see no opportunity for an arrangement of the
kind."

"How much capital can you furnish?"

"Ten thousand dollars."

"That's very good, and ought to enable you to make an arrangement
somewhere. I don't know but I might be willing to give you an interest
in my business. This, however, would require some reflection. I am
turning out a very handsome surplus every year, without at all crowding
sail."

"A commission business?"

"Yes. I am agent for three or four manufactories, and effect some
pretty large sales during the year. If I were able to make liberal cash
advances, I could more than quadruple my business."

"And, of course, your profits also?"

"Yes, that follows as a natural result."

"Would ten thousand dollars be at all adequate for such a purpose?"

"It would help very much. Ten thousand dollars in cash is, you know, a
basis of credit to nearly four times that sum."

"Yes, I am aware of that."

"Is your capital readily available?" inquired Dalton.

"Yes, since I have been in the city I have invested every thing in
government securities, as safe property, and readily convertible into
cash."

"Very judicious."

Dalton mused for some time.

"Yes," he at length said, as if he had been thinking seriously of the
effect of ten thousand dollars in his business. "The capital you have
would put a new face on every thing. That's certain. Suppose you think
the matter over, and I will do the same."

"I will, certainly. And I may say now, that there will hardly be any
hinderance on my part to the arrangement, if you should see it to be
advantageous all around."

Of course Mr. Dalton professed, after taking a decent time for
pretended reflection, to see great advantage to all parties in a
business connection, which in due time was formed. But few of those who
knew Eldridge were apprized of what he intended doing, and those who
did know, and were aware at the same time of Mr. Dalton's character,
like Mr. Hueston, concluded to mind their own business.

And so, unwarned of the risk he was encountering, an honest and
confiding young man was permitted to form a copartnership with a
villain, who had already been the means of involving three or four
unsuspecting individuals in hopeless embarrassment.

Confident that he had entered the road to fortune, Eldridge commenced
his new career. The capital he had supplied gave, as Dalton had
predicted, new life to the business, for the offer of liberal cash
advances b