Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-14
A QUEER RACE.
BY WILLIAM WESTALL

The calling took up was not of my own
choosing. Had my father lived a little
longer, or left Us better off, should have
gone into the army. / did subsequently
Join the volunteers, and after serving for
awhile in the artillery became first lieu
tenant and then captain in a rifle regiment.
In the circumstances, however, was glad
to accept the offer of Mr.. Combie, of the
firm of Combie, Nelson & Co., ship and
insurance brokers, to take me into his Of
fee and push me forward, 'if I showed
myself smart" as he was sure would.
justified his confidence, and he kept his
word. Although I would much rather
have been a soldier, had sense enough to
give my mind to the insurance business,
and in comparatively short time I be-
came familiar with all the intricacies OF
general average and particular average,
the draughting Of policies, and the rest;
and If did not, as Captain PeytOn had
told Tom Bolsover, know IlOyd's Regis
ter off by heart, there was not a sea-gOing
ship belonging to the port of Liverpool
whose age, classification, and character
(Which meant, in many instances, the char
acter of her Owners) I could not tell with
out referring to the book.
The partners often consulted me as to
the premiums they ought to charge, and
she risks which it was prudent for them to
take; they gave me a salary which made
my mother and myself very comfortable,
and had been patient and waited a few
years, | should doubtless have become a
member of the firm. But was ambitious;
and when the newly constituted Oriental
and Occidental Marine Insurance Company
invited me to become their underwater, |
accepted the fer without either hesitation
or misgiving.
But cautious Mr.. Combie shook his head.
ITS very fine thing" he said, "for a
young man of two-and-twenty to get the
writership of company, and, though l
say it that should not say ito our firm.
But you are taking a great responsibility
on yourself, and you will need to be very
prudent Fifty thousand pounds is not too
much capital for an insurance company,
and this is time of imitation, and the
shareholders will expect you to earn them
big dividends. Between you and me, l
have no great confidence in these new con-
Germs. They are going up like rockets,
and some of them, fear, will come down
like sticks But you are young, and if the
Oriental and Occidental does not answer
your expectations, you will still have the
world before you, and | have always said
that you are one of those chaps who will
either make a spoon or spoil horn"
The senior meant kindly. and thanked
him warmly; bat | was too much elated by
my advancement to give due attention to
his warnings, although had good reason
to remember them afterward. My citation
did not, however, arise solely, or even
chiefly, from professional pride and graft
fed ambition. The fact is, [ had lost my
heart to Amy Mainwaring a charming
girl of eighteen, with peach-like cheeks,
soft brown eyes, and golden hair; and be-
ing as impetuous in love as was diugent
III business, and Amy loving me as much
as | loved her, | had made up my mind to
marry ut the earliest possible moment
that is to say, as soon as the father gave
his consent and | could afford to keep a
wife | thought the salary which I was
now beginning to earn would enable me to
do this easily. But Mr.. Manwaring did
not quite see the matter in the same light
He said we were both absurlly young. and
however well off | might be- we should be
all the better for waiting awhile. More
over, like Mr.. Combie, he had not absolute
confidence in the stability of the Oriental
and Occidental.
LIE us see what couple of years bring
forth You will be quite young enough
then, and the delay will give you chance
of laying something by for a rainy day."
Two yearsl ToAmy and me this seemed
an eternity; but rs neither of us wanted
to defy her father, and he was quite deaf
to reason, there was nothing for it but to
sigh and submit, and wait with such pa
tianna n wa fg n Of
hopes.
Time went on, and long before the per-
iod of probation expired had to acknowl-
edge that Mr.. Mainwaring's caution had
more warrant than my con euce After
doing brilliant business during the first
~iY months Of our career. the tide turned.
and in a very short time we lost nearly all
we had made. For this reSult-though we
had really very ill-luck-I fear that | was
IN part responsible. was too keen and
sanguine; did not like to turn money
away. l had not Mr.. Combie and Mr..
Nelson to consult with, and l underworld
risks that ought to have refused. | had
not always the choice, however; for our
paid-up capital being small first-class in
surers fought shy of us, fine business went
elsewhere, and / had to take my pick
among the residue and remainder.
This was the state Of things eighteen
months after Joined the Oriental and Oc-
cidental; and had not got over the diff
Guilty about the "Niobe," it is extremely
probable that the company would have
smashed or l should have been dismissed.
N either event l should have lost my occu-
patton and in either event Mr.. Mainwar-
ing would, felt sure, have insisted on the
rupture of my engagement with his daugh-
ter.
Hence my prospects, whether business
or matrimonial, were not of the brightest,
and Amy and ,tere often in horribly low
spirits We had thought two years ter
rible time, and now began to fear that
might ha, TO wait for her as longas Jacob
had to wait for Rachel | am bound to
say, however, that our gloom was relieved
by rather frequent CLEANS of gayety and
happiness. One does not despair at three
Rnd-twenty.
CHAPTER Tv.-CRAZY TOMS YARN.
After my memorable interview with Mr..
BranGyman, things took u more favorable
turn with the Oriental and Occidental.
We had better luck, and l took more care,