对他同样看不入眼!一次次危难中,他们为了共同的目标,携手应对,他渐渐为她倾心,可她仍旧铁石心肠。她替他收下了皇上赐下的美妾,设身处地地为他着想,他气急败坏,她就这么看不上他?就这么想要将他推出去?
  • 甜妻当道:夫君个个爱争宠

    甜妻当道:夫君个个爱争宠

    缠人富商,安禹,某女:安安,你就原谅我吧,以后我一切都听你的!可爱小厮,夏宁儿夏宁儿:小姐,你怎么了?怎么满脸通红?狐媚小妾,方溪溪“甜甜~”暴躁平夫,柳清羽“先生,你真帅。”绝对零度,冷冽;冷情杀手,风子楚;绝世神医,风子凌;神秘雪狼,佩佩,看田白白我如何百变玩转
  • 涩爱:青春之痒

    涩爱:青春之痒

    爱情说不清道不明,既美丽又充满挑战。本文讲述两个刚从学校毕业学生踏入社会开始一段心灵和感情的蜕变,原本单纯的爱情也会在挫折的洗礼下褪去青涩的外衣。希望大家看后能勾起一丝年轻时的回忆,如果你觉得有可读信,请多多支持。。。。。若觉得还行,请点击收藏。若有意见请留言或用荷包,鲜花,推荐票砸我!!!!
  • 守陵人

    守陵人

    他因为内心的孤独,不惜抛家新婚且已有身孕的妻子,和城里那个同样孤独的女大学生厮混在一起。这是一个发生在唐玄宗陵墓泰陵的爱恨故事,讲述了发生在李氏守陵人两代人之间的错综复杂的爱情故事,它与泰陵之间有着怎样千丝万缕的关系。
  • tfboys之约定

    tfboys之约定

    意外偶遇,童年约定,他们能在一起吗?一场阴谋,他们能在一起吗?背叛,他们还能坚持下去吗?
  • 狂龙创世

    狂龙创世

    风大少的一生为了什么?变强!变强!再变强!
  • 网游之核心选手

    网游之核心选手

    他,孤独的死去;没有亲人为他举行葬礼。死去后的一年,他再一次以另一个身份回到现实世界;拿起自己最擅长的东西,来拿到自己一直梦寐以求的事物。
  • 百炼至尊

    百炼至尊

    阮豪勇生于四大家族之首的阮氏家族,然家道中变,最终由于各种原因阮豪勇却是开始了隐姓埋名的生活,入读龙凤学院,揭开家族没落之谜,背后的黑手,明争暗斗。然而,天赋异秉的阮豪勇在经历种种苦难、挫折、打击和奇遇之后,最终还是踏上了那条迫使他隐姓埋名的道路。