Year: 1860

my uncle brought with him. would know
your face among twenty thousand, and, if
you will buy me the shares, it will be better
for US both" ...


Mrs. Rugby, at least, gave me credit for
sense and discretion but the singular story,
the fact that be had recognized me, and the
mans own faith in bis dream, made me
give up reasoning against the Scotch rail-
way, and consent to buy the shares. They
had another fall that very day; aud, know
ing they were still in the descending line,
bought them in slowly, so that by the end
of the week the three hundred shares were
secured with little more than the contents
of my friends pocket book. The man had
interested me. You perceive it is possible
to interest even a stockbroker and while
buying up the shares, I made inquiries after
his antecedents. There was not broker
in the Exchange who could not tell some
thing about him, and their accounts con-
frmed his own-that he had tried good
many things, and succeeded in nothing.
There was no speculation--mine, canal,
dock, or railway-in which be had not dab
bled and the most popular superstition 10
Capel Court was, that whatsoever he
bought shares in was sure to 60 to the dogs,
except he sold out Immediately, when it was
equally certain to rise in the market. There
were tales of stockholders who had made
their fortunes, and those of their customers,
by the guidance of that curious rule. As
the natural consequence of so much ill-luck
and determination to speculate, also heard
that he was in the habit of owing and bor-
rowing, and that his funds and his credit
were now at very low ebb. Nobody could
imagine where he got the hundred pounds,
except from his relations in Lancashire, on
a promise to embark for Australia, to which
safe distance their united endeavors had not
been sufficient to send him and his wife,
though employed to that end for the last ten
years. Whether fortunate or otherwise I
cannot say, but he had no children but, in
spite of his unsuccessful stockjobbing, the
pair were said to live in afectiOnate harmo-
ny, not always found in better supplied
homes. Theirs, at the time of my story,
was second floor in Cummin street, Pen.





there was at once contrast and resemb-
lance between them; while he was a tall
man, she was a little woman; but both
were gray before the time, very thin, and
looked as if they we're always expecting
something.


Faith is infectious. When l had bought
the shares, delivered them to Mr.. Raxworth,
and, above all, talked over the matter with
Mrs. Rugby, she and felt so pursuaded that
something would come of the dream that we
kept our eyes on the Raxworths, took a
deep interest in their welfare, and would
have been friendly with them but for an
unexpected obstacle. On the evening after
l had bought up the last of the shares and
we were settling money matters in the
back room of a coffee house, where RaxwOrth
insisted on treating me to steak aud por-
ter because would charge him no commits
sion, one pot followed another, till my
friends eyes began to twinkle, and his
words followed rapidly. He told all he
would do when his fortune was made
by the - Railway; of the relations
be would cut dead for looking down on him
end Sally of the house be would build
overlooking Birkenhead, and to which he
would take her home in carriage, to spite
people who thought little of her for being
dressmaker's girl, though anybody who saw
Sally knew she was born to be lady.


"No doubt of it," said 1, my own heart
getting warm. ri am sure Mrs. Rugby
would like to know her; we'll call on you
some dav this week."


"No, if you please" said Raxworth,
starting back with blank terror in his look.
II beg your pardon, Mr.. Rugly: it would
be a great pleasure to my wife and me; in
fact we are too poor acquaintance for you.
But don't come, sir, don't come to our house
at all. After what the old man said, that
might be truth as well as the rest Of the
dream"


"What did the old man say, Mr.. Rax-
worth p said l, laying down my pot with
my whole stock of determination.


"Well, sir, should have told you before,
but l thought you would not buy the shares
for me. My uncle, after be told me about
the making of my fortune, and the hand you
were to have in it, said a few words more,
and they were the strangest of all: "Take
care of him, for he will kill your wife!"
Now, sir, don't believe you would do the
like, but it was all in the same dream; that
was the last thing my uncle said. Don't
come to the house, sir, nor have any thing
more to do with us ="


Raxworth believed in what he told me.
and l did not tell that part of his dream to
Mrs. Rugby; but l made him a solemn
promise, and took a fixed resolution, to
avoid their domicile, which, under one ex-
cuse or another, l kept to the letter.


In pursuing this policy, l gradually lost
sight of the man of the three hundred shares.
l saw him in Capel Court sometimes, occa.
sionally met him going home, heard Of him
first as an agent for somebody's unadulter.
ated coffee, then as q traveller for a patent
pill, and lastly Of his subscribing a pictorial
Bible. They had removed from Cummin
street to humber lodging in Clarkenwell
and bis wife was taking in plain work. To