me the old order has changed。 We no longer burn witches or torture slaves。 And to…day we neither spread our cloaks on the mud for ladies to walk over nor treat them to the ducking…stool。 It is the age of common sense； adjustment； and proportion。 All of usladies； gentlemen； women； men； Northerners； Southerners； lords； caitiffs； actors； hardware…drummers； senators； hodcarriers； and politiciansare coming to a better understanding。 Chivalry is one of our words that changes its meaning every day。 Family pride is a thing of many constructionsit may show itself by maintaining a moth…eaten arrogance in cobwebbed Colonial mansion or by the prompt paying of one's debts。
〃Now； I suppose you've had enough of my monologue。 I've learned something of business and a little of life； and I somehow believe； cousin； that our great…great…grandfathers； the original Carterets； would indorse my view of this matter。〃
Black…Tie wheeled around to his desk； wrote in a check…book and tore out the check； the sharp rasp of the perforated leaf making the only sound in the room。 He laid the check within easy reach of Miss De Ormond's hand。
〃Business is business；〃 said he。 〃We live in a business age。 There is my personal check for 10；000。 What do you say； Miss De Ormond will it he orange blossoms or cash ？〃
Miss De Ormond picked up the cheek carelessly； folded it indifferently； and stuffed it into her glove。
〃Oh； this '11 do；〃 she said； calmly。 〃I just thought I'd call and put it up to you。 I guess you people are all right。 But a girl has feelings； you know。 I've heard one of you was a SouthernerI wonder which one of you it is？〃
She arose； smiled sweetly； and walked to the door。 There； with a flash of white teeth and a dip of the heavy plume； she disappeared。
Both of the cousins had forgotten Uncle Jake for the time。 But now they heard the shuffling of his shoes as he came across the rug toward them from his seat in the corner。
〃Young marster；〃 he said； 〃take yo' watch。〃 And without hesitation he laid the ancient timepiece in the hand of its rightful owner。
Finch keeps a hats…cleaned…by…electricity…while…you…wait establishment； nine feet by twelve； in Third Avenue。 Once a customer； you are always his。 I do not know his secret process； but every four days your hat needs to be cleaned again。
Finch is a leathern； sallow； slowfooted man； between twenty and forty。 You would say he had been brought up a bushelman in Essex Street。 When business is slack he likes to talk； so I had my hat cleaned even oftener than it deserved； hoping Finch might let me into some of the secrets of the sweatshops。
One afternoon I dropped in and found Finch alone。 He began to anoint my headpiece de Panama with his mysterious fluid that attracted dust and dirt like a magnet。
〃They say the Indians weave 'em under water；〃 said I； for a leader。
〃Don't you believe it；〃 said Finch。 〃No Indian or white man could stay under water that long。 Say； do you pay much attention to politics？ I see in the paper something about a law they've passed called 'the law of supply and demand。'〃
I explained to him as well as I could that the reference was to a politico…economical law； and not to a legal statute。
〃I didn't know；〃 said Finch。 〃I heard a good deal about it a year or so ago； but in a one…sided way。〃
〃Yes；〃 said I； 〃political orators use it a great deal。 In fact； they never give it a rest。 I suppose you heard some of those cart…tail fellows spouting on the subject over here on the east side。〃
〃I heard it from a king；〃 said Finch〃the white king of a tribe of Indians in South America。〃
I was interested but not surprised。 The big city is like a mother's knee to many who have strayed far and found the roads rough beneath their uncertain feet。 At dusk they come home and sit upon the door… step。 I know a piano player in a cheap cafe who has shot lions in Africa； a bell…boy who fought in the British army against the Zulus； an express…driver whose left arm had been cracked like a lobster's claw for a stew…pot of Patagonian cannibals when the boat of his rescuers hove in sight。 So a hat…cleaner who had been a friend of a king did not oppress me。
〃A new band ？〃 asked Finch； with his dry； barren smile。
〃Yes；〃 said I； 〃and half an inch wider。〃 I had had a new band five days before。
〃I meets a man one night；〃 said Finch； beginning his story〃a man brown as snuff； with money in every pocket； eating schweinerknuckel in Schlagel's。 That was two years ago； when I was a hose…cart driver for No。 98。 His discourse runs to the subject of gold。 He says that certain mountains in a country down South that he calls Gaudymala is full of it。 He says the Indians wash it out of the streams in plural quantities。
