Big Poker Site hazard of new fortunes 78

all his personal rights by the state. He read the introduction to me last night. I didnt catch on to all the points--his daughters an awfully pretty girl, and I was carrying that fact in my mind all the time, too, you know--but thats about the gist of it." "Seems to regard it as a lost opportunity?" said March. "Exactly! What a mighty catchy title, Neigh? Look well on the title-page." "Well written?" "I reckon so; I dont know. The Colonel read it mighty eloquently." "It mightnt be such bad business," said March, in a muse. "Could you get me a sight of it without committing yourself?" "If the Colonel hasnt sent it off to another publisher this morning. He just got it back with thanks yesterday. He likes to keep it travelling." "Well, try it. Ive a notion it might be a curious thing." "Look here, March," said Fulkerson, with the effect of taking a fresh hold; "I wish you could let me have one of those New York things of yours for the first number. After all, thats going to be the great card." "I couldnt, Fulkerson; I couldnt, really. I want to philosophize the material, and Im too new to it all yet. I dont want to do merely superficial sketches." "Of course! Of course! I understand that. Well, I dont want to hurry you. Seen that old fellow of yours yet? I think we ought to have that translation in the first number; dont you? We want to give em a notion of what were going to do in that line." "Yes," said March; "and I was going out to look up Lindau this morning. Ive inquired at Maronis, and he hasnt been there for several days. Ive some idea perhaps hes sick. But they gave me his address, and Im going to see." "Well, thats right. We want the first number to be the keynote in every way." March shook his head. "You cant make it so. The first number is bound to be a failure always, as far as the representative character goes. Its invariably the case. Look at the first numbers of all the things youve seen started. Theyre experimental, almost amateurish, and necessarily so, not only because the men that are making them up are comparatively inexperienced like ourselves, but because the material sent them to deal with is more or less consciously tentative. People send their adventurous things to a new periodical because the whole thing is an adventure. Ive noticed that quality in all the volunteer contributions; its in the articles that have been done to order even. No; Ive about made up my mind that if we can get one good striking paper into the first number that will take peoples minds off the others, we shall be doing all we can possible hope for. I should like," March added, less seriously, "to make up three numbers ahead, and publish the third one first." Fulkerson dropped forward and struck his fist on the desk. "Its a first-rate idea. Why not do it?" March laughed. "Fulkerson, I dont believe theres any quackish thing you wouldnt do in this cause. From time to time Im thoroughly ashamed of being connected with such a charlatan." Fulkerson struck his hat sharply backward. "Ah, dad burn it! To give that thing the right kind of start Id walk up and down Broadway between two boards, with the title-page of Every Other Week facsimiled on one and my name and address on the--" He jumped to his feet and shouted, "March, Ill do it!" "What?" "Ill hire a lot of fellows to make mud-turtles of themselves, and Ill have a lot of big facsimiles of the title-page, and Ill paint the town red!" March looked aghast at him. "Oh, come, now, Fulkerson!" "I mean it. I was in London when a new man had taken hold of the old Cornhill, and they were trying to boom it, and they had a procession of these mudturtles that reached from Charing Cross to Temple Bar. Cornhill Magazine. Sixpence. Not a dull page in it. I said to myself then that it was the livest thing I ever saw. I respected the man that did that thing from the bottom of my heart. I wonder I ever forgot it. But it shows what a shaky thing the human mind is at its best." "You infamous mountebank!", said March, with great amusement at Fulkersons access; "you call that congeries of advertising instinct of yours the human mind at its best? Come, dont be so diffident, Fulkerson. Well, Im off

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