I am the spirit of health. Think well before you make your choice.
Many have rejected me, and afterwards, have offered all their
possessions fruitlessly, hoping to lure me to them."

"Ah," said Mr. Crandall, with some hesitation. "You are a very pleasant
young person to have around the house. But why cannot I have both of
you? How does _that_ strike you?"

"I am very sorry, but I am not permitted to give you the choice of
both."

"Why is that? Many people are allowed to choose both."

"I know that; still we must follow our instructions."

"Well, if that is the case, without wishing to offend you in the least,
I think I will stand by my first choice. I choose wealth."

As he said this the other lady advanced toward him and smiled somewhat
triumphantly as she held out her hand. Crandall grasped it and the
first spirit sighed. Just as the spirit of wealth seemed about to
speak, there was a shake at the office door, and Mr. John Crandall saw
the spirits fade away. He rubbed his eyes and said to himself: "By
George! I have been asleep. What a remarkably vivid dream that was."

As he yawned and stretched his arms above his head, the impatient
rattle at the door told him that at least was not a part of the dream.

He arose and unlocked the door.

"Hello, Mr. Bullion," he said, as that solid man came in. "You're late,
aren't you."

"Why, for that matter, so are you. You must have been absorbed in your
accounts or you would have heard me sooner. I thought I would have to
shake the place down."

"Well, you know, the policeman sometimes tries the door and I thought
at first it was he. Won't you sit down?"

"Thanks! Don't care if I do. Busy tonight?"

"Just got through."

"Well, how are things going?"

"Oh, slowly as usual. Slowly because we have not facilities enough, but
we've got all the work we can do."

"Does it pay you for what work you do?"

"Certainly. I'm not in this business as a philanthropist, you know."

"No. I didn't suppose you were. Now, see here, Crandall, I think you
have a good thing of it here and one of the enterprises that if
extended would develop into a big business."

"I know it. But what am I to do? I've practically no capital to enlarge
the business, and I don't care to mortgage what I have and pay a high
rate of interest when, just at the critical moment, we might have a
commercial crisis and I would then lose everything."

"Quite right; quite right, and a safe principle. Well, t