She can't put in crushers and costly machinery. He'd
notice 'em and be onto the game. They have to pan out what they get, and
it hurts their tender hands. Some of 'em are natural sluice troughs and
can carry out $1,000 to the ton. The dry-eyed ones have to depend on
signed letters, false hair, sympathy, the kangaroo walk, cowhide whips,
ability to cook, sentimental juries, conversational powers, silk
underskirts, ancestry, rouge, anonymous letters, violet sachet powders,
witnesses, revolvers, pneumatic forms, carbolic acid, moonlight, cold
cream and the evening newspapers."
"You are outrageous, Ferg," I said. "Surely there is none of this
'graft' as you call it, in a perfect and harmonious matrimonial union!"
"Well," said Pogue, "nothing that would justify you every time in
calling Police Headquarters and ordering out the reserves and a
vaudeville manager on a dead run. But it's this way: Suppose you're a
Fifth Avenue millionaire, soaring high, on the right side of copper and
cappers.
"You come home at night and bring a $9,000,000 diamond brooch to the
lady who's staked you for a claim. You hand it over. She says, 'Oh,
George!' and looks to see if it's backed. She comes up and kisses you.
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