The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-11

nifty. and with them went two hundred
thousand dollars of the peoples money;
| besides some fruitful gleanipgs from
other fields, wherein the worthy Presi,
dent had had the range.
OF oil the victims, Ralph Somers was
the heaviest loser, pecuniarily and other
wise, for his faith in human integrity
was gone forever. After the audacious
piece of villainy had transpired, and its
disastrous results become known, Ralph
called on his friend Arnold, from whom
ho had borrowed money to keep his pa
per afoat, while Weldon's grand project
was making such heavy drains on his
purse. Very gloomy was tho face that
looked into Arnold's counting room, that
October morning, two days after the ele-
CANT sign of the unfortunate Grading and
Fcrtilizng Company was taken down
and consigned to obscurity.
Good morning, Ralph. Walk in. L
am glad to see you," was the cheerful
greeting of Arnold.
81 can hardly say the same" replied
the other, bitterly; "for I can make no
provision for the five thousand dollars
that l was to repay to you to-dny!"
"Well, will have to get on without
it" was the philosophical answer. "For-
tunatcly, am not pressed for money, at
present. But, tell me about that unfor-
tunate speculation. Things are not SO
bad, L hope, as rumor has them"
''They couldn't we'll be worse. I SEQ
nothing but ruin before me. unless I Gun
avert it by some more fortunate transac-
ton"
"What do you mean, Ralph?" asked
his friend, in alarm. ''Have you not had
enough Of speculation?"
emo" answered Ralph, sharply. "rhat
cursed affair has taught me how those
things are done, and would be worse
than fool. not to profit by tho lesson.
just be patient with me, Will, and you
shall have every cent of your money
back"
81 am not uneasy about my money,
but am about my friend. For Gods
sake, Ralph, give over speculation. Pa
tient industry will retrieve your losses
and lead to final success. Let these sud
den fortunes alone; they are almost in
variably sham ones, with no stability,
and liable Mt any time to a destructive
crash. Write Oh your banner Fes.ina
lente, and throw it to the breeze, from
the loftiest point of your establishment.
Work up to it, and my word for your
success
"No musty Latin, or slow advances for
me, replied Ralph, impatiently; ''hav-
ing seen how money may be lost, am
now determined to try how it may be
won."
And so the friends parted. Ralph en-
tered recklessly into his new career, and
by successful outside operations was soon
enabled to right his disordered finances.
But old established houses began to
grow somewhat shy of him, and demand
ed cash, where they had formerly given
one, three or six months time, as best
suited their customer. This iacensed
him, and his business relations became
unpleasant. Moreover, his uniform sue
cess in his smaller speculations led him
to neglect his legitimate affairs. and look
to these outside transactions for more
generous income. AS he had said, he
had learned how those things were DONE
and with all his requirements, he had
learned something of the .Jinesse and dis
honesty of the modus operdadi, which ho
did not hesitate to practice. The con-
sequence was, he made himself obnox-
ious. not only to his friends, but to the
better class of citizens generally; there
fore, he determined to wind up his CON-
mercial relations and remove to distant
city.
Here, he made quite a name by his
successful operations. He grew rich, rs
if by magic, boughta magnificent house.
and lived in great style. If this had sa-
tisied him, all might have been we'll; but
he pushed his good fortune to the extre-
nifty. and she went over to the other
side.
He took up the desperate hazard of
resurrecting defunct organization, and
putting n little galvanized life into its
broken down stocks. But here he had
to deal with men fully rs sharp as him
self; and in the course of putting the
concern on its legs again, he was de-
tected in some nefarious proceedings
that led to his arrest for swindling. He
was tried, convicted and sentenced to
two years hard labor in the peniten-
tiary.
This calamity fell with crushing force
on his loving and bigh-minded wife.
She never held up her head again, but
gradually faded out of the life that had
once been SO bright and full of promise
to her. The warder Mt the prison used
to bow instinctlvely with deeper reve-
renee to the white faced woman, who
crept in every day, and asked permission
to speak to No. 1922. It was long before
cla rop1I oolr - xp;{bout III