Year: 1860

say the truth, l had no wish to see the poor
man. In spite of his dream, the-Rail-
way had gone utterly and totally to the
dogs; the most sanguine spectators pro-
nounced it bad job; its shares were de-
clared to be nowhere at all; and many a
time Mrs. Rugby and l lamented over poor
RaxwOrth and bis three hundred.


In the cares of ones family, and the ups
and downs OF ones business, time slips away
wonderfully. 1t was five years after had
bought the said shares; there had been a
panic, bad times, settling down and a
clearing up again, when, to the amazement
of the whole Stock Exchange, there was a
resurrection of the - Railway. Some
body from Glasgow had taken it in hand
The gentleman had large capital and rich
cousins. The newspapers began to talk OF
what immense utility the line would be to
the northern towns and the agricultural
districts; the shares came into the market
and went up every day. Where was Rax-
worth? I could not make out, till one day
he appeared in my Office, looking graver
and more shabby than ever, but with the
same earne& eyes.


"They're going up, Mr.. Rugly!" Was his
first salutation.


Yes" said I. You'll get back your
hundred pounds yet."


"Get back my hundred pounds" !" he
screamed, for his voice had grown strangely
cracked and shrill. "I'll make my fortune;
didn't the old man say it? Have Sally and
1 lived poor and pinched, wanting coal in
winter, and beer in summer, all these years,
only to get back hundred pounds No,
Mr.. Rugby won't sell out until they come
to cent. per cent. at least"


No arguments could shake that resolu-
ton, and l did not try to do it; the matter
was beyond my Capel Court experience; but
for once Raxworth was not mistaken. The
shares went up higher and higher-such a
run upon'a railway was never known. At
last they reached cent. per cent, and then
he sent me brief note to sell out immedi-
ately, and buy him six hundred shares in
the Southwestern. Raxworth had got
above my reasoning. Henceforth I obeyed
his mandates without question, and they al
ways came by post. Somehow, whatever
he bought, whatever be sold, success and
profit attended his speculations. knew him
net five thousand by a venture that same
year, and be doubled it within the next.
His luck became as proverbial among the
brokers as his want of it had been before.
He was now comparatively rich man.
was aware of bis having considerable de.
post in the Bank of England, beside own
ing railway stock to still greater amount;
yet when l saw him again, Raxworth looked
as shabby, as careworn, and as earnest as
he had looked when was going to congra-
tulate him on the prospect of getting back
bis hundred pounds. He settled with me
literally, promising the continuance of his
patronage, told me he had bought the
ground for his house overlooking Birken.
head, and that Sally and be would enjoy
their money; but he could not understand
her, she was growing so rang-like, and ta.
king on 30 many odd ways.


To bring my story to an end, it turned
out that the sudden accession of wealth,
after such long poverty and frequent disap-
pointment, upset poor Mrs. Raxworth's
brain. The strangeness and odd ways re-
suited in frantic madness, and she died few
years ago in private asylum. Her husband
still lives, and speculates his capital is
now immense, though he has not always won
at the same rate. His house has been built
and is let, for he never inhabited it, nor set
up his carriage. I can see no change in bis
appearance from the day he came to tell
me "they were going up." Once, after a
long reckoning, be asked if the old man had
not spoken true in his dream. "Only,"
said be, 1--WE did not understand it right
about Sally; but that could not be helped,
and nothing can Mr.. Rugby. Never mind,
l have a great respect for you, because
know you to be lucky hand"


That was all ever heard him say on the
subject which had troubled him so much in
his rty.stricken days, when he begged
me not to come to the house nor to have
anything to do with them, lest his uncles
prophecy about the killing of Sally should
come to pass. suppose the killing of her
mind by the fortune which came through
me must have been the proper interpreta-
tion of the dream, If it had any, and was
not all downright invention of Raxworth's 8
fancy, running, as it always did, on stocks
and sharesi At all events he made money,
and that makes people take everything else
uncommonly easy; yet, somehow, there is
nobody's business I care less for doing, and
I know he employs me only for being lucky
hand, which is a character worth having
in the Stock EYchanre r...4.