The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-08-30
A LITTLE DEAL.

Presents, clothes, honeymoon. How
ON earth can one leave out either?" ask
ed George Littlecash of himself, earnest
ly drilling his penholder into much
furrowed forehead. "There never was a
wedding without presents. AS for no
honeymoon-why, Hetty would be JUS
titled in crying off before the very altar. +"
What had placed our friend in this
unpleasant quandary was, to begin with,
Uncle Piper's check for $500. 1t was a
check to marry Hetty and set up house
with, and qua cash was satisfactory
enough, but accompanied with the wise
avuncular injunction, George, marry
on a cash basis-cash, mind-or never
look me in the face again" Such ex-
cellent advice, plus $500 check, it is
impossible for a nephew to spurn, es-
pecially a nephew in love.
And then, when he had this gold
mine of untold wealth in his pocket and
afull ocean of happiness to look forward
to, George fell into the tolls of a plausi-
BILE fellow, Tom Scherer of the we'll
known city firm Of Mouton, Scherer &
Walker. Scherer had such taking way
Of remembering and cherishing affec-
tionately one Christian name
"Ah! Congratulate you, my dear
George. Coming off next month, Ell?
Happy mani Some of you fellows have
the devils own luck. And just in time,
too, for me to put you on to one of the
incest little chances of making COM
Portable nest egg for the happy home,
one of the prettiest chances you ever
had. But come into Pipps' and have a
coffee.
Pipps', that long, low, smoky "dive"
in Throgmorten street, was crowded
with easy hammered gentlemen in silk
hats, or in no hats at all, who conversed
in pairs and groups with electrical en-
ergy They could not hear themselves
for their own talking "Sell at five
three eight" "Book you thousand"
Buy six quarter,'' "Sell,' Buy"
"Panjandrums, Rhodes, "Barney's
stock, :" "Struck Bibble bobble reef"
''Last crushing ten ounces such We're
some of the scraps of jargon that
emerged above the din in fashes of
comparative silence, while ever and
anon q gentleman would draw from his
vest pocket a little notebook and pencil
some entry or other. Almost deafened
at first by the hubbub, George Little
cash was soon in the whirlpool himself,
an eager listener to Mr.. Scherer's glow
ing tales indicative of the pecuniary ad-
vantage certain to result from q small
punt in the South African "boom.'
Eighty thou in one deal, my dear
George-what dye think of that, eh?
Springett went nap ON Gold Bug Ex-
tensions-put on every penny he could
scrape together till he hadn't cent to
swear by and came out 10000 golden
sovereigns to the good, And yet you say
1t isn't worth trying. My dear George,
faint heart never maintained fair lady,
if it won her -
The upshot was that George figured
up his liabilities against his check and
handed over to the trusty Scherer e250
20 be converted in two days or some
such reasonable time into e2, 500.
'Done!" cried Scherer ;.s ne peneiled
the little transaction in his notebook.
And ''done'' George was, for next
day when he looked at mines" in the
money column he found Gold Bugs had
crawled down stairs three -eighths.
"What doyou advise, Scherer?" asked
George when they met in the city,
Never advise, mT qear George,
Don't do it-=-on principle. 'Cut your
losses, let your profits run, is our old
Wheeze. But it's no good being too
hasty This fall is simply due to some-
body being in too big hurry to pocket
a profit. But you judge for yourself,
dear boy; that's what 1 advise"
Next day GQla Bugs had crawled
down stairs two or three steps more
"Its nothing, George, " said the opti-
mistic Scherer. "Weak holders couldn't
last out. That's my explanation. Stin
don't be guided by me-,
Next day after 'thas Gold Bugs had
fallen SO heavily that you couldn't find
anybody to pick them up again at any
price, And just then of course to make
amends George Littlecash was reminded
by his tailor Of ''that little account''
which had been overlooked so many
quarters. 1t was in this dolefpl hour as
he sat sayagely biting bis lips, knitting
his hrows and inwardly cursing Scherer
and all his works that he glanced vague
ly at copy of The Evening Intelligence.
Renewed Activity In Rand Sharesn
was the line in large type that caught
the disconsolata investors eye as the
paper lay ON his desk,
"Confound Rand shares % he eiacu-
lated fervontly, wheeling around as
though from too affectionate snake.
Just then, as luck had it. in popped
the beaming apd expansive Seherer.
fWhY, George, my dear boy, you're
looking as ghastly as James Canham
Read when he was taken from life, as
the waxworks bill says. Nothing seri-
GUS, hope? Gal chucked you?"
"Look here, Scherer, don't want you
plarneying again. I've had quite enough
of Rand shares, thanks-in fact, a long
site too much,
Rand shares? Why, my dear fell
low" Scherer returned, with a look of
panied virtue, ''you really don't mean
to tell me that's what put you down in
the dumps-that little matter of two.
fifty, when you stood TO win as many
thousands Bless my soull' Scherer's
eye had jdst caught the line in The