The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-11-12
WALTERS SPECULATION.

walter, wouldn't do it. It's business
that we amt fit for. We are doing very
well now; at any rate we are walking with
our eyes open and managing our own affairs.
Think how we hsYe worked and contrived,
and almost stinted ourselves to get that
thousand dollars into the bank. And what
have We done it for? Don't you still desire
to own the Cranson meadow, and don't you
mean to build the new barn? Oh, Walter
If you will listen to me will tell Mr.. Plaus-
ible Sparkler to take care of his own business
and let you take care of yours. Let us own
the beautiful meadow as we have so long
talked of, and let Us have barn room enough
for the cattle we can keep VIXEN the meadow
is ours. o, think, my dear husband, well
have one of the best and one of the hand
somest farms in the whole region
"Yes, know, Jennie: but you don't ex-
actly understand. You don't take into ac-
count what is sure to come back to us.
Think Of the thousands we'll have where
now we've got little or nothing. Why, bless
youi look at it Mr.. Sparkler has made me
a grand offer. He lets me have the stock for
$3.50 and the par value is $50. Why, I'd be
. fool not to take it. He wouldn't do that
to msny-now, you betT''
walter, are you entirely carried away by
that mans wonderful talk? Now, you will
lust listen to me for few moments In the
hrst place. you know very we'll that Plausi-
bic Sparkler wouldn't give you q dollar to
save you. He is not one of that kind. Now
about the price of the stock Look me in
the eye, Walter; would the man sell you
L. - A.Ie -
was really worth? All, you know he
wouldn't. No, the very fact that he offers
the shares at that price is proof that they
are good for nothing. And now, there is Just
one more thing. If the land of which Spark
Ter tells was so rich in minerals, in coal aud
oil, and in such magnificent lumber, do you
suppose that he and his mates would be
around among poor folks like Us, picking up
dollar by dollar? No, you know they would
easily find the capital necessary to develop
It,"
"Ah, but, my dear wife, the very object OF
this company is TO keep out these wealthy
capitalists These men have been poor them
selves, and they are bound to give poor
man q chance. And, you see, they must
have money-capItal with which to develop
the property and put il in working order.
There are steam engines to be put up and
furnaces and FORCES to be built, and branch
road must be built Don't you see: Que or
two thousand wilp'-
Two thousand Why, it was only one
thousand the other day"
."Yes, know; butd'ye gee. I've concluded
that 81 600 will double; and more, too; for
they will make me present of fiftv shares
outright IL put in g, ZOO. That would be
$50 shares, aud in less than year that stock
will be worth SlOi In two years il will be
at par, Ard we'll live to see it worth az
even hundred. tell you, Jennie, it's biz
thinR.'
"But where are you to raise thousand
dollars, Walter"
why. we've got thousand in the bank
and / could raise q thousand on the house
and farm"
Jennie Witherell turned pale and trem
bled. She was frightened, for she saw tina
her husband was entirely infatuated. Walter
was thirty years Of age. strong, steady, in
-dustrious, simpIe-ninded man and She thi
wife, was two years younger. They had beef
married eight years, and three beautiful
children blessed their home. Walter hat
received the farm with his wife. IL had beer
her fathers. But their had been a THOUSAND
dollar mortgage on il, and that mortgag
be had lifted with money of his Owl
when they were married, taking tn
title deeds in his own name. Thus ia
in life he bad been content to work honestl
and industriously, seeing his store increas
ing slowly but surely. He was an excellen
mechanic house carpenter, and wheI
there was building to be done he could az
sumo direction of the work, receiving 70
his labor sufficient to hire three strong mel
on bis farm for the sane time. h had tn
best breed of sheep IN the country, the bes
COWS for milk and butter, aud some OF tn
very finest blood in the way OF horse fest
In short be was one Of the most thrifty an
most prosperous, in every way, of the m'
chanic farmers in the State; and the pre-
jectors OF the "Grand Orient Petroleum
Mining and Manufacturing Company" ha
spotted him as one oftheir first victims, an
90 plausibly bad they talked, so grandilC
.quently bad they set forth the golden poss
bilIty Of their vast property, and so plainl