"Never be a fool--look at the practical side of things. "Never let anything run away with you--keep cool. "Never be in a hurry--make the other fellows do the hustling. "Never let the men you work with know what you are doing--they might talk, or they might do a little business on their own account. "Never be satisfied with anything as it is--there is always some way of bettering it. "Never send good money after bad--it doesn't pay. "Never waste energy in regretting a loss--there's a better use for energy. "Never hesitate to pay for your education as you get it--use the telegraph freely, and keep in close communication with the men who are likely to know what you want to know. "When you want a man to keep still, make it worth his while--but don't say anything to him about it. That opens the way to blackmail. "Never take a drink--it unbalances the judgment. "Never get angry--that's worse than taking a dozen drinks. "Never do anything till you are ready to do it all over and clear through." In obedience to the spirit of these rules, Captain Will Hallam, as soon as he had sent off his telegraphic messages, went out into his garden and hoed a while. Then he called John, his English gardener, and gave him some minute instructions respecting the care of certain plants. John resented the impertinence of course, but he obeyed the instructions, nevertheless. It was the fixed habit of men who worked for Captain Will Hallam to obey his commands. Presently the cashier presented himself, with check book in hand. "Draw a check for five thousand dollars," commanded Captain Hallam, "payable 'to the King of Holland or Bearer'. Mind, I say 'bearer,' _not_ 'order.' Then draw another check for one hundred dollars, payable to yourself." Not another word was said. No explanation of the gift to the cashier was offered or asked. The cashier understood. He drew the checks and his employer signed them. The smaller one he handed to his subordinate. The vastly larger one he thrust into his vest pocket, as he moved around a corner of the piazza to set his little girls swinging in a new contrivance which he had purchased for their use. Presently he returned to his secretary and said: "Telegraph Mr. Kingsbury to make out an application in proper form for a military permit to ship five thousand bales of cotton to New York. Tell him to have it ready for me at two o'clock at the main office." Two hours later Captain Hallam found the application ready for him on his office desk. After looking it over he signed and carefully folded it after the fashion required for military documents, but as he did so he slipped into it the check for five thousand dollars, payable to the "King of Holland or Bearer." No mention of the check was made in the document. If the proceeding should be resented at headquarters, the enclosure could be excused on the plea of accident.