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〃What can you be thinking of？ You do keep my hands full！
You have to be watched all the time； like a little child； to keep
you from walking into the fire。 You'll stay right where you are！〃
〃Why； Aleck； I could do it and not be found outI'm certain of it。〃
〃Sally Foster； don't you know you would have to inquire around？〃
〃Of course； but what of it？ Nobody would suspect who I was。〃
〃Oh； listen to the man！ Some day you've got to prove to the
executors that you never inquired。 What then？〃
He had forgotten that detail。 He didn't reply； there wasn't
anything to say。 Aleck added：
〃Now then； drop that notion out of your mind； and don't ever meddle
with it again。 Tilbury set that trap for you。 Don't you know it's
a trap？ He is on the watch； and fully expecting you to blunder
into it。 Well； he is going to be disappointedat least while I
am on deck。 Sally！〃
〃Well？〃
〃As long as you live； if it's a hundred years； don't you ever make
an inquiry。 Promise！〃
〃All right；〃 with a sigh and reluctantly。
Then Aleck softened and said：
〃Don't be impatient。 We are prospering； we can wait； there is
no hurry。 Our small dead…certain income increases all the time；
and as to futures； I have not made a mistake yetthey are piling
up by the thousands and tens of thousands。 There is not another
family in the state with such prospects as ours。 Already we are
beginning to roll in eventual wealth。 You know that； don't you？〃
〃Yes； Aleck； it's certainly so。〃
〃Then be grateful for what God is doing for us and stop worrying。
You do not believe we could have achieved these prodigious results
without His special help and guidance； do you？〃
Hesitatingly； 〃N…no； I suppose not。〃 Then； with feeling
and admiration； 〃And yet； when it comes to judiciousness
in watering a stock or putting up a hand to skin Wall Street
I don't give in that YOU need any outside amateur help； if I do wish I〃
〃Oh； DO shut up！ I know you do not mean any harm or any irreverence；
poor boy； but you can't seem to open your mouth without letting out
things to make a person shudder。 You keep me in constant dread。
For you and for all of us。 Once I had no fear of the thunder；
but now when I hear it I〃
Her voice broke； and she began to cry； and could not finish。
The sight of this smote Sally to the heart and he took her in his
arms and petted her and comforted her and promised better conduct；
and upbraided himself and remorsefully pleaded for forgiveness。
And he was in earnest； and sorry for what he had done and ready for any
sacrifice that could make up for it。
And so； in privacy； he thought long and deeply over the matter；
resolving to do what should seem best。 It was easy to PROMISE reform；
indeed he had already promised it。 But would that do any real good；
any permanent good？ No； it would be but temporaryhe knew
his weakness； and confessed it to himself with sorrowhe could
not keep the promise。 Something surer and better must be devised；
and he devised it。 At cost of precious money which he had long
been saving up； shilling by shilling； he put a lightning…rod on
the house。
At a subsequent time he relapsed。
What miracles habit can do！ and how quickly and how easily habits
are acquiredboth trifling habits and habits which profoundly change us。
If by accident we wake at two in the morning a couple of nights
in succession； we have need to be uneasy； for another repetition can
turn the accident into a habit； and a month's dallying with whiskey
but we all know these commonplace facts。
The castle…building habit； the day…dreaming habithow it grows！
what a luxury it becomes； how we fly to its enchantments at every
idle moment； how we revel in them； steep our souls in them；
intoxicate ourselves with their beguiling fantasiesoh yes；
and how soon and how easily our dram life and our material life
become so intermingled and so fused together that we can't quite
tell which is which； any more。
By and by Aleck subscribed to a Chicago daily and for the WALL
STREET POINTER。 With an eye single to finance she studied these
as diligently all the week as she studied her Bible Sundays。
Sally was lost in admiration； to note with what swift and sure strides
her genius and judgment developed and expanded in the forecasting and
handling of the securities of both the material and spiritual markets。
He was proud of her nerve and daring in exploiting worldly stocks；
and just as proud of her conservative caution in working her
spiritual deals。 He noted that she never lost her head in either case；
that with a splendid courage she often went short on worldly futures；
but heedfully drew the line thereshe was always long on the others。
Her policy was quite sane and simple； as she explained it to him：
what she put into earthly futures was for speculation； what she put
into spiritual futures was for investment； she was willing to go into
the one on a margin； and take chances； but in the case of the other；
〃margin her no margins〃she wanted to cash in a hundred cents per
dollar's worth； and have the stock transferred on the books。
It took but a very few months to educate Aleck's imagination
and Sally's。 Each day's training added something to the spread
and effectiveness of the two machines。 As a consequence； Aleck made
imaginary money much faster than at first she had dreamed of making it；
and Sally's competency in spending the overflow of it kept pace with
the strain put upon it； right along。 In the beginning； Aleck had
given the coal speculation a twelvemonth in which to materialize；
and had been loath to grant that this term might possibly be shortened
by nine months。 But that was the feeble work； the nursery work；
of a financial fancy that had had no teaching； no experience；
no practice。 These aids soon came； then that nine months vanished；
and the imaginary ten…thousand…dollar investment came marching
home with three hundred per cent。 profit on its back！
It was a great day for the pair of Fosters。 They were speechless
for joy。 Also speechless for another reason： after much watching
of the market； Aleck had lately； with fear and trembling； made her
first flyer on a 〃margin；〃 using the remaining twenty thousand of
the bequest in this risk。 In her mind's eye she had seen it climb；
point by pointalways with a chance that the market would break
until at last her anxieties were too great for further endurance
she being new to the margin business and unhardened； as yetand she
gave her imaginary broker an imaginary order by imaginary telegraph
to sell。 She said forty thousand dollars' profit was enough。
The sale was made on the very day that the coal venture had returned
with its rich freight。 As I have said； the couple were speechless。
they sat dazed and blissful that night； trying to realize that they were
actually worth a hundred thousand dollars in clean； imaginary cash。