The provided text is an excerpt from Frederick Van Rensselaer Dey's "The Magic Story." The story follows the narrator's encounter with a man named Sturtevant, who claims to have discovered a secret to success through a mysterious story. This "magic story," which Sturtevant shares with others, supposedly transforms their lives and brings them prosperity. The narrator, initially skeptical, becomes increasingly intrigued by the story's alleged power and ultimately decides to seek it out for himself. The excerpt concludes with the story itself, a philosophical treatise on the duality of human nature, which promotes the idea of a "plus-entity" within each person that holds the key to achieving success and overcoming life's challenges.