The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-04-09
HlisteIIaneuus Selections.
A CLEAR CASE OF LUCK.

"a good many singular things hap
pened during the War" said John, as
he lighted his after dinner cigar, "but
somehow 1 consider my own case about
the funniest of all.
"Ah! !" said !, chow was that9"
'Did it never occur to you that it was
little odd that in so short a time l
should have got to be partner in the
firm and a married man, and all that
sort of thingT
"0hl you speculated =
''Not bit of it; or rather / did and
1 didn't for you know that 1 detest
speculation. I've even made old Mi
traille swear off
$50 far it is very clear; but if 1 know
how you secured a French wife, and a
rich one, could understand little plain
English"
Before l went to the war John Devel-
in and were fellow clerks in the bank
ing house of Mitraille & Co., New
York. A slight lameness prevented
John Develin going into the army; and
an utter absence of capital prevented
him from proposing for the hand of the
pretty Lucille, though I always believe
| he had more to fear from the gruff old
papa than from the lady herself
Poor as lie was, and on a moderate
salary, when l returned at the end of
the war-a good deal lamer than John
had been before tt found nv chum
in the full enjoyment of all he had long
ed for, and with a brown stone front to
enjoy it in. So when he volunteered
something which promised to explain
the mystery, my curiosity was set on
fire in moment. John was a right
good fellow and 1 did not envy him a
praticle; but I must say l was curious
about it.
'Well," said John, '4he way of it
was this. Have another cigar9 You
know good deal what was after when
you went away; and my chance of get
ting it then seemed about as far 6ff as
the Presidency. 1t was clear case of
luck, ] tell you, and a little more. Old
Mitraille had always liked me pretty
well, though I was hardly the man he
would have chosen for son-in-law, and
l kept his private books, you know
You know all about the unknown gold
speculation in 1852 and 1868; well be
somehow got into it, steady old hard
headed banker as he is. Almost every
body went in more or less.
"The old man had rather missed it
once or twice, and got hit pretty hard,
though no one but myself knew any
thing about it-so hard, in fact, that l
was little alarmed for the result
I got it into my head about that time
that would ike to run down to Wash
ington and take look at the forts and
camps. Somehow it always CALLED me
a good deal that l could not take my
part with the rest and 1 wanted to have
a look at the things anyhow. So call
ed at the house to see Lucille, and get
q short furlOagh.- and L succeeded we'll
That is, I did not see as much of Lu-
cille as 1 wanted, but the old gentle
man gave me leave of absence readily,
and added:
Suppose something may happen
while you are dare, ehi You send me
telegram, quick
eyes," l replied, "but you know the
War Department don't allow a fellow
to send over the wires just what be
wants to.
"oh, never mind all dat said Mi
traille, just you send something; good
OF bad, no matter just the words, l
understand mighty quick, ba hal
Never you mind the War Department
"And so" continued John, @off 1
went without very clear idea of what
was expected, or how l was to do it
"Aud now the rest of it sounds tre-
mendiously like a page from Munchau-
sen, but it is all clear historical fact.
wrote letter which got to
about as soon as did,
urging me to keep my ears aud eyes
open, and promising if sent him any
hing of importance he would halve
With me on the profits. saw by that
how terribly nervous he was getting,
and concluded that affairs must be even
worse with him than l knew Of. Never
.heless, 1 began to be triae excited, |
MYSELF and thought 1 had sort Of
horror of speculation, especially gold /
rambling, 1 commenced to look around
ne pretty sharply for items. Among
jther adventures l fell in with old
Sam Gorham, Of Cincinnati, one Of our
correspondents, and nephew Of his,
! queer spoon of a fellow, and we went
round sightseeing together.
"NothiDg would do for either uncle
,r nephew but continued succession
# cocktails, and 1 had to leave them in
heir room soon after dinner, somewhat /
he worse for wear while l continued
ny search for information, under diff
iculties.
II didr't find out anything in par
ocular all that night or the next fore
loon, but 1 raw the sights pretty effect
lally, and about noon | went into my
riends' room to wake them up. found
he nephew lolling diseonsolately in a
hair, and the uncle in bed with high h
ever, the natural result of his foolish
less the day before. The hopeful youth
,egan the story of his tribnlatioD, by j
tating that he had expected bis aunt
here that day, but had received a letter t
rom her saying that she had been de- S
aged and could not come at once. /
sked him what the doctor had said Z
bout his uncle. II
"0b, the cid mans right sick, and t
reckon I'd better telegraph to Aunt |
ally to come on right of.
"On the plea of splitting headache a
Q begged me to send his message, and 7
thought l would send one at the same t
me to Mitraille d Co. Well, his tele- Il
ram, save the direction, read: Don't t
ait for anything. Uncle Sam very t
Ok, indeed .gt t