t mind to stroll
round by Number 16, Grip Street that evening to see who this mysterious
"B" could be.

"To intelligent young men in business.--Add L50 a year to your income
without any risk or hindrance whatever to ordinary work.--Apply
confidentially to Omega, 13, Shy Street, Liverpool, with stamp for
reply. None but respectable intelligent young men need apply."

Hullo! Reginald laid down his composing-stick and read the
advertisement over again: and after that he read it again, word by word,
most carefully. L50 a year! Why, that was as much again as his present
income, and without risk or interfering with his present work too!
Well, his present work might be his past work to-morrow; but even so,
with L50 a year he would be no worse off, and of course he could get
something else to do as well by way of ordinary work. If only he could
bring in L100 a year to the meagre family store! What little luxuries
might it not procure for his mother! What a difference it might make in
that dreary, poky Dull Street parlour, where she sat all day! Or if
they decided not to spend it, but save it up, think of a pound a week
ready against a rainy day! Reginald used to have loose enough ideas of
the value of money; but the last few weeks had taught him lessons, and
one of them was that a pound a week could work wonders.

"Apply confidentially." Yes, of course, or else any duffer might snatch
at the prize. It was considerate, too, to put it that way, for of
course it would be awkward for any one in a situation to apply unless he
could do it confidentially--and quite right too to enclose a stamp for a
reply. No one who wasn't in earnest would do so, and thus it would keep
out fellows who applied out of mere idle curiosity. "None but
respectable intelligent young men need apply." Humph! Reginald's
conscience told him he was respectable, and he hoped he was also
moderately intelligent, though opinions might differ on that point.
"Omega"--that sounded well! The man knew Greek--possibly he was a
classical scholar, and therefore sure to be a gentleman. Oh, what a
contrast to the cad Durfy! "Liverpool." Ah, there was the one
drawback; and yet of course it did not follow the L50 a year was to be
earned in Liverpool, otherwise how could it fail to interfere with
ordinary business? Besides, why should he advertise in the _Rocket_
unless he meant to get applications from Londoners?

Altogether Reginald was pleased with the