ected by ninety-nine persons of a
hundred. Some say it is equally difficult to detect a half-and-half
mixture. Still Hill sells his brandy in bond. I repeat, Hiram Meeker
does _not_ furnish Hill the money. It is true, their intimacy still
continues. Further, Hill has good references--none other than H. Bennett
& Co. Strange as it may seem, H. Bennett himself has been known to put
his name on Hill's paper. Yet I am told he does not even know Hill by
sight! Hill is making money, though--is making it fast. Hiram is still
in the house of Hendly, Layton & Gibb, but this has not prevented him
from making, with permission of the firm, several ventures on his own
account. These ventures always turn out well. It was not long since he
shipped a schooner load of potatoes to New Orleans on information
derived from the master of a vessel which had made a remarkably rapid
passage, and who reported to him, and to him only. He more than doubled
his money on this venture.

In Dr. Chellis's church, Hiram has made respectable progress. He has
permitted himself to break over the strict rule first adopted as to his
social life. He goes a little into society--the very best society which
that congregation furnishes. Report says he is engaged to Miss Tenant.
She is the only child of Amos Tenant, of the firm of Allwise, Tenant &
Co. This firm is reputed to be worth over a million of dollars. Miss
Tenant--Miss Emma Tenant--is the young lady who, from the first, took
such an interest in Hiram at the Sunday school. She is an excellent
girl. She is very pretty, too, and, I am sorry to say, she seems to have
fallen in love--really and positively in love with Hiram. _He_, the
calculating wretch, has canvassed the whole matter, has made careful
investigations of the condition of the house of Allwise, Tenant & Co.,
and has satisfied himself that it is firm as a rock, and that Mr. Tenant
is no doubt worth the pretty sum of three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, or such a matter.

Emma is an only child!

Oh, Hiram, how dare you utter those vows of love and constancy and
everlasting regard and affection, coming, as you do, with your fingers
fresh from turning the leaves at the register's office, where,
forgetting your dinner, you have spent the entire afternoon in
satisfying yourself about the real estate held by 'Amos Tenant?' Had the
record under your precious investigation not been satisfactory, you
would not have spent five minutes thereafter in