"Hard to find. Not having been born with a silver spoon, full of Certina, in my mouth, I have to earn my own living. It isn't profitable to make a religion of one's profession, Mr. Surtaine. Not that I think you need the warning. But I've tried it, and I know."
"Do you know, it's rather a pity you don't like me," said Hal, with ruminative frankness. "I think I could use some of that religion of yours."
"Not on the market," returned Ellis shortly.
"You see," pursued the other, "it's really my own money I've put into this paper: half of all I've got."
"How much did you pay for it?" inquired Ellis: "since we're telling each other our real names."
"Two hundred and thirty thousand dollars."
"Whee-ee-ee-ew!" Both his auditors joined in the whistle.
"They asked two-fifty."
"Half of that would have bought," said Sterne.
Hal digested that information in silence for a minute. "I suppose I was easy. Hurry never yet made a good bargain. But, now that I've got this paper I'm going to run it myself."