〃'Oh； Geronimo！' says I。 'Indians！ There's no Indians in the South；' I tell him； 'except Elks； Maccabees； and the buyers for the fall dry… goods trade。 The Indians are all on the reservations；' says I。
〃'I'm telling you this with reservations；' says he。 'They ain't Buffalo Bill Indians； they're squattier and more pedigreed。 They call 'em Inkers and Aspics； and they was old inhabitants when Mazuma was King of Mexico。 They wash the gold out of the mountain streams；' says the brown man； 'and fill quills with it； and then they empty 'em into red jars till they are full； and then they pack it in buckskin sacks of one arroba eachan arroba is twenty…five poundsand store it in a stone house； with an engraving of a idol with marcelled hair； playing a flute； over the door。'
〃'how do they work off this unearth increment？' I asks。
〃'They don't；' says the man。 'It's a case of 〃Ill fares the land with the great deal of velocity where wealth accumulates and there ain't any reciprocity。〃'
〃After this man and me got through our conversation； which left him dry of information； I shook hands with him and told him I was sorry I couldn't believe him。 And a month afterward I landed on the coast of this Gaudymala with 1；300 that I had been saving up for five years。 I thought I knew what Indians liked； and I fixed myself accordingly。 I loaded down four pack…mules with red woollen blankets； wrought…iron pails； jewelled side…combs for the ladies； glass necklaces； and safety…razors。 I hired a black mozo； who was supposed to be a mule… driver and an interpreter too。 It turned out that he could interpret mules all right； but he drove the English language much too hard。 His name sounded like a Yale key when you push it in wrong side up； but I called him McClintock； which was close to the noise。
〃Well； this gold village was forty miles up in the mountains； and it took us nine days to find it。 But one afternoon McClintock led the other mules and myself over a rawhide bridge stretched across a precipice five thousand feet deep； it seemed to me。 The hoofs of the beasts drummed on it just like before George M。 Cohan makes his first entrance on the stage。
〃This village was built of mud and stone； and had no streets。 Some few yellow…and…brown persons popped their heads out…of…doors； looking about like Welsh rabbits with Worcester sauce on em。 Out of the biggest house； that had a kind of a porch around it； steps a big white man； red as a beet in color； dressed in fine tanned deerskin clothes； with a gold chain around his neck； smoking a cigar。 I've seen United States Senators of his style of features and build； also head…waiters and cops。
〃He walks up and takes a look at us； while McClintock disembarks and begins to interpret to the lead mule while he smokes a cigarette。
〃'Hello； Buttinsky；' says the fine man to me。 'How did you get in the game？ I didn't see you buy any chips。 Who gave you the keys of the city？'
〃'I'm a poor traveller；' says I。 'Especially mule…back。 You'll excuse me。 Do you run a hack line or only a bluff？'
〃'Segregate yourself from your pseudo…equine quadruped；' says he； 'and come inside。'
〃He raises a finger； and a villager runs up。
〃'This man will take care of your outfit；' says he； 'and I'll take care of you。'
〃He leads me into the biggest house； and sets out the chairs and a kind of a drink the color of milk。 It was the finest room I ever saw。 The stone walls was hung all over with silk shawls； and there was red and yellow rugs on the floor； and jars of red pottery and Angora goat skins； and enough bamboo furniture to misfurnish half a dozen seaside cottages。
〃'In the first place；' says the man； 'you want to know who I am。 I'm sole lessee and proprietor of this tribe of Indians。 They call me the Grand Yacuma； which is to say King or Main Finger of the bunch。 I've got more power here than a charge d'affaires； a charge of dynamite； and a charge account at Tiffany's combined。 In fact； I'm the Big Stick； with as many extra knots on it as there is on the record run of the Lusitania。 Oh； I read the papers now and then；' says he。 'Now； let's hear your entitlements；' he goes on； 'and the meeting will be open。'
〃'Well；' says I； 'I am known as one W。 D。 Finch。 Occupation； capitalist。 Address； 54' East Thirty…second'
〃'New York；' chips in the Noble Grand。 'I know；' s