"I know; but, my dear fellow, what would you have? Surely, UNorganized
charity and promiscuous giving is worse--"

"Oh, yes, I've tried that way, too," shrugged the other. "There was a
time when every Tom, Dick, and Harry, with a run-down shoe and a
ragged coat, could count on me for a ten-spot by just holding out his
hand, no questions asked. Then a serious-eyed little woman sternly
told me one day that the indiscriminate charity of a millionaire was
not only a curse to any community, but a corruption to the whole
state. I believe she kindly included the nation, as well, bless her!
And I thought I was doing good!" "What a blow--to you!" There was a
whimsical smile in the lawyer's eyes.

"It was." The millionaire was not smiling. "But she was right. It set
me to thinking, and I began to follow up those ten-spots--the ones
that I could trace. Jove! what a mess I'd made of it! Oh, some of them
were all right, of course, and I made THOSE fifties on the spot. But
the others--! I tell you, Ned, money that isn't earned is the most
risky thing in the world. If I'd left half those wretches alone,
they'd have braced up and helped themselves and made men of
themselves, maybe. As it was--Well, you never can tell as to the
results of a so-called 'good' action. From my experience I should say
they are every whit as dangerous as the bad ones."

The lawyer laughed outright.

"But, my dear fellow, that's just where the organized charity comes
in. Don't you see?"