The Argosy — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

In the Dead of Night. gI suppose, and you could go up to town—when?” His tone was very anxious as he asked this question. ‘‘ By the next train,” answered Tom. “Good boy—good boy!” said the Squire gratefully. ‘ And you'll telegraph me, won’t you? Don’t wait to write, but telegraph to me.” ‘Don’t think me impertinent if I ask you to tell me the extent of your liabilities as regards the Alcazar Mining Company.” ‘““Why—ah—I cannot tell you to a fraction. A few thousands, I suppose. But I don’t see how that fact can interest you.” Tom’s long face grew still longer. ‘‘ Don’t you think, sir,” he said, “that it might be advisable for you to empower me to sell out your stock in your behalf, should I find on inquiry to-morrow that there is the least likelihood of its sinking any lower than it is now?” ‘Sell out !’’ exclaimed the Squire in horror. “Certainly not. What next, pray? Bird said the shares were sure to go up again, and I'll pin my faith to Bird through thick and thin.” It was with a sad heart that Tom left Pincote. He knew something of the Alcazar Mining Company and he had no faith in its stability- He knew something of Mr. Bird, the secretary, and he had no faith in his honesty. Mrs. McDermott was Squire Cu pebiel s only sister. She had been a widow for several years. She was perpetually travelling about, ostensibly in search of health, but really in search of change and excite- ment. The money about which she was writing to her brother was a sum of five thousand pounds which she had put into his hands some two or three years previously, with a request that he would invest it for her in some way, or put it to whatever use he might deem most advis- able. He had managed her monetary affairs for her ever since her husband’s death, and there was nothing strange in such a request. At _ first the amount had been invested in railway debentures, which brought in a modest four per cent. But when the Alcazar shares began to rise so rapidly, it seemed to the Squire that he would have been wronging his sister had he neglected to let her participate in the wonderful golden harvest that lay so close to his hand. To have written to her on the subject would have been the merest matter of form. She would only have answered, ‘‘ Don’t bother me, but do as you like with the money till I want it for something else.” Then what a glorious surprise it would be to her to find that her little fortune had actually trebled and quadrupled itself in so short a space of time! Nothing venture nothing win. ‘The railway debentures were at once disposed of and Alcazar shares bought in their stead ; and the Squire chuckled to him- self many a time when he thought of his happy audacity in acting as he had done without consulting anyone except his friend Mr. Bird. But in proportion to his previous exultation was the dread which now chilled his heart, that not only might his daughter’s dowry be lost to her GOMNGOOO <S CO im