, proudly], that, come what may, we
are not dishonored."

"Humor him," whispered Squills; "we will save the books." Then he added
aloud, as he laid finger and thumb on my pulse, "One, two, three, about
seventy,--capital pulse, soft and full; he can bear the whole: let us
administer it."

My father nodded: "Certainly. But, Pisistratus, we must manage your dear
mother. Why she should think of blaming herself because poor Jack took
wrong ways to enrich us, I cannot understand. But as I have had occasion
before to remark, Sphinx is a noun feminine."

My poor father! that was a vain struggle for thy wonted innocent humor.
The lips quivered.

Then the story came out. It seems that when it was resolved to
undertake the publication of the "Literary Times," a certain number
of shareholders had been got together by the indefatigable energies of
Uncle Jack; and in the deed of association and partnership, my father's
name figured conspicuously as the holder of a fourth of this joint
property. If in this my father had committed some imprudence, he had
at least done nothing that, according to the ordinary calculations of
a secluded student, could become ruinous. But just at the time when we
were in the hurry of leaving town, Jack had represented to my father
that it might be necessary to alter a little the plan of the paper, and
in order to allure a larger circle of readers, touch somewhat on the
more vulgar news and Interests of the day. A change of plan might
involve a change of title; and he suggested to my father the expediency
of leaving the smooth hands of Mr. Tibbets altogether unfettered, as
to the technical name and precise form of the publication. To this my
father had unwittingly assented, on hearing that the other shareholders
would do the same. Mr. Peck, a printer of considerable opulence and
highly respectable name, had been found to advance the sum necessary for
the publication of the earlier numbers, upon the guarantee of the said
act of partnership and the additional security of my father's signature
to a document authorizing Mr. Tibbets to make any change in the form or
title of the periodical that might be judged advisable, concurrent with
the consent of the other shareholders.

Now, it seems that Mr. Peck had, in his previous conferences with Mr.
Tibbets, thrown much cold water on the idea of the "Literary Times,"
and had suggested something that should "catch the moneyed public,"--the
fact being, as was aft