speculations to which he was naturally glad of an opportunity to invite
the attention of the public. In a word, no sooner was my poor father's
back turned than the "Literary Times" was dropped incontinently, and Mr.
Peck and Mr. Tibbets began to concentrate their luminous notions into
that brilliant and comet-like apparition which ultimately blazed forth
under the title of "The Capitalist."

From this change of enterprise the more prudent and responsible of the
original shareholders had altogether withdrawn. A majority, indeed, were
left; but the greater part of those were shareholders of that kind most
amenable to the influences of Uncle Jack, and willing to be shareholders
in anything, since as yet they were possessors of nothing.

Assured of my father's responsibility, the adventurous Peck put plenty of
spirit into the first launch of "The Capitalist." All the walls were
placarded with its announcements; circular advertisements ran from one
end of the kingdom to the other. Agents were engaged, correspondents
levied en masse. The invasion of Xerxes on the Greeks was not more
munificently provided for than that of "The Capitalist" upon the
credulity and avarice of mankind.

But as Providence bestows upon fishes the instrument of fins, whereby
they balance and direct their movements, however rapid and erratic,
through the pathless deeps, so to the cold-blooded creatures of our own
species--that may be classed under the genus Money-Makers--the same
protective power accords the fin-like properties of prudence and caution,
wherewith your true money-getter buoys and guides himself majestically
through the great seas of speculation. In short, the fishes the net was
cast for were all scared from the surface at the first splash. They came
round and smelt at the mesh with their sharp bottle-noses, and then,