I was from the "rail bird" of those happy-go-lucky years,
when a meal meant quite as much to me as does a million now--how far from
all that, yet how near, too. For was I not still facing life with the same
careless courage, forgetting each yesterday in the eager excitement of each
new day with its new deal? We went on in our reminiscences for a while;
then, as Joe had a little work to do, I drifted out into the house, took
a bite of supper with young Melville, had a little go at the tiger, and
toward five in the clear June morning emerged into the broad day of the
streets, with the precious bundle under my arms and a five hundred-dollar
bill in my waistcoat pocket.

"Give my win to me in a single bill," I said to the banker, "and blow
yourself off with the change."

Joe walked down the street with me--for companionship and a little air
before turning in, he said, but I imagine a desire to keep his eye on his
treasure a while longer had something to do with his taking that early
morning stroll. We passed several of those forlorn figures that hurry
through the slowly-awakening streets to bed or to work. Finally, there came
by an old, old woman--a scrubwoman, I guess, on her way home from cleaning
some office building. Beside her was a thin little boy, hopping along on a
crutch. I stopped them.

"Hold out your hand," said I to the boy, and he did. I laid the five
hundred-dollar bill in it. "Now, shut your fingers tight over that," said
I, "and don't open them till you get home. Then tell your mother to do what
she likes with it." And we left them gaping after us, speechless before
this fairy story come true.

"You must be looking hard for luck to-day," said Joe, who understood this
transaction where another might have thought it a showy and not very wise
charity. "They'll stop in at the church and pray for you, and burn a
candle."

"I hope so," said I, "for God knows I need it."

XX. A BREATHING SPELL.
Langdon, after several years of effort, had got recognition for Textile
in London, but that was about all. He hadn't succeeded in unloading any
great amount of it on the English. So it was rather because I neglected
nothing than because I was hopeful of results that I had made a point of
telegraphing to London news of my proposed suit. The result was a little
trading in Textiles over there and a slight decline in the price. This fact
was telegraphed to all the financial centers on this side of the water, and
re