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“What!”

“Forty per cent.”

“Forty per cent!” and Wolford’s eyes sparkled. “Are you sure?”

“Oh, yes. If I were allowed to buy them, as I am not, I would wish no better business.”

“You think it safe?”

“Nothing can be safer. If the judgment is not paid at the end of six months, you can go to work immediately, with an execution, on the property of the original debtor, or his security, as you may think best, and at once obtain your money.”

“Suppose neither of them have any property?”

“I take very good care not to accept bad security. Besides, you will find but few persons out of whom fifty dollars, or less, may not be obtained, under the pressure of an execution.”

“I like the idea amazingly,” said Wolford, thoughtfully. “Forty per cent. per annum! Capital! I will buy judgments.”

“I have two hundred dollars’ worth in my desk now, which I have directions to sell. Do you want them? They have six months to run. Twenty per cent. off will be just forty dollars–here they are.”

Wolford carefully examined the documents which the magistrate placed in his hands, and, after considering the subject for some time, said that he would buy them. His check for one hundred and sixty dollars was received by the magistrate, and the judgments became his property.

“It’s even better than forty per cent. per annum,” remarked the magistrate, as he folded up the check be had received.

“How so?”

“You make over fifty-five per cent.”

“Indeed!”

“Yes–look at it. You have just paid one hundred and sixty dollars for what will yield you two hundred and six dollars in six months,–for you must remember that you will get legal interest on the claim you have bought. Now this is a fraction over fifty-five per cent. per annum. What do you think of that for an investment?”

“Capital! But have you much of this kind of business?”

“Enough to, keep several thousand dollars constantly employed for you.”

“Good!”

With this brief ejaculation, that came from Wolford’s heart, he turned away and left the office.

On this operation, the magistrate made six per cent. The regular selling price of judgments was twenty-five per cent., with a commission of one per cent. for effecting the sale.

In a few months, Wolford had all his money invested in judgments. This business he continued for several years, meeting with but few losses. He could then write himself worth twenty-five thousand dollars, and began to find it necessary to seek for some heavier investments than buying judgments, even if they did not pay quite so well.

Loaning money on mortgages of real estate, at about ten per centum, he found a very safe business; with this he united the shaving of undoubted paper, at from one to two per cent. a month. Mr. Tompkins he had frequently shaved so closely as almost to make the blood come. This was previous to the loan before alluded to. Since that had been made, Mr. Tompkins rarely found it necessary to put good paper into Wolford’s hands for discount. This the miser considered a dead loss, and he therefore determined that the loan should be taken up, and made in some quarter not likely to affect the shaving operations.

The declaration of Mr. Tompkins, that he could easily get some one else to take the mortgage, was not too well relished by Wolford, If he were sure this could be done, he would be content to accept an increase of interest and continue the loan, for the security was of the very safest kind, and ample.

“I must think about this,” said he to himself, as he walked homeward, after parting with Tompkins. “I rarely make false moves, and should not like to do so in this case.”

CHAPTER II.

WHEN Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins met, at dinnertime, neither of them appeared in the most happy frame of mind. The lady looked especially disagreeable. The meal passed in silence, and was eaten with little appetite.

As soon as her husband had retired from the house, which he did very soon after he had left the table, Mrs. Tompkins’s manner changed.