Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-06-09
THE ASTROLOGER'S DUPE


THE ASTR0LOGER'S DUPE
A little old woman, gray-haircd and
trembling, sat little while ago in tho
back office of Wall street stock broker.
Her gaze was fixed on wide blackboard,
where chalk figures showed the drift Of
stock market quotations; there wa' no
lustrc in her cyc her whole aspect was
thato one dumbfoundcd, brokcnhcartcd.
She had sad story to tell were there
only spirit enough left to her for a rccit-
al. A year ago she came to this same
brokerage office. Her purse was fat with
bank bills and she gave an order for the
purchase of 500 shares of stock which
had been active long time. The broker
advised her against the purchase, and
told her plainly that he had what he be-
licvcd excellent reasons for expecting a
heavy decline in the particular stock she
had selected to buy. But she persisted
in her determination, declaring that she
had information which could not be
wrong that the stock was bound to 90
up good deal very soon. She had her
way, despite the counscls that plainly
predicted the loss Of her money. She
left S., 900 in cash as 10 per cent. mar
gin to protect her interest and went her
way with a calm confidence shown on
her countcnancc. 81 shall make good
deal of money" she said as she left, "for
the information have comes from the
very highest authority The stock per-
pervcrscly declined forthwith, anil each
day saw some fraction clipped off of the
preceding days quotation. Within Il
month the original $1,000 margin had
dwindlcd down to 81, 900, and the broker
was obliged to call for another deposit
from his customer to protect her interest.
she came down town with the sam, self
satisfied smile, and with the same express
sions of confidence produced her rounded
purse again. Four thousand dollars she
left in the brokers' hands this time.
'The advance, am told. has been una
voidably delayed little whilc," she said.
with tone full of assurance and faith,
"but it is bound to come soon now, and
| feel as sure that my money is safe as if
| had it all in bank awaiting my orders"
This was in response to further grave pre-
dictions from the broker, who, by much
argument tried to convince her that sh G
was being mislcd. Another short period
elapsed; and another enforced call was
made upon the sunny faced old lady.
Just bare suspicion of disquict was be-
ginning to show itself, but there was no
backdown in her action. Out came
more money. And so little later did
more still follow. Then not long ago
she came yet again; now she brought her
bank book. She showed to the broker
that year ago it credited her with de-
posts OF $4,000 of which but So, 500
remained; and that 50, 9,jO0--cvcry penny
of it, every penny she possessed in the
world--shc handed over. She was not
yet utterly downcast. "But yesterday"
she avcrrcd. "a had my information re-
pcatcd again and th1 rise which Tvc
waited for so long is to conc now right
away" Down went the market, lower
and lower dropped the price of the cy-
pectant woman's 500 shares of stock, till
that day little while ago when for the
last time she came info Wall-strcct again,
dropped into an armchair before the quo
tation board and gazcl long and listess
ly, as one in n deep dream, confronting
the white figures that glarcd out at her
there like the eyes of so many demons.
All of her $4,000 was gone; she had
only poverty left. But she was brave
still, and when her broker approached
her she rose w'th the grace of woman
young and quccnly and thanked him for
all his courtcscs and the good advice he
had WASTED on her
"Now, Madam, will you do me the
great favor of telling me- from what
source you received the false information
on which you relied so implicitly and !,
riskcd so much money! This was the
brokers' question.
"Upon an astrologcr. This was her /
amazing answer, and she named man |
whose "card" is flauntcd publicly in the
metropolis. There wasa stupcfcd broker,
broker who got mad He didn't say
"Fool !" but he looked it. The old lady
talked then freely. 1t was no new thing,
she said, for her to seek the advice of
this "astrologcr," her husband had done
the same before her and a score of her
friends, she said, had implicit confidence
in the revelations of the seer.
"rll give you $1,000" said the broker
hotly, "ifyoul promise me one thing"
The old lady's tightening countcnoncc
showed that ln need have no doubt of |