“I am pleased to meet you,” said Simple.  “And so am I,” said the shark.  “As a matter of fact, I only approach the better part of any community,” he continued, pulling in on the line.  “To tell you the truth, Mr. C. Quick said you were the only man in the town who had both foundation and substantial structure from your roots up,” and he laughed a broad sort of “horse-laugh,” and slapped Simon on the shoulder.

“You see, with a proposition such as I have there is little use going to any but men of the greatest intelligence—­those are the ones who understand the magnitude and the security and the ultimate paying certainties of the proposition which I have to offer you.  You may consider yourself fortunate.  It is not everyone who has the opportunity to get in on the ground floor, as it were, on a sure thing money-accumulating business.  By the way, where is your office?”

Simon led the shark to his private dug-out on Brink Street, and showed him into one of his cane-bottomed thrones, while he himself sat on the yet unlaundered bed.

“Of course you understand all about joint stock companies, trust fund companies, municipal bonds and debentures,” said the magnate, unrolling a bundle of unintelligible papyrus showing assets which did not exist, and spreading them out on the bed in front of his victim.  The whole system had been premeditated and had been systematically worked out.  “Now,” said the shark, pointing at long and encouraging figures, “those are assets and these are our liabilities; and besides we have a million dollar Government endorsement.  Now, the fact of the matter is this.  You have a few dollars.  I have a few dollars; Tom, Dick and Harry have a few dollars, and so have Jessie and Josie.  Now, those little private funds which we all cherish and fondle, and hug to our bosoms, and jingle in our pockets, are of no use to us.  They are dead.  Of course they are earning three per cent, at the B.N.A. or the Northern Crown—­what bank do you deposit with?—­of course, it does not matter; there is no competition among them; they pay you three per cent. and charge you ten per cent.  Now, we are very much different.  We give you all your money will make—­if it is ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, or one hundred per cent.  See?

“Now, the fact of the matter is this:  as I said before, those small individual fortunes are of no use to us individually; they have no earning power; they will not buy anything.  But, put them all together—­ah! the result is magical.  You see, it is the aggregate that counts.  Now with this theory in view, our company gets to work and canvasses the country and it gathers together thousands of little, useless, insignificant, unproductive funds like yours and mine and joins them together into one vast, giant aggregate which we call a trust fund.  I see it is appealing to you.  It could not be otherwise.  Now, with this aggregate, you, and I, and everyone can own vast estates, buy forty-year debentures, lend money on approved security, buy real estate, the unearned increment of which will net in some cases two or three hundred per cent. interest, besides an increased valuation on the original sum invested.”