The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-03-25

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chance with his last coin; he was only
wondering what brokers' life was like,
and whether 1t was worth the living. He
strolled down to the door, and observed
with genuine curiosity those who passed
in ard out. The younger men especial
ly interested him, they were so much
superior In every way to his expecta-
ton. Instead OF the victims Of nerve
destroying life, he saw lot Of jolly fell
lows who were apparently full of men,
tai and bodily vigor.
1t may have been tho revolt OF o
healthy body against sluggish mind,
or simply the coatagion Of the activity
around him; but, whatever the cause,
he felt for the first time suspicion that
he had discovered career which would
please him, lie had general idea that
tho social life OF these men was notwhat
he would desire, but ho began to be in
doubt whether he really knew much
about it. He was conscious Of desire
to learn what 1t really was. Only one
way suggested itself, and that was by
inquiry, but he had natural hesitancy
about stopping one OF these favored
young men on the street and asking him
whether he found existence satisfactory
on the whole, and II so, why. He won
dered IL any truthful picture Of brokers'
life could be found in book, and wheth-
er in that case his five dollars would keep
him alive long enough to read 1t.
aNN
these ideas by the sound OF conversa-
tion behind him. Three or four young
men whom he Immediately placed in
the general Wall street class, were talk
ing in an animated manner on general
topics far removed from business, and
better still, from politics. Presently
one Of them suggested lunch, and they
all walked away. Russell followed me-
chanically. He was thinking that II
they had continued to talk in his hear
ing he might have learned great deal
about the real objects OF interest TO
young men Of wealth who are popularity
supposed TO be absorbed either in squan-
dering their possessions as fast as posi-
BILE or in adding to them by every
means that ingenuity unhampered by
honesty can suggest. But the words
which Russell had overheard referred to
art, and were evidently uttered by one
who understood the subject. There was
something in the language and bearing
! Of these men which led Russell to be-
lieve that they would be congenial asso-
! oio.n, NVn,ld ha cora IN hn ono of thann
to live their life, since it was not so
shallow, after all? Perhaps; he was not
quite prepared to say.
He found himself at the door
Of the Cafe Napoleon on Wall
street. The others entered. Should
he follow? He took out the five
dollar gold piece and looked at 1t. You
can make me a rich man for half an
hour" said he, "or q poor man for a
week. AS a matter of experiment | will
choose the former"
The Cafe Napoleon was crowded, as II
always Is at one o'clock in the afternoon.
All the stools before the lunch counter
were occupied, and a score OF men wait
ed for places, staring hungrily over the
shoulders OF those who we're being fed
There was tho same rush and hustle al
in the stock exchange, but there was
less Of good nature. When anybody OF
a stool ordered pie the man behind him
stamped impatiently as II personal in
Jury had been inflicted upon him, and
not upon the man who ate the pie.
An unprejudiced observer would have
said that there was no cause for com
plant. The men on the stools ate fas
enough. Indeed it seemed as II moth
ing but choking TO death could save
them from dying Of indigestion. Quicl
feeding has been brought TO such
sciencein New York that the philanthro
pist might well doubt which to pity more
the rich who eat so much in minute
or the poor who eat so little in year
The small tables in the Cafe Napoleon
were besieged almost as hotly as wa
the lunch-counter. But Russell sue
ceeded in securing seat opposite I
rusty old fellow who had just ordered |
piece Of apple pie and glass Of milk
Behind Russell we're the four young mel
whom he had followed into the cafe
He duplicated the order given by on'
OF them, and thereby laid himself liable
TO the proprietor OF the Cafe Napoleon