What could I do? That wasn’t an asinine tip. It was advice that came from the brother-in-law of the chairman of the board of directors. Dan was not only Alvin Marquand’s closest friend but he had been kind and generous to me. He had shown his faith in me and confidence in my word. I couldn’t do less than to thank him. And so my feelings again won over my judgment and I gave in. To subordinate my judgment to his desires was the undoing of me. Gratitude is something a decent man can’t help feeling, but it is for a fellow to keep it from completely tying him up. The first thing I knew I not only had lost all my profit but I owed the firm one hundred and fifty thousand dollars besides. I felt pretty badly about it, but Dan told me not to worry. “I’ll get you out of this hole,” he promised. “I know I will. But I can only do it if you let me. You will have to stop doing business on your own hook. I can’t be working for you and then have you completely undo all my work in your behalf. Just lay off the market and give me a chance to make some money for you. Won’t you, Larry?” Again I ask you: What could I do? I thought of his kindliness and I could not do anything that might be construed as lacking in appreciation. I had grown to like him. He was very pleasant and friendly. I remember that all I got from him was encouragement. He kept on assuring me that everything would come out O.K. One day, perhaps six months later, he came to me with a pleased smile and gave me some credit slips. “I told you I would pull you out of that hole,” he said, “and I have.” And then I discovered that not only had he wiped out the debt entirely but I had a small credit balance besides. I think I could have run that up without much trouble, for the market was right, but he said to me, “I have bought you ten thousand shares of Southern Atlantic.” That was another road controlled by his brother-in-law, Alvin Marquand, who also ruled the market destinies of the stock. When a man does for you what Dan Williamson did for me you can’t say anything but “Thank you”--no matter what your market views may be. You may be sure you’re right, but as Pat Hearne used to say: “You can’t tell till you bet!” and Dan Williamson had bet for me--with his money. Well, Southern Atlantic went down and stayed down and I lost, I forget how much, on my ten thousand shares before Dan sold me out. I owed him more than ever. But you never saw a nicer or less importunate creditor in your life. Never a whimper from him. Instead, encouraging words and admonitions not to worry about it. In the end the loss was made up for me in the same generous but mysterious way.