Herbert Carter's Legacy; Or, the Inventor's Son by Jr. Horatio Alger

  CHAPTER XXIII

  TEMPLE THE TEMPTER

  “This is my son, James, Mr. Temple,” said the squire, as the younggentleman came in to supper a little late.

  “Indeed! How old are you, James?”

  James took in at a glance the visitor’s appearance, which did not givethe impression of prosperity, and answered, with haughty condescension:“I am almost sixteen.”

  “I congratulate you, Mr. Leech,” said Temple. “I am not blessed with ason. I would gladly give twenty thousand dollars could I have a son ofyour boy’s age.”

  James pricked up his ears. Temple spoke as if he had the twenty thousanddollars to give. He must be a man of property and so entitled torespect.

  “What are you going to do with your boy?”

  “I have not decided. Perhaps he may go to college.”

  “I think I shall be a lawyer,” said James.

  “A good profession. Some of our New York lawyers make great incomes.”

  “Do you live in New York?” asked James.

  “Yes; that is my residence. You must establish yourself in the city whenyou are ready to practice.”

  “That is just what I want to do; I don’t want to bury myself in aone-horse country town like this.”

  “And be a one-horse lawyer,” suggested Temple, laughing. “Quite right,my young friend. In the city alone you will find a broad field ofaction.”

  “That’s just the way I think,” said James.

  “I needn’t say I would do all in my power to push you, and I flattermyself I have some influence.”

  “You are very kind, Mr. Temple,” said Mrs. Leech; “but I hoped thatJames could still continue to live with us.”

  “You can’t expect me to live at home all my life,” said James,impatiently.

  “Perhaps your husband may be persuaded himself to remove to the city,” said Temple. “I really think he stands in his own light in staying in asmall place like this.”

  “Just so,” said James, who would have liked nothing better than to livein New York. “There is no society here. I have no boys to associate within my own position. Why won’t you move to New York, father?”

  “That requires consideration,” said Squire Leech.

  “I should like to talk with you on that subject after supper,” saidTemple. “Mrs. Leech, may I ask for another cup of tea?”

  When supper was over Squire Leech led the way into the sitting room,and his guest followed. The vista of future wealth which his visitorhad opened to him had not been without its effect and he began to makeinquiries.

  “I suppose,” he said, “there are ways of investing money to goodadvantage in New York?”

  “Most certainly--many ways.”

  “Real estate?”

  “That may do, but it is too slow for me. I owned a house uptown. I soldfor thirty thousand dollars. In six weeks I made twenty thousand moreout of it.”

  “Is it possible?” ejaculated the squire. “Twenty thousand, did you say?”

  “To be sure. Of course that was extra good luck. You can’t expect to doas well often, but there are always ways of turning over capital.”

  “May I ask in what way you made this large sum?”

  “To be sure. I speculated in Erie. It is all the time fluctuating.I became convinced that it was on the rise. I went in and the eventjustified my action.”

  Temple spoke quietly, as if it were no great matter, after all. His hostwas very much impressed, and felt like a man who has discovered a goldmine. He had succeeded in saving up about two thousand dollars a yearfor some years; but what was that to twenty thousand dollars made in sixweeks? Still, prudence led him to suggest: “But isn’t there danger oflosing heavily?”

  “Not if you are acquainted with the stock market. It is the ignoramusesthat get bit.”

  “I know very little of the stock market myself,” confessed Squire Leech.“I own some bank stocks.”

  “No money to be made in bank stocks.”

  “They pay good dividends.”

  “No doubt; but there is little or no variation in value. It’sfluctuation that gives a man a chance.”

  “I should be as likely to lose as gain, knowing as little as I do of themarket.”

  “True; but I should be happy to place my knowledge at your disposal.As an old friend and schoolmate I naturally feel interested in yourprosperity.”

  “You are very kind,” said the squire; “but wouldn’t it be too muchtrouble?”

  “Not at all. In fact, it’s my business, and wouldn’t inconvenience mein the least. By the way, how is your property invested?” asked Temple,carelessly.

  “Mostly in real estate.”

  “It must pay you very little.”

  “That is true. After deducting taxes and repairs, there is very littleleft.”

  “So I supposed. It would pay you to mortgage your property, or sell it,and use the money in Wall Street.”

  “I have about twenty thousand dollars in bank stock.”

  “That could readily be sold.”

  “What investments would you suggest?”

  “I couldn’t tell you on the moment; but I think favorably of a miningstock lately put on the market. I have private advices that it is likelyto develop extraordinary richness and the stock may even treble in threemonths.”

  “Where is the mine?” asked the squire, eagerly.

  “Out in Nevada. A friend of mine has just returned from there and he hasgiven me strictly confidential information in regard to it. He has somuch faith in it that he has bought fifteen thousand dollars’ worth ofshares.”

  “Could I get any?” asked Squire Leech.

  “I think you could if you go to work quietly. If you went into themarket openly, they would suspect something and raise the price on you.”

  “Yes, I see. Do you think that is better than Erie?”

  “At present, nothing is to be made in Erie. It is likely to go downbefore it goes up. The time may come when you can buy to advantage butnot now.”

  “I have a great mind to go up to the city with you, and investigate thematter,” said the squire.

  “Do so, by all means. I shall be delighted, and will cheerfully renderyou all the assistance in my power. But, my friend, let me give you onepiece of advice.”

  “What is that?”

  “Say as little as possible to your wife on the subject. Women don’tunderstand business. They are frightened at risks and don’t understandspeculation.”

  “I think you are correct,” said his host. “Men must judge forthemselves. It is a weak man who would be guided by his wife.”

  “So I say. Why, my wife happened to learn that I had gone into Erie onthe occasion I mentioned. She remonstrated in great alarm; but when Iannounced that I had cleared twenty thousand dollars, she had no more tosay.”

  The next day they went to New York together and within a week the squirehad bought largely in the Nevada mine. He subscribed to a financialpaper, and was fully embarked on the dangerous sea of speculation.