"
"And advertise to all San Francisco that I am a failure! Do you think I
could fool them then!"
"Are you sure you have fooled them now! They must know you would have stuck
to the old business if it had paid."
"It isn't the first time a man has changed his business. But if you go out
to earn money--why, I'd be a laughing stock."
"Then we shall have to give up the house. The city has long wanted this
lot--"
"That would never do, either. Everybody knows how devoted you are to your
old home...and after fixing it up...."
"Well, what, do you suggest? You know perfectly well we can't go on."
"My brain seems to have stopped. I can't do much thinking. But...well...you
might sell the flats and we could go on as before until my business begins
to pay."
"Sacrifice more of my capital? That I won't do. Why don't you see if you
can get back with Cheever Harrison and Cheever? I know that Bob--"
"I won't go back to being a salaried man. You can't go back like that when
you've been in the other class." He beat a fist into a palm. "Why couldn't
Bob Cheever have left me alone? So long as I didn't know anything about
Society I never thought about it. Why couldn't your family have let me stay
where I was? I should have been head clerk with a good salary by this time,
and we would have arranged our expenses accordingly when your mother
died. Why can't men give a young fellow a better chance when he goes into
business for himself? Every man trying to cut every other man's throat.
Pages:
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292