Raymond S. Spears

“ I tell you what you need, young man—it's a course in finance! Can you read?"
"Oh, yes—right smart!"
"Well, you take this little folder and you read it. I just happened to hear the other day that you ship an average of eighteen dollars' worth of fish a week—and you have initiative—that's it!"
"Which?" Andrest asked.
"You don't wait for some one else to do what needs doing—that's initiative. Now I'll deposit this in the bank for you, and give you a bank-book. When you've read that folder, you'll know something about money and investing and putting money to work for you. We'll help you. ”

“ Sometimes he would spend a good deal of time thinking—thinking hard. He was in a swamp-land wilderness. His back track led to a dim and fantastic memory of great cities where he had been hungry and unhappy, skulking like a street cat, keeping out of sight of people for fear of a kick or a slap. ”

“ Do you want to take this money with you, or will you leave it here on deposit until you have a chance to invest it?"
"I never had any money in a bank." Andrest shook his head doubtfully. "I don't know about it. Rich fellows have money in banks, but I—I didn't know as poor men could."
"Young man"—the cashier threw up the brass gate over the desk—"let me tell you something. When you have five hundred dollars, you can put it into any bank in the State."
"I thought—I 'lowed a man would have to have a million dollars, or something like that!" Andrest exclaimed. ”

“ The cashier handed Andrest the bank-book, and the youth walked down the street to a lunch-room, where he ate a square meal. He returned to his cabin-boat and began to read the folder that told about making money work for a man. For years he had been reading newspapers, magazines, and books, but without understanding more than the stories.
The little booklet began with a head-line:
PUTTING MONEY OUT AT INTEREST.
He learned that a poor man had a right to do that ”

“ This done, Andrest looped his piece of trot-line around his captive's wrists and bound them fast. Then he tied the scouter's elbows together with another set of loops.
"What you got ag'in' me, Andrest?" Morlung began, whining. "I've never been mean to you! You ain' givin' me up for the reward, are you? There's fellers with lots bigger rewards on 'em than there is on me. I'd help get—"
"You didn't wash the tops of your boots clean, that's why," Andrest interrupted. "Look at that flour and corn-meal on the hang-down of your hip-boots! ”

“ Before nightfall he had cleaned and mopped out the cabin. The weavings and plaitings which he had made from pretty feathers were all muddied with the meal and flour, but he tried to save them, too, washing them as best he could. If it had not been for the waterproofing he would have been able to clean up most of them ”