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PARTISAN REV I EW
his bulging eyes, his bald head and his drooping lip. "Have you
stopped to think how much dough people are making in the market?"
Wilhelm with a quick change from gloomy attention to the
panting laugh which entirely changed his face had said, "Ho, have
I ever! What do you think? Who doesn't know it's way beyond
1928-29 and still on the rise? Who hasn't read the Fulbright investi–
gation? There's money everywhere. Everyone is shoveling it in. Money
.
.
"
IS • •• 18••. •
"And can you rest-can you sit still while this is going on?"
said Dr. T amkin. "I confess to you I can't. I think about people,
just because they have a few bucks to invest, making fortunes. They
have no sense, they have no talent, they just have the extra dough
and it makes them more dough. I get so worked up and tormented
and restless, so restless! I haven't even been able to practice my pro–
fession . With all this money around you don't want to be a fool,
while everyone else is making. I know guys who make five, ten
thousand a week just by fooling around. I know a guy at the Hotel
Pierre. There's nothing to him, but he has a whole case of Mumm's
champagne at lunch. I know another guy on Central Park South . . .
but what's the use of talking. They make millions. They have smart
lawyers who get them out of taxes by a thousand schemes."
"Whereas I got taken," said Wilhelm. "My wife refused to
sign a joint return. One fairly good year and I got into the thirty-two
per cent bracket and was stripped bare. What of all my bad years?"
"It's a businessmen's government," said Dr. Tamkin. "You can
be sure that these men making five thousand a week. . .."
"I don 't need that sort of money," Wilhelm had said. "But oh !
if I could only work out a little steady income from this. Not much.
I don't ask much. But how badly I need.. .. ! I'd be so grateful
if you'd show me how to work it."
"Sure I will.
I
do it regularly. I'll bring you my receipts if you
like. And do you want to know something? I approve of your atti–
tude very much. You want to avoid catching the money fever. This
type of activity is filled with hostile feeling and lust. You should
see what it does to some of these fellows. They go on the market
with murder in their hearts."
"What's that I once heard a guy say?" Wilhelm remarked. "A
man is only as good as what he loves."
