TRAVELING WITH A REFORMER
"I think something ought to be done to him now. I ll discharge him."
"Discharge him? What good would that do? Don t you think it would be better wisdom to teach him better ways and keep him?"
"Well, there s something in that. What would you suggest?"
"He insulted the old gentleman in presence of all these people. How would it do to have him come and apologize in their presence?"
"I ll have him here right off. And I want to say this: If people would do as you ve done, and re port such things to me instead of keeping mum and going off and blackguarding the road, you d see a different state of things pretty soon. I m much obliged to you."
The brakeman came and apologized. After he was gone the Major said:
"Now, you see how simple and easy that was. The ordinary citizen would have accomplished noth ing the brother-in-law of a director can accomplish anything he wants to."
1 But are you really the brother-in-law of a director ?"
"Always. Always when the public interests re quire it. I have a brother-in-law on all the boards everywhere. It saves, me a world of trouble."
"It is a good wide relationship."
"Yes. I have over three hundred of them."
"Is the relationship never doubted by a con ductor?"
"I have never met with a case. It is the honest truth I never have."
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