y track and where he come in when the
track was fast. He makes note of what the horse did under different
weights and different jockeys. He watches what it does against certain
other horses. Then when he thinks everything is favorable, he bets his
money! He--"

"Look here, Alex!" I butts in. "Did you come all the way up here
to-night to lay me on a horse race?"

"No!" he snorts, in disgust, "I come up here to lay you on _yourself_!
If this same man that studies the dope before he bets on a horse, would
study the dope on _himself_ with the same attention to detail, before
he enters the handicap of life--he'd be a winner! He wouldn't have to
bet on no horses or nothin' else, because he'd be his own best bet!
He'd find out what his particular ace was and play it to the limit
every time! Instead of that, the average feller spends his time
sittin' in the greatest game in the world--life--drawin' five cards
every time and waitin' for the royal flush to be dealt him pat. He--"

"My goodness, Alex!" remarks the wife, "I didn't know you was a
gambler. Where did you learn all those poker terms?"

"He once claimed casino was vicious, too!" I says.

Alex gets up and reaches for his hat.

"There ain't no use talkin' to people which has checked their brains
with the hat boy!" he says. "But before I go, I wanna tell you this.
Every man has got the key to his own success buried in him somewhere,
and I'll bet I can take the champion dub of any given precinct and make
him a winner the minute I find out where he hid _his_!"

"Let's go to the movies, instead of fightin' like cats and dogs,"
remarks the wife, puttin' on her handbag.

"Yes!" sneers Alex, "let's go to the movies and knock the leadin' man
because he's gettin' $30,000 a year, and let's explain to each other
how he's gettin' away with murder and ain't got a thing but his looks.
That's much better than sittin' down and figurin' how we can make the
same amount of money, if we--"

"Look here, Alex!" I interrupts, gettin' a trifle peeved. "You took me
for eight hundred berries when you first invaded New York and, sucker
like, I'm lookin' for a come-back. Are you on the level with that
stuff about you bein' able to put _anybody_ over if you get in their
corner?"

"Am I on the level with it?" he says. "Why, say!--I'm goin' in the
_business_ of makin' successes outa dubs! I'm gonna take 'em one by
one, put 'em over and charge a reasonable percentage for my wor