154 TRUE RICHES; OR,

 

his cards with the dashing boldness of a gambler
while in a run of luck. I cautioned him, but to no
good purpose. One of his latest movements had
been to put fifty or sixty thousand dollars in a cotton
factory ?”

“Poh! What folly.”

‘A most egregious blunder. But he fancies him.
self an exceedingly shrewd man.”

‘“¢ He has been remarkably fortunate in his opera-
tions.”

“So he has. But he is more indebted, I think,
to good luck than to a sound judgment. He has
gone up to dizzy height so rapidly, that his weak
head is already beginning to swim.”

‘What has become of that pretty little ward of
his ?”’ asked Martin, somewhat abruptly.

“Why didn’t you put that question to him ?”’ re-
plied Grind. “You would have been more likely
to get a satisfactory answer.”

‘¢ Tmay do so after I have the ten thousand dollars
inmy pocket. That was rather a shameful business,
though; wasn’t it? Inever hada very tender con-
science, but I must own to having suffered a few
twinges for my part in the transaction. He received
over a hundred thousand dollars for the land ?”’

‘Yes; and that clear of some heavy fees that you
and I claimed for services rendered.”’

“ Humph! I’m not quite paid yet. But, touch-
ing the child, Mr. Grind: don’t you know any thing
about her?”

*¢ Nothing, personally.”

‘“¢ What was it Jasper paid for the tract of land?”

** One thousand dollars.”