“Oh, it’s not original with me,” was the reply. “I heard Dave Murray talk about insurance once. He’s an enthusiast. He claims that the best possible wedding gift is a paid-up life insurance policy, and I guess he’s right. It would be a mighty appropriate gift from the groom’s father to the bride—a blame sight better than a check or a diamond necklace. A paid-up policy for five thousand would look just as big as a five-thousand-dollar check, and it wouldn’t cost nearly as much—unless the old man plans to sneak back the check before it can be cashed. And what a lot of good it might do at a time when the need may be the greatest! If the bride is the one to be considered in selecting a wedding gift, as I understand to be the case, what better than this?” “I guess Dave Murray is the man for me,” said Harry in admiration of the originality of this idea. “Of course he is,” asserted the friend. “And if you want to make the argument stronger for your wavering girl, get an accident insurance policy, with a sick benefit clause, also, and then take out a little old age insurance. There ought to be no trouble about giving her all the assurance necessary to allay her fears.” Harry was a good risk, and he had no difficulty in getting a policy. He saw Murray personally, but, as he did not explain his purpose or situation, their conference was brief: Murray merely asked if he thought a thousand-dollar policy was all he could afford. “Because,” said Murray, “when you go after a good thing it’s wise to take all you can of it. There ought to be enough so that something can be found after your estate is settled.” “I’d make it five hundred if I could,” said Harry. “Most of the good companies,” said Murray, “wisely protect a man from his own economical folly by refusing to issue a policy for less than a thousand.” “It’s an experiment. A fellow doesn’t want to put too much money into an experiment.” Murray, the resourceful Murray, was bewildered. Life insurance an experiment! Surely he could not mean that. “Well,” he said, “your widow will be pretty sure to think the experiment a success.” “I haven’t got a widow,” asserted Harry. “Of course not; but you may have.” “How can I have a widow when I am dead?” asked Harry. “How can I have anything when I am dead?” “You can’t tell by the looks of an electric wire how highly it is charged,” mused Murray. “I guess I touched this one too recklessly.” Then to Harry: “But there may be _a_ widow.” “There may,” returned Harry. “Well, she’ll be sorry you didn’t experiment on a larger scale, because it really isn’t an experiment at all. There’s only one thing surer than insurance.” “What’s that?” asked Harry with interest. “Death; and, with the popular gold bonds or any limited payment policy, you have a chance to beat death by some years. But suit yourself.” So Harry took the physical examination and got the policy, payable to his estate. Then he promptly assigned it to Alice.