I, willing to read him a lesson.

The dire expression was overheard in the next room. A large, fresh,

motherly Irishwoman ran forth upon the instant, and fell to besiege me

with caresses and appeals. "Sure now, and ye couldn't have the heart to

ut, Mr. Dodd, you, that's so well known to be a pleasant gentleman; and

it's a pleasant face ye have, and the picture of me own brother that's

dead and gone. It's a truth that he's been drinking. Ye can smell it off

of him, more blame to him. But, indade, and there's nothing in the

house beyont the furnicher, and Thim Stock. It's the stock that ye'll

be taking, dear. A sore penny it has cost me, first and last, and by

all tales, not worth an owld tobacco pipe." Thus adjured, and somewhat

embarrassed by the stern attitude I had adopted, I suffered myself to be

invested with a considerable quantity of what is called wild-cat stock,

in which this excellent if illogical female had been squandering her

hard-earned gold. It could scarce be said to better my position, but the

step quieted the woman; and, on the other hand, I could not think I was

taking much risk, for the shares in question (they were those of what I

will call the Catamount Silver Mine) had fallen some time before to the

bed-rock quotation, and now lay perfectly inert, or were only kicked

(like other waste paper) about the kennel of the exchange by bankrupt

speculators.

A month or two after, I perceived by the stock-list that Catamount

had taken a bound; before afternoon, "thim stock" were worth a quite

considerable pot of money; and I learned, upon inquiry, that a bonanza

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