The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-07-10
A Lucky Blank.


morning. Slipping into an empty seat
just behind quiet-looking middle-aged
man, he took letter from his pocket,
and in a deliberate way proceeded to
open it. AS soon as his eyes fell upon
the printed form he unfolded his face
clouded ominously, and crushing the
offending missive in his hand he NUT
tered, "Just my luckl / might have
known better than to put confidence in
any thing Jake Mooney recommended"
Something gone wrong, young man?"
asked voice in front of him, and with
blush Tom glanced up into the kind
eyes of the unpretending stranger he
had noticed when he came in.
Tom was not in the habit of making
confidants of strangers, but there was
something in his neighbours face that
disarmed suspicion, and he answered
politely, "Well, yes. An acquaintance
persuaded me to invest ina little bust
ness concern out West, but instead of
receiving the big check have been ex-
pecting, have drawn a blank" Tom
colored guiltily when he referred to the
business concern, but without appear
ing to notice his embarrassment, the
it vigorously, said, "Allow me to con-
gratulate you on your good luck
80, you are Mistaken" exclaimed
Tom. 81 have nothing left from my
last five-dollar bill but this bit of worth
less paper" and he held out the printed
form for the strangers inspection.
And your experience" the man
added, as he took the paper offered.
81 would sell that very cheaply," re-
marked Tom. "Such experience does
not count for much, particularly when
it leaves you with an empty pocket
book"
"And yet it may prove the most
valuable lesson of your life," urged the
stranger. "This is nothing more or
less than lottery ticket, called by
another name in order to cheat the gov
eminent, which has excluded all such
fraudulent matter from passing through
the mails. In the eyes of the law it is
crime to take such matter from the
post-office as we'll as to put it into the
mail"
81 fail to see why when you have in
vested your last dollar in it," returned
Tom. IL think 1 have paid dearly
enough for the privilege of lifting that"
"You forget that you have only your
self to blame for the risk you took" re-
piled the gentleman gravely. "You
knew that you were running risk
when you invested the five dollars, and
if you had CHANGED to draw what you
call lucky number, you would have
become party in defrauding others,
who, like yourself, have drawn blanks.
You know that it is only one in many
hundreds who chance upon figures that
count. The great army of investors
must necessarily be disappointed.
People do not run such schemes for the
benefit of the many, but of the few,
and their purpose always is to ill their
Golfers. congratulated you on your
good luck in drawing blank, and since
you have been seized with the mania of
wanting to make something for moth
ing, nothing except complete failure
would have effected a perfect cure.
Had you been able to-day to have put
large sum of money in your pocket,
with your success that all honorable
means of earning livelihood would
have been abandoned. If the lesson
you have had teaches you to keep clear
OF all such swindling concerns in the
future, you have received the worth of
your money, Notwithstanding the blank
You have drawn. 1t is possible that
this very bit of worthless paper may
stand between you and the state prison.
Success under such circumstances as
you voluntarily placed yourself would
naturally have opened up to you the
highway to crime, and a conscience
lulled to sleep in one so young would
not be apt to rouse itself in such way
as to assert its claims when greater
temptations should be thrust in your
path. 1t is always safe to do right, my
boy, always; and God helps every one
who helps himself, but nothing but
danger lies in the way in which you
cannot take Gods blessing with you.
l acknowledge that this firm has
cheated you out of your money, but you
have no reason to complain. as you be-
came an accomplice in the disreputable
business the moment you joined in the
scheme of trying TO defraud others by
enriching yourself"
Perhaps you are right" admitted
Tom, looking confused. But never
looked upon things in that light"
Il thought not. thought mott" said
the stranger. at was your first de-
parture from the line of right, but if
you had been successful, it would not
have been your last. If you had found
out that you could increase your earn
ings hundred fold by CHANGING on a
lucky number, you would never have
been content TO go back to the slow,
old fashioned, but honest, way of earn.
ing YOUR bread in the sweat of your
face"
~ am afraid should not" Tom ad :
mitted, and then, as if to partially ex-
cuse the mistake he had made, he
added, ~ am only an errand boy in a
firm that does not pay big wages and is
slow in advancing its employees, and as
| want TO make something of myself, |
thought might get lift in this affair,
as did my friend who advised me lake