The National tribune., 1883-03-08
4 FOOL FOR LUCK.
HOw a Reputation for Wealth Led to
Wealth Itself.

l.
We wcre thrse friends, met together TO be-
wall the ricogssf fortune. oar lamentations
however. todkE3he turn they usually take
among conpa,if0ls whose age does noE exceed
twenty years each.
Aud !" sad Albert, have finished work
which would do credit to my reputation. could
] only find publisher willing 10 undertake the
expenses OF printing.
Il asked our priucipli." added he, "to in
crease my salary, after four years oI as5'"u-
Gus service: ard hc answered thar OF Sich
CLERKS as | he could tind as many Us ne WlSAed
Tor $500 year
NV dear fellows" interrupted George, " al
though W. ave neither III" one nor the other
any hope of mrl,ing fortune c"u!d we not
get thc cT,d.t OF being rich:
60 wtat 2aad?" asked l.
g" Il gives one pa-i,ou in the world; large
inheritanee au[mcnt3 the h'.a'r'tioh u,
which we are hell-cvcrythlng becomes easy
Il remember" was mr answer, having
heard i'm NV chi!ih8 ola cousin "ho went TO
China and neEer rc!uracd.
"That is just what wc want; we WI hr.h%
this cousin to life. or rather We VIII XII hlm
Yes: Louis Mcran died in China, leaving a
fortune valued ut S2.000eio. all 10 ms dear
cousin. Louis Meraa, from attachment to the
name"
We lauehea heartily at the joke, of which l
thought 10 more: hut mv two reckless friends,
George and Albert. spread about the tale when
we broke up with all the s'iiou''eS' i"las'"-
able
The next day people came to compliment
me.
1t viii. Of course, be understood that dis
avoYed all this bat 10 one would believe me
my two fr.c0Gs had affirmed the truth OF the
report
In vain did l assert that it was all joke.
Many remembered my cousin; some had actu-
ally seen him embark. Among the number OF
these visits was one not the most agreeable
With The whim of yoJng man had some
time previously ordered "A new trock coat IN
the new fashion, without having the means OF
payment; the garment was worn out, and yet
owed half the bill
There had been for some time n coplneSS he
tween my creditor and myself, whose impOrtu-
mites | wished to avoid. The rumor of the
legacy made him hasten 10 find me. Such was
the penalty paid for the foolish pleasantly OF
my friends.
Good day, Mr. SHIPS" said I, with some
embarrassment. rs he entered. on are come
for that ten dollars"
"Plcasc do not imagine that | am thinking
of such trire. No, it was for the mourning
"What mournng?'
"The moa,niag FOR your cousin. sir. With
out doubt you want complete suit
AT this time, Mr. Snip5, it would be ilnpos-
sible"
'I hope you do not think of withdrawing
your favoTs from NE. Goat, vest and panta-
looms black -
81 tell you again, have not received"
90 entrvat you not TO speak Of money. 1t
win come soon enough" added the tailor, hay
ing already taken out his scissors and passed
his measure around me.
was, in truth, i'll great want OF clothes. aud
bermittcd him 20 continue. No sooner was he
: one than another individual entered, who
gan:
Ny dear sir, you must do me a favor. Buy
house. You are rich, very Tch-you want
K estate. Fifty thousand dollars are nothing
fol you-only tae half of your income, and at
present | am ia urgent need OF money. | ex-
pected Hardy TO bay It; but he does not decide,
End l have solae pressing engagements to
settle"
81 buy your house? What folly"
Z" 1t is no folly. 1t is safe Investment.
After some repairs Ia two years If viii be worth
double ] have yoIr word and he left with
ont giving mc lime TO reply.
So well did he propagate a report ofmy pur-
chase that IN TWO hours afterwald Mr. Hardy
came 10 me III a great hurry, apparently oqt of
humor.
"You have cut the grass from under my feet.
sir," said he, on entering; Il cannot do with
out that hoHsn. and thought ii was already
mine. aS ] had made ali offer Of ! 5000, be-
Ecving that the owner would surely come TO
my terms. Bat there is no hope Of starving
YOU into an agreement; So without further
preamBit. ! come 10 oIcE you al ADVANCE OF
$4,000 upon yaur bargain"
Fifteen thousand dollars coming-l knew
not how-to me- who had so nuch trouble in
earning my eight hundred dollars of salary
clerk Although bu5 i.t!e acquainted with
business | saw the advantage TO be derived
from my position and replied:
N 1t is impossible, sir, for me TO give you an
answer at this moment; return a. five o'clock;
meantime l viii consider the matter"
At quart r before the appointed hour Nj
Hardy was ag IL at my door.
Sir, said /. '' hli no wish for that house
and did not even think about il. when the pro-
prietor came 20 beg me t. purchase it; and it
appears that the housa Is nine As it suits
YOU and any % her viii DO as wel for me.
accept your OFF,
''You shall b, raid in 4 fortnight, " exclaimed
the purchaser, delighted by my promptituG; IN
business
was so pleased wrotc to Messrs. Hughes
and BergcTct !isat, haviu" certain funds 10 in
vest, / begged their advice As to Ia" 81 est
mode. 1t appeared that the words certain
funds" have very different actcptations in
commerce. according 30 the name and position
OF him who uses them. News Of NV inherit
anee had reached hem. Certain funds situated
as ] was modest way yf sDaeifyin. p con-
siderable sUm-at Las, ] supposed 50 on re
ceiving in answer from the firm tllat my letter
had been received just before the eos. OF the
Pacific Railroad loan, IN which they had pur-
chased TO the amount Of 100000: that il |
thought II to1 much. a large profit might be
easily realized, as the S'9cl, had zone up A
postscript in tie hard of the principal con-
graduated M on tae accession of fortune
Four haDarpi thaasanl dollars The letter
fell from -ir hands; the amount frightened
me. l wrote Instantly, Informing them that
SO large a su:a wcnt beyond my means adding
that no rcm.t.ag e Saving been received from
China, as thy supposed, WAS unable to satisfy
their claims
The answer casnc ia day or So stating that,
as ] did no. appear 30 have confidence in the
Pacific Railroad. they lad sold ogt half my
stock at a profit of .S2Gc3 and begged rae not
10 feel uneasy, a' -cmitt2ncc5 always came s.oy
from China: ia the interim mv signature would
furnish me Ell the money ] csuiI want. The
prospectus Gf bank was .ucoscd, in which
shares had been cared .Ys lLe.
Eighty ihoa rand da.iar Either ! under
stood nothing OF commercial matters or the
clerk had made oHc or n-or: :..I.tts 100 many
Ny G!tuat-aa became embarrassing: caugratu.
'ati3us overwhelmed Ee. ] gas bestyacd with
annoying questions. How wauld 1 finish my
house, what would I do for public establish.
m.nt5: Some benevolent lad Jos U-rg.c 10 rec.
Cmaerd to mT uDt.ca The benevolent iu-,itu.
fi0i-s under thy.. ggI-r,iilGsniu. I wualG have
been ruiHri m postage. but for the lucky stroke
with Fir. LaftE. which ] did not receive Tor =
fortnight a..,T. "nti! Wlicl. time ind scd. ha.
10 money. Fortunately, tg1la the moment
WAS he'd - d. riel. lao Ole would take a cen
from iLe. :aG tIsIpsuru rl-I.-rI It!. honor. a