The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-06-23

story u Of one Mr.. Blank, who ooon.
pied . confidential position In Q 9root
railway corporation. 1t We rumored
that the company was about 70 -.
sumo charge OF . anguishing railroad.
II %. the stock Of the latter would RE
In price.
Now one bold speculatOr, or ouera.
tor, - they are called In brokers' mar.
lance-was an intimate friend Of Mr..
Blank.
After long reflection be came TO the
conclusion that the best thing he could
do WAS TO call on Mr.. Blank, ask in
confidence for some definite infOrma-
ton on the subject. and ofYer To share
with Mr.. Blank the profits Of any ven
ture that he might make on points T"
given him. This he did.
"Mr. Blank, !" said he, "if I knew
that the transaction which Il il runlOr-
edits about to take place in few days
were really to occur, i cOuld, by buying
up the stock Of the company that n
now In the market, make both you and
myself rich men. Can you not, by q
word, say whether the rumor will be
realized or nct?"
IL can not say" Mr.. Blank replied.
But word" the broker protested !;
lit shall be share and share alike 2"
can not say" Mr.. Blank repeated
"a before.
You need not speak then" the
broker said, excitedly. Lin you
arm. nod your head, lift your eye
brOws."
~ can not" Mr. Blank replied, as
calmly as possible.
do you not understand your own
interests ?" the broker burst forth,
holly. Mr.. Blank, you are q poor
man. Now, il you will only heed
me, you may become rich man one
day. Are these reports true? II %,
eau clear three hundred thousand dol
lars mt q stroke! The half Of that sum
shall be yours. do not ask you for
q word you need not open your mouth.
Only wink your eye! 1t IL possible for
you to make one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, sir, by simply wink
ing your eye!"
How vast o sum to Mr.. Blank, who,
though entrusted with grave secrets,
was still only q clerk, receiving but .
moderate salary!
He was staggered for q moment,
but soon regained his compOslire; he
looked the eagerly expectant broker
In the face and answered:
II cannot do it," and left the room
instantly.
The broker went away crestfallen.
In the absence Of all definite infOfma.
ton he feared to take the great risks
which always attend specializing In
the dark, and did not invest any Of
his money. In few days, however,
the whole matter was settled. The
great company really did take In the
smaller, and the stock almost doubled
in value.
A few days after that, the broker
met Mr.. Blank on the street, and
smarting keenly under the feeling that
an enormous gain had slipped through
his fingers, just for the want Of word
he rashly upraided Mr.. Blank for his
''obstinacy." Mr.. Blank, like all men
of true power, kept his temper and
turning to his rash reviler, he said:
1.-The temptation with which you
assailed me was great indeed but l
had trust to fulfill, and my honor Is
beyond price"
Although every one should do his
duty for his duty's swn sake, still 1t Is
always o pleasure to see great deeds Of
honor meet with deserved reward. 1t
was 30, am glad to say, in Mr. Blanks
case. His capabilities and his perfect
reliability soon secured one the very
highest positions in the company
whose secrets he had guarded SO well,
and he Is now paid salary mt least
half as large as that which the Presi-
dent of the United States receives.
An unfortunate wife at Cape Girar-
deau, Mo-, recently hunted up her
husband. whom she found in q bar.
room enjoying the society of his crO-
MES. She carried with her covered
dish, which she placed upon the table
before them, with this short speech
"Presuming, husband, that you are
too busy to come home to dinner, l
have brought you yours" After she
had departed he invited his friends to
join him, and uncovered his dinner
with u forced laugh. He found only q
slip of paper, on which was written
az hope you will enjoy your meal: 1t
is the same your family have at home"
II such temperance speech as that
would not convert a man, his case
may be regarded Us hopeless.
PROFESSOR RILEY, Of the United
States chronological Commission,
says the locusts now appearing in the
West and South are of two distinct
breeds; that one Ii the thirteen-year
and the other il the seventeen-year To-
Gust, and this is the first time they
have appeared In the same year since
1860 Professor Riley says these To-
Gusts cannot do any damage except to
young fruit-tree, in the limbs of which
they deposit eggs, He says the notion
that these locusts sting human beings
is fallacy; that species Of digger
wasp feeds on these young lOcusts,
and people have been stung by these
wasps. from which belief has sprung
that lOcusts sting. Professor Riley
says the locusts will suddenly disap-
pear before long.