This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

to be able to sell about five hundred dollars' worth of food a month—that's only about fifteen dollars a day. Then I have the fifty-cent memberships, and I can take subscriptions for magazines, and perhaps handle theater tickets for the city shows. It's a gold mine."

Bert's doubts had been swept away. There seemed to be so many different ways in which such a business could take in money!

"When are you going to start?" he asked.

"I don't know. I need about $800, and I don't care to put in more than $400 of my own money. I don't figure I can afford to risk more than $400. It will cost a lot for tables, and table cloths, and dishes and a few flowers every day. If I can find somebody with a little money to put into this'll sell him a one-third share and start business."

"That shouldn't be hard. You ought to be able to find a man who'll go into that."

"Man or boy," said Sam, "it's all the same if he has the money."

Bert, on the instant, saw a prize within his grasp. "I could put in $300," he said eagerly.

Sam hesitated. "I don't know whether that would be enough. I'd like to have you; in fact I had you in mind because I knew you had some money. I don't know about $300, though. You couldn't get any more, could you? Well, give me a day to figure it out. I'll let you know."

Bert came away that night doubly anxious to be