CRAVING FOR PROPRIETORSHIP 



the sloping roof. There was a cry of horror, but he 

 struck the coping all right ; smashed his instrument, 

 and eventually went to sleep. Prospects for the " Lime- 

 light Advertiser " went out to sixty-six to ons offered. 

 I was always on the look-out for something new, and 

 took it into my noddle one day to start a weekly paper 

 of my own, which should astonish the city. It did. 

 I may mention that it was to replace another venture 

 — enormous hand-painted advertisements on special 

 hoardings I had. On a certain holiday a pal and 

 myself drank rum at a pub all the afternoon, while 

 watching a terrible gale demolish the entire structure. 

 No one was working, but I knocked up the foreman of 

 a timber-yard hard by and we attempted to shore up 

 the big spread of painted frames. It was no good, and 

 I saw my little investment smashed up. However, 

 the rum made me think that it didn't matter a damn 

 and I'd think of something else the next day. It 

 wasn't worth while putting up the hoarding again, as 

 the novelty had gone off. I thought of all sorts of 

 things, but at last, when taking a deep quencher, 

 decided it should be a newspaper — of my very owti. 

 The funny part of it all was that I could have found 

 a bit of capital. But not a bit of it. I was going on 

 my own absolutely — it was to be " \\'illie's," that little 

 bundle of boodle, when made. I sat up of nights think- 

 ing it out, and swaggered in the bars telling the boys 

 I was going to give them " something they could 

 read." They were all looking forward to it — so they 

 ! said, but a few old stagers grinned. I thought them 

 awful swine for doing so, and when they saw I resented, 

 I they mollified me, but put my back up again by trying 

 ! to dissuade me from the scheme. I had made a bit 

 I of success with one or two ventures, but I did myself 

 1 well, and was living on an overdraft which one kindly 

 D 49 



