to have
done, to four hundred dollars, if he had had to live in a garret and
cook his own food, Jacob went back to his old boarding-house, and
paid four dollars a week. All his other expenses required at least
eight dollars more to meet them. He was perfectly aware that he was
living beyond his income--the exact excess he did not stop to
ascertain--but he expected an increase of salary before long, as a
matter of course, either in his present situation or in a new one. But
no increase took place for two years, and then he was between three
and four hundred dollars in debt to tailors, boot-makers, his
landlady, and to sundry friends, to whom he applied for small sums of
money in cases of emergency.

One day about this time, two men were conversing together quite
earnestly, as they walked leisurely along one of the principal streets
of the city where Jacob resided. One was past the prime of life, and
the other about twenty-two. They were father and son, and the subject
of conversation related to the wish of the latter to enter into
business. The father did not think the young man was possessed of
sufficient knowledge of business, or experience, and was, therefore,
desirous of associating some one with him who could make up these
deficiencies. If he could find just the person that pleased him, he
was ready to advance capital and credit to an amount somewhere within
the neighborhood of twenty thousand dollars. For some months he had
been thinking of Jacob, who was a first-rate salesman, had a good
address, and was believed by him to possess business habits eminently
conducive to success. The fact that he had once failed, was something
of a drawback in his mind, but he had asked Jacob the reason of his
ill-success, which was so plausibly explained, that he considered the
young man as simply unfortunate in not having capital, and nothing
else.

"I think Mr. Jones just the right man for you," the father said, as
they walked along.

"I don't know of any one with whom I had rather form a business
connection. He is a man of good address, business habits, and, as far
as I know, good principles."

"Suppose you mention the subject to him this afternoon."

This was agreed to. The two men then entered the shop of a fashionable
tailor, for the purpose of ordering some clothes. While there, a man,
having the appearance of a collector, came in, and drew the tailor
aside. Their conversation was brief but earnest, and concluded by