“Why, you have the means,—the stock may be had at twenty, and a hundred thousand dollars would control the whole of it. It must be done quietly; and then by contracting on time we should have the power to deliver without loss when we sold; and by making three contracts to receive to one to deliver, we can make them pay whatever difference we choose.” “That would be too much power to get in our hands, Dan, would it not?” “True, it would not answer to trust every man with so much; but in your hands and mine, I think we would not abuse it.” “What amount of exaction do you think would be an abuse of such power?” “Why, it would be wrong to take more than two hundred per cent. profit, unless we got hold of some one who could well afford it.” “But that would be using force to appropriate other people’s money to our own use. I think it would not be justifiable.” PLAN CHANGED. Mr. Friendly, though not devoid of sound sense and a good judgment, usually suffered his eagerness for speculation to blind his mind to every probable result but the glitter of gain. He had never looked on the subject in this light before. He intended nothing but a “fair business transaction,” and was desirous that his friend Bottomly should share in its success. His mind revolted at doing a positive wrong; he therefore abandoned his plan, but adopted another on the instant, which though less culpable on his part, was in the end productive of an equal degree of evil. Always quick and decided in his actions, he said “well John, you are always right-minded, though you are sometimes wrong headed, we will say no more of this plan for the present; but I think well of a speculation, and therefore you shall buy me five hundred shares to day at ‘the board,’ I will send you in a check for ‘ten up,’ and the rest we will arrange to-morrow.” THE BANK PARLOR. Having decided upon his plan of action, Mr. Friendly then immediately, sought the directors who held stock. Fortunately he found them all in the bank parlour. They had just been talking over the affairs of the company, I will not say that they had been discussing its affairs, for their conversation was like any thing else but a discussion, and consisted of sundry expletives directed principally against their predecessors in office. And here let it be remembered, that those gentlemen, whose ambition had led them to desire such a post of honor, were but newly installed in their places. And, having purchased stock to procure their election, with knowing but very little about the real state of the company’s affairs, they were now unable to get rid of it, and were lamenting their folly and cursing the authors of it. For be it known, that their ambition and vanity had been stimulated by their predecessors before the election, to induce those gentlemen to seek a post which they wished to abandon themselves, knowing that sooner or later it would disgrace them.