Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-05-29
Copyright, 1895, by the Author.
CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII
There seemed to be something radi-
cally wrong about the prescriptions of
"How to Win q Fortune In Wall
Street" Chester Sewall, who tried his
best to follow them faithfully, found
their operation far from satisfactory and
was forced to the conclusion that there
was an iniefniteness about the gilt
tering maxim, "Buy stocks only when
they are at their lowest point and sell
when they are highest, " which made it
rather difficult Of specific application.
Having mastered the little book and
perused several financial articles in the
morning papers, he went on the street
and proceeded to Operate" in tenta-
tive way, with two 'active" stocks, in
the selection Of which he believed him.
self demonstrating inspirational astute-
ness. From one of the specious but sus-
piciously seedy "curbstone brokers" on
New street he bought "put" on one
stock and "call" on the other. Hardly
had he done 80 when those particular
stocks reversed their previous tenden-
'ciea The one on which he had the
"put' went up, and the other, upon
which he held the "call," went down.
Then he picked out another stock and
tried a "straddle" on it, whereupon
that security-which previously had
been lively enough for any reasonable
person-suddenly seemed to be para
lived, or anchored fast, moving neither
way. After that his margin" was
"wiped out" on straight purchase OF
stock. All this, it will be understood,
was not matter of two or three days
experience, but Of as many weeks
"They lure but to betray," he re-
peated sadly to himself, flinging bis lit
tie book into the fire as "marker" on
the point in his fortunes when he real
lied that half Of his financial fleece had
been shorn away and he was still SIM
DIV 'lamb." He had not even had
'sbeginner's luck" And yet he could
not give up venturing farther in the
vain hope that he might have turn of
fortune, and at least win back what he
had lost He could see nothing else for
him to do, nothing else in which to en-
ploy the remnant Of his patrimony that
was left. So he went on operating"
and losing more, not very rapidly now,
for he was timid, but none the less
surely. ..,
And, as the climax Of his unwisdom
in that unlucky time, he took Irma into
his confidence. He could not narrate to
her the ups and downs" Of his specula-
tive career, for it had been all downs"
and no ups" and the story seemed
monotonous to her, though she was too
kind to say so plainly. Perhaps she
would have had more sympathy for him
If she had realized how vital his struggle
had become and could have appreciated
the cruel intensity Of feeling suffered by
inexperienced players at that desperate
game Of chance in which he was en-
gagged. But he could not bear to tell her
that his first essay in the battle of life
had been such disastrous failure; that
the advantages Of education, upon which
he had 30 plumed himself, had been OF
no help to him, and that the capital he
had 80 lately despised because her father
scorned it now seemed to him enormous,
since he no longer had it. No, he affect
ed to treat his misfortunes lightly, jest
ed over them, though with a very sore
heart, and Of course made no impression
upon her other than a fear that he was