The Argosy — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

In the Dead of Night. 17 a son of his own, even hinting ata possible partnership in time to come. But my mind had long been made up, and nothing he had to say could move me. It seemed to me that in my six thousand pounds I had the foundation of a fortune which might in time grow into some- thing colossal. It is true that the course I had laid down for myself was not without its risks. It was quite possible that instead of building up a large fortune, I should lose the little one I had already. Well, should that black day ever come, it would be time enough then to think of going back to Hoskyns, and of settling down for life as the clerk of a provincial lawyer. “My father’s death left me without any relations, except some far- away cousins whom I had never seen. There was nothing to keep me in my native town, so I set out for London, with many prophecies of coming ruin ringing in my ears. I hired a couple of cheap rooms in a quiet city court, and set up in business as a speculator, and to that business I have stuck ever since.” “Which is as much as to say that you have been successful in it,’ said Lionel. “‘t have been successful in it. Not perhaps quite so successful as my sanguine youthful hopes led me to believe I should be; but still suffi- ciently so to satisfy myself that in choosing such a career I did not choose altogether unwisely.” “‘ But how is it possible,” said Lionel: ‘that you, a raw country lad of one and twenty, could go and settle down in the great world of London ; and, without experience of your own, or any friendly hand to guide you, could venture to play ata game which exercises some of the keenest intellects of the age—and not only venture to play at it, but to rise from it a winner?” ‘The simplest answer to that question would be, that I did do it. But really, after all, the matter is nota very difficult one. I have always been guided by three or four very simple rules, and so long as I stick to them, I don’t think I can go very far amiss. I never invest all my money in one or even two speculations, however promising they may seem. I never run great risks for the sake of problematical ereat profits. Let my profits be small but sure, and I am quite con- tent. Lastly, I put my money, as far as possible, into concerns that I can examine personally for myself, even though I should have to make a journey of three hundred miles to do it. See the affair with your own eyes, judge it for yourself, and then leave it for your common sense to decide whether you shall put your money into it or no. In all such professions, natural aptitude—the gift that we possess almost uncon- sciously to ourselves—is the grand secret of success.” “Success in your case means that you are on the high road to being a millionaire P” “Now you are laughing at me.” VOL, XVII. Cc COMICOOOKS () (C(O) am =)