Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-11-10

I'll bet You FIVE dollars L Can" said
spriggins:
said I, emphasizing the lest WORD decided
~.
The moral and cons cientious Iead, mu
not be shocked at what he may consider
our gam bling proclivities. Like the little
boy who vas caught at school bending and
twisting pin in ''pC siton for a school
M ate to lit upoD," We didn't mean no
harm By it," The phra4e. ''IIl bet you
five dollars" was simply cliDcher of eli
max us ID by Spriggins and my self when
we had exhausted every argument, and ach
had failed TO conviDc the other he was
wron And, since neither OF us. except
in rare Instances, ever Acknowledged our
selves in the wrong wo hAd 10 bet five
dollars frequently.
But we never expected to fork over"
when we lost. Indeed, we ever demand
ed payment when the ONT in dispute was
settled, but contented ourselves in saying,
Il told you so"
The point in dispute in the present in
stance arose about an item that appeared
in tho telegrapbic columns Of the ID oruipg
paper. The iem read as follow
''Jokn Jont S, a convict il the IA
States prison has fallen heir to $50, 600
Efforts are being made to secure Ills par
don."
There, said /, YOU see the power of
money. That man was just as limo cent,
just as guilty, before he was worth fifty
thousand dollars as he was aftt rwards, but
behold what change. Wealth brings
him friends, who make er1rs to secure
his pardon Had he remained poor, bis
friends would have permitted bin to rot
in prison without raising a little finger to
secure his pardon. This world is hum
bug, Mr.. SpriegiDs. a regular cheat; in the
| language OF poem read III boy hood, it's
all hollow, hollow, hollow T.
LAS I concluded this spiteful little
speech Mr.. S:,riggins straig btened himself
up in the peculiar Way he had when pre-
pairing himself for combat, and [ knew
we would havea fight, our tongues being
the weapons. Without giving the argu-
ment pro and con, it will suffice to say that
the discussion Was brought to an end by
Mr.. Spriggips proposing an experiment.
He was, be it understood, O man of means;
| a business man of good business standing,
but somewhat eccentric; and the PROPOSE
tiOn he made was to go around smong his
friends and tell them that he was dead
| broke"
IT." said he 81 do this. and they freely
advance money to start me in bu.iness, |
win. I have no doubt that can borrow al
the money that want with nothing buI
my fl ee for eecur BY"
| Then, as stated at the outset, we bet five
dollars each on The result; and I awaited
with eagerneSs the result Of the practical
! test.
| I, however, ventul ed TO intimate thai if
| he carried out iLe experiment, be might
weaken peoples confidence in his truthful
NESS but this only made him think fear
ed the result, and made him more deter
mined than ever. So the experiment vas
tried.
He went TO Mr.. Smith. one Of his NEST
intimate friends, and said:
'Smith, I'm bankrupt
Indeed ! circulated Mr. S., greatly as
tonished; and pray how has it &C me about?'
IL stammered Mr.. Spriggiu-, hes
itatingly, for story telling, CT, in ,'lain
English, lying, was a new sin with m, Il
went security for a friend, and had to pay
every dollar Of it..
loo bad, indeed = was Mr.. Smiths
sympathizing response.
If can only borrow few thousands,
however, to get started in business. think
l can get along very WE'LL
Ear Smith thought there would be no
difficulty in getting the money. He would
be very glad to advance it, himself, but he
was almost strapped just at that time. Mr..
| Spriggins knew that this was not the case,
and his opinion of Mr.. Smiths undyiug
friendship, underwent a rapid and radical
change.
He saw all of his many friends, and re-
newed his request to each in turn, but they
all happened to be short just at that time.
| After q few days of unsuccessful attempts
to borrow money, he humbly confessed he
had lost his bet fairly. and that his face
was not coed security among his friends.
Il told you so,' said I.
But an unlocked for trouble came upon
him. He was engaged to a very accom-
plished lady. His trust in her was un
bounded. He had often told me that, if
ever there was a good, true woman on
earth. it was his intended
But her fA!her, hearing OF the bankrupt
| cy of the son in-law that was to be, accOst-
ed him, saying:
81 understand, Mr.. Spriggins, that you
have met with a reverse of fortune"
''Yes, sir" replied Sp,iggins, sheepish-
"Of course, under your altered circum-
stances, You cannot expect to marry my
daughter ?"
| Here WIS new turn in affairs for which
| MIR. s. was not prepared. He thought at
| Fl rst of correcting the falsehood which he
himself had started but the idea suddenly
flashed upon his mind that there was
good opportunity for testing the sterling
qualities of his sweetheart. i his would be
a triumph which wou.i more than COM
pensate for his defeats in other directions.
So he replied
"Of course, sir, have better opinion
of your daughter than that she promised
to be my wife for the sake Of sharing my
money. Marriage for money and Mr..
Spriggins was becoming very indignant;
marriage for money. sir, is prostitution
and nothing else. let the world call it
whatever it may"
''Of course. Mr.. Spriggins my daughter
thought something OF you, but you know
man without means would be foolish to
think of marrying"
81 have strong hands, and may say,
brave heart, aud though deprived of for
tune, can earn enough to support myself
and another"
1T is useless to proloDg this controver-
sy, Mr.. Spriggins. said the old man. Gas
man of honor, you will certainly offer to
release my daughter from her engagement.
OF course, if she does not accept your:of-
fer of freedom IS the best thing under the
circumstances. shall have nothing more
to say. Good day, Mr.. Spriggine; am in
| somewhat of hurry"