112 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



and so many bits of sheer good luck happened 

 to me that I came to think that I owned the mate 

 to that cherub. I may add here, however, that 

 some time later my cherub went out of business. 

 Happening in the office about noon one day, I 

 saw standing by the cashier's window, one John 

 Ross, a member of the Gold Exchange, to whom 

 on the previous day I had sold a hundred thou- 

 sand gold. The cashier was just pushing to- 

 ward Ross a pile of gold checks when I laid my 

 hand on them and pushed them back. Then 

 picking up a check which I saw was drawn by 

 John Ross and apparently certified by his bank, 

 for the value of the gold I had sold him, I re- 

 turned it to him, saying: 



"It is a rule of this office, Mr. Ross, not to de- 

 liver large amounts of gold over the counter. 

 We will send it for you to any house in the Street 

 with which we do business." 



"Isn't my check good?" he asked. 



"Check is all right, but some day one may 

 come in that isn't and then we'll be sorry we 

 didn't stick to our rules." 



