Manchurian Books

"
"You must be a stranger in Frankfort when you needed to make such
inquiry."
"Those are almost the same words that my acquaintance of last night
used, and he seemed astonished when I replied that I was born in
Frankfort, and had lived here all my life."
"Ah, I suppose no man is so well known as he thinks he is, but I venture
to assert that you are not engaged in business here."
"Sir, you are in the right. I fear I have hitherto led a somewhat
useless existence."
"On money earned by some one else, perhaps."
"Again you hit the nail on the head, Herr Goebel. I lodge on the other
side of the river, and coming to and fro each day, the sight of all
those useless barges depresses me, and I have formulated a plan for
putting them in motion again."
"I fear, sir, that wiser heads than yours have been meditating upon that
project without avail."
"I should have been more gratified, Herr Goebel, if you had said 'older
heads.'"
The suspicion of a smile hovered for a brief instant round the shrewd,
firm lips of the merchant.


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