“I throws a pocketful of the ore into the grate, and it blazes up like mad. The whole office was torrid hot in five minutes. But the crowd was a blamed sight hotter. They went plumb wild over the new, wonderful fuel I’d discovered, and tried to explain to me that it had the heating power of ten times its weight of coal. But all the time I just shook my head, and kept on whining that no one’d buy it because it would burn out furnaces too quick.
“Well, the upshot of it was that the news travelled like a streak of lightning. By the time I got over to the shaft, the gangs were all on, and their padrones raked up a clause in the contract that permitted ’em to take their pay in stock, at par, if they chose to, instead of cash. Just a piece of technical red tape they used to stick in mining contracts. Those padrones fairly squealed for stock, and near mobbed me when I implored ’em to accept money instead. So I compromised by issuing ’em orders for stock at ten above. But before I’d do even that, I told ’em over and over that they were making fools of themselves and the stock and ore were worthless. They laughed at me, and thought I was trying to grab all the stock for myself. So I made ’em sign a paper saying that they took it at their own request and risk, and against my will and advice; and I gave ’em their stock orders and came back to town with my pay satchel still full.
“By the time I struck the hotel the place was jammed. Folks had flocked from all over to see the wonderful fuel and watch it burn. Rich farmers, capitalists from Granite and a lot more. The stock had been at 28¼. Inside of two days it was at 129, and still booming. Then I sold. But as president of the company I refused to let a single share be distributed without the buyer signing a blank that he took it at his own risk, and that I had told him the ore was worthless. And I kept on shouting that it was worthless, and that the public was robbing itself by buying such stuff. What was the result? The more I told the truth, the harder the suckers bit. Widows and ministers and such-like easy marks most of all, I hear. I got out of the company in disgust, and announced I’d have no dealings with such an iniquitous, swindling scheme. Folks thought I’d gone clean silly, and they bought and bought and bought, and then——”
“And then?” as Conover lighted a fresh cigar.
“Oh, then they woke up and screamed louder than ever.”
“What was done about it? Was there no redress?”
“‘Redress’ nothing! What redress could there be for a pack of get-rich-quick guys who had insisted on buying my stock after I’d told them just how worthless it was? Didn’t I have their own signed statements that I——”
“And you call that transaction an instance of truth-telling?”
“Oh, well, the real truth’s too precious to squander foolishly where it won’t be appreciated. It’s like whiskey: got to be weakened to the popular taste. And speaking of liars, have you kept your eye much on Jerry lately?”
“No, why?”