mahogany desk in the middle of the room. "Look at what I was doin' at
your age! Look at what your own brothers are doin'! Look at Roscoe!
Yes, and look at Jim! I made Jim president o' the Sheridan Realty
Company last New-Year's, with charge of every inch o' ground and every
brick and every shingle and stick o' wood we own; and it's an example
to any young man--or ole man, either--the way he took ahold of it.
Last July we found out we wanted two more big warehouses at the Pump
Works--wanted 'em quick. Contractors said it couldn't be done; said
nine or ten months at the soonest; couldn't see it any other way.
What'd Jim do? Took the contract himself; found a fellow with a new
cement and concrete process; kept men on the job night and day, and
stayed on it night and day himself--and, by George! we begin to USE
them warehouses next week! Four months and a half, and every inch
fireproof! I tell you Jim's one o' these fellers that make miracles
happen! Now, I don't say every young man can be like Jim, because
there's mighty few got his ability, but every young man can go in and
do his share. This town is God's own country, and there's opportunity
for anybody with a pound of energy and an ounce o' gumption. I tell
you these young business men I watch just do my heart good! THEY
don't set around on the back fence--no, sir! They take enough
exercise to keep their health; and they go to a baseball game once
or twice a week in summer, maybe, and they're raisin' nice families,
with sons to take their places sometime and carry on the work--because
the work's got to go ON! They're puttin' their life-blood into it, I
tell you, and that's why we're gettin' bigger every minute, and why
THEY'RE gettin' bigger, and why it's all goin' to keep ON gettin'
bigger!"

He slapped the desk resoundingly with his open palm, and then,
observing that Bibbs remained in the same impassive attitude, with