The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-11-08

AuS OAE0tAcu no was BOluX through was
Tar from pleasant, and he resolved that
| whichever way the thing turned out he
would let speculation alone thereafter. II
was disquieting to the nerves, kept one in
| constant apprehension, made it hard to sleeu
| at night and disagreeable to wake up in the
| morning.
Next day the market was better. North.
western had recovered its loss and had crept
up TO 1861. He could close out make IS and
0e out OF his worry. He was tempted to dc
| II. But a rising market now elated him a.
much as declining one had depressed hin
| the day previous. Like all amateur spccu
| lators he was ''bull." He could see NJ
reason why stocks should not continue tt
rise. Perhaps in another day or two the,
would 20 up a point or two and then he
would feel like kicking himself" if he sole
now. Again he expressed the conviction
| that it was proper time for the exhibition
OF ''nerve'' by holding on. So he held on.
| For some days the market was firm but
inactive" Stocks would neither 20 up no,
down, and Luddington suffered more anxi
ETY. and mental strain than several times
fifty dollars would pay for. Then one day
there was little rise. Northwestern 20,
up to 127H, the point at which he had or
| dered his stock to be sold, and he drew GU,
twenty dollars of clear profit on less than q
weeks investment.
He could afford to tell her now And Alice
was IN q sense pleased. She was glad of the
clear gain to the small BAN: .ccount. And
yet her satisfaction was not as lively as
John had expected. She seemed to be lit
tie troubled about the manner in which this
easily-got money was earned, and asked
some troublesome questions. Her husband
explained the matter in such way as to re-
fleet good deal of credit on his sagacity
| and nerve as stock operator, but Alice
somehow seemed disposed to attribute his
success to accident. She advised him to be
thankful for his go cd luck, put the money
In bank and let stock alone thereafter. for
! she had heard that it was not safe bust
ness. He halt promised that he would do so
And this promise ne kept for awhile. But
| he continued to watch the stock market
noted its fluctuations closely and made
imaginary investments to see how thew
would come out. They came out 50 wei
that he came to believe that possibly he was
great hnancier in disguise, man who
might be rich if he had a little more nerve.
instead Of a fifteen dollar-a- week clerk for
Griggs & Co. He studied comparative
tables Of stocks and found that less than a
year before Northwestern common had been
down to ITO. To think of that! Why, if
he had then bought 500 shares, as he could
have done, and held on to it, his $500 would
have swelled to g 500, sum that he could
never hope to get by keeping books at SIS
week. The thought made him fairly dizzy.
Having scored one small success in Wall
street it was not likely that this intoxicated
young man would keep out of it, The idea
OF making fortune in a few months grew
upon him. He thought of his faithful, hard
working little wife, cooking, washing,
drudging, denying and saving-and he
thought what life he would give her could
he but succeed in the stock market. Then
would come the long dreamed-of home, its
handsome furniture, its horse and carriage.
servants to do the work, friends and pleas
urea life that would indeed be worth
living!
But of all these wild dreams he said not
word to patient, loving, hoping Alice. He
had surprised her once. Might he not soon
give her grand surprise! She should yet
acknowledge his abilities which somehow
he felt that she moderated.
But he hesitated and waited. "What If it
should go the other way?" he asked himself,
and lacked the ''nerve" that was to lead
him on to fortune.
Monday there was almost panic in Wall
street. Stocks all went down with q tum-
bic, like a row of bricks set on end. Then
they rallied, steadied, gained little and an
other turn downwards. BY and BY the
market seemed to settle and Northwestern
was fully five points lower than when Lud-
dington had made his lucky purchase. The
brokers were unanimous that there was
nothing to make them 70 lower. The panic
was mere scare, the result of manpula-
tons by the bears and the circulation of idle
gossip and false rumors. Never had there
been such q chance to make money in stocks
they said. They were bound to 20 up and
up good deal higher than they were be-
fore. Our amateur speculator thought he
recognized his opportunity at last In o
moment of uncomfortable impulse he drew
out all the money in bank. This time he
would play for big stake. Instead of 20 he
bought 200 shares of Northwestern CON-
mon. 1T served me we'll BEFORE" no
thought. II will try it again. Surely it
can't go lower than it is now'
And the very next day was the day on
which the great break in Manhattan Ele-
waited occurred, carrying every thing down
with it. Then there was real panic on the
New York Stock Exchange. Northwestern
went down to III, snuflng out John Lud-
dington's $500 margin as whirlwind
snufs out candle. When he went into a
brokers' Office and saw what had happened
le turned pale, but he was cool and col
lected.
There is only one more thing to do,n he
said. '1cau't tell Alice what have don.e
and Rean't long keep it from her. Fortu-
nately have s., 600 insurance on my life"
He spent the afternoon as usual at his
work. and when he reached home his wife
was busy getting the supper. He kissed
her with peculiar tenderness which she
noticed, but did not guess it's meaning.
He could hear the voices of George and
Ethyl playing in the back yard. He went
up stairs quietly to his wife's bedroom.
On piece of paper with which he had pro-
vided himself at the Office for the purpose,
he wrote with a pencil brief note to his
wife. This he folded and laid on the dresser.
placing the hand mirror on one corner to
hold It down. Unlocking q cabinet that
hung against the wall, he took from the top
shelf small, ivOry-handled revolver,
which he had owned before his mar
riage and which was reserved as
q keepsake and as q defense against
burglars. All the barrels were loaded
He lifted the hammer partially with
his thumb and turned the cylinder
with his 1ngers. The weapon seemed to be
In perfect order. He stood for few mo-
ments rejecting whether there was any
thing else that he ought to do. He could not
think Of any thing. just then he heard
Ethyrs voice In the room below singing one
Of her baby songs. It sounded marvelously
sweet, and was approaching the stairway.
Evidently she had heard that papa was
home and was coming to find him. Without
sound Of any footstep on the stairs or in the
hail, the door was suddenly pushed open and
Alice sprang into the room.
Nv hat arc you doing, Johnp' she asked,
with an inquiring glance at thepistpL "Why
esFe xaa haaa - saiet pp haFel''