SEIZE THE DAY
405
to have footed the bill for the brother's expedition to Brazil. And he
spoke of paying [or the support of the orphaned child of a dead sweet–
heart. These hints, made dully as asides, grew by repetition into sen–
sational claims.
"For myself, I don't need much," said Tamkin. "But a man can't
live for himself and I need the money for certain important things.
What do you figure you have to have, to get by?"
"Not less than fifteen grand, after taxes. That's for my wife and
the two boys."
"Isn't there anybody else?" said Tamkin with a shrewdness almost
cruel. But his look grew more sympathetic as Wilhelm stumbled, not
willing to recall another grief.
"Well ... there was. But it wasn't a money matter."
"I should hope!" said Tamkin.
"If
love is love, it's free. Fifteen
grand, though, isn't too much for a man of your intelligence to ask
out of life. Fools, hard-hearted criminals and murderers have millions
to squander. They burn up the world-oil, coal, wood, metal, and soil
and even the air and the sky. They consume, and they give back no
benefit. A man like you, humble for life, who wants to feel and live,
has trouble-not wanting," said Tamkin in his parenthetical fashion,
"to exchange an ounce of soul for a pound of social power-he'll never
make it without help in a world like this. But don't you worry...."
Wilhelm grasped at this. "Just you never mind. We'll go easily beyond
your figure."
Dr. Tamkin gave Wilhelm comfort. He often asserted that he had
made as much as a thousand a week in commodities. Wilhelm had
examined the receipts, but until this moment it had never occurred to
him that there must be debit-slips too; he had been shown only the
credits.
"But fifteen grand is not an ambitious figure," Tamkin was telling
him. "For that you don't have to wear yourself out on the road, dealing
with narrow-minded people. A lot of them don't like J ews, either,
I suppose?"
"I can't afford to notice. I'm lucky when I have my occupation.
Tamkin, do you mean there's a hope for our money?"
"Oh, did I forget to mention what I did before closing yesterday?
You see, I closed out one of the lard contracts and bought a hedge of
December rye. The rye is up three points already and takes some of
the sting out. But lard will go up, too."
"Where? God, yes, you're right!" said Wilhelm, eager, and got to
his feet to look. New hope freshened his heart. "Why didn't you tell
me before?"
And Tamkin, smiling like a benevolent magician, said, "You must
learn to have trust. The slump in lard can't last. And just take a look
at eggs. Didn't I predict they couldn't go any lower? They're rising
and rising.
If
we had taken eggs we'd be far ahead."
"Then why didn't we take them?"
"We were just about to. I had a buying order in at .24, but the
