The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-05-16
CLEhR CASE OF LUCK.

A good many singular things hap
pened during the war, said John, as h,
lighted his after-dinner cigar, sbu
somehow | consider my own case abou
the funniest thing of all :
''Ahl !" said [. how is that?''
s;Did it never occur to you that it wa
little odd that in so short a time
should have got to be a partner in tin
firm, and a married man, and all tina
sort Of thing p
"Oh you specialized
9Not a bit of it or rather, [ did, and
I didn't; for you know that [ detes
speculation. I've even made old Mira
lille swear. off. =
so far it S very clear; but if you hav,
secured d French wife, and a rich one,
could understand a little plain English
Before ! went to the war, John Deve
lin and | had been fellow clerks in The
banking house of Mitraille & Co., in New
York A slight lameness prevent &c
John from going into the army: and al
utter absense of capital prevented hin
from proposing for the hand of the pref
ty lucille, though ! always believed tina
he had more to fear from the gruff ole
papa than from the young lady herself
Poor as he was, and on moderate sal
airy, when | returned at the end OF th,
war--a good deal lamer than John haC
been before it found my chllTn in the
ful enjoyment Of all he had Ionged for
and with a brown stone front 10 enjoy il
in. So when he volunteered something
which promised to explain the mystery,
my curiosity was Oh ire in a moment.
John was right good fellaw, and [ did
not envy hin a particle; but l must say
L was curious about 1T.
s'Well, said John, ''the way of it was
this: Have another cigar? You know
a good deal what | was after when you
went away and my chance of getting it
then was as far off as the presidency. 1t
was a clear case of luck, | tell you, and
very little more. Old Mitraille always
liked me pretty vel though | was hard
" the man he would have chosen for a
son-in-law; and | kept his private books,
YOU know. You know all about the I'M
bounded gold speculation in 1862 and Go;
well he somehow got into it, steady, old,
hardheaded banker that he is. Almost
everybody went In more or less.
The old map had rather missed it once
or twice, and got bid pretty hard, though
no one but myself knew anything about
it-so hard, in fact, that | was more than
a little alarmed for the result.
[ got 1t into my head about that time
that would like to run down TO Wash
ington and take look at the forts and
camps Somehow it always CALLED me a
good deal that | could not take my part
with the rest, and [ wanted to have q
look at the thing anyhow So | called at
the house to see Lucille, and got sho.!
Through. and | succeeded surprisingly
well. That is, | didn't see as much Of
lucille as [ wanted, but the old gentle
man gave me leave OF absence readily
and added:
Suppose something may happen
somewhat, while you are dare, eh? 1ot
send me telegram, quick 2?
''Ies, / replied, but you know the
War Department don't allow a fellow t.
send over the wires just what he want
to.
s'Oh, never mind dat" said Mitraille
ssiust you send something good Or bad
no matter just the words. | understand
mighty quick. hal ha! Never you min'
de War Department
And so. continued John, "Of
went without a very clear idea of wha
was expected or how | was to do it.
And now the rest Of it sounds tremen
dously ike a page from Munchausen
but its all a clear historical Fact. Nitrail
lie wrote a letter which got to Washington
about a. soon as | did urging me to keel
my ears and eyes open, and promiSin
that if | sent him anything OF import
ance he woald halves me- .sn he profits
[ saw by that how terribly nervous b
was getting, and concluded that affair
must be even worse with him than ! kne'
Of. Neyerth eless | began 80 get httl
excited myself, and though | had a sol
of horror Of speculation, especially go!
gambling, | commenced to look aroun
me pretty sharply for items. Anon
other adventures, | fell IN with San
Gorham, of Cincinnati, one of our COZ
respondents, and a nephew Of his,
queer, awkward spoon Of a fellow. an
we went around sightseeing IN company
Nothing would do for either uncle {
nephew but a continual succession
cocktails. ana | had to leave them
their rooms soon after dinner, somewh;
the worse for wear, while continued N
march for information nader difficultie
| didn find out anything in particul;
that night OF the next forenoon, but
saw the sights pretty etfectually a,
about noon went into my friends roo
to SUR them up. | found the nephe
lolinr disconsolately on a chair, and Il
uncle in bed wish u high fever, the n
tural result Of his tooljshness the day b
fore. The hopeful youth began the st
~ of his ordinations by stating that
expected his aunt there that day, but h
received a letter from her saying that s.
had been delayed and could not come
al once.