The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-19
CHAPTER VII

1
There seemed to be something radi-
cally wrong about the prescriptions of
"How to Win Fortune In Wall
Street" Chester Scwall, who tried his
best TO follow them faithfully, found
their operation far from satisfactory anC.
was forced 20 the conclusion that there
was an indefinitfness about the gilt
tering maxim, Buy stocks only who
they are at their lowest point and sci.
when they are highest" which made i;
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" i'll n 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 so when those particular
stocks reversed their previous tenden-
cies. The one on which he had the
put went up, and the other, upon
which he held the "call, went down.
Then he picked cut another stock and
tried ''straddle' ON it, whereupon
that security-which previously had
been lively enough for any reasonable
person-suddenly seemed TO be para
lyzed, 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 his 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
ply lamb :" He had net even had
beginners luck. +" And yet he could
not give up venturing farther in the
vain hope that he might have a turn of
fortune, and at least win back what he
had lost. lie could see nothing else for
him to do, nothing else in which t. 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
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 so plumed himself, had been of |
no help to him, and that the capital he |
had so 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 |
cd over them, though with very sore |
heart, and Of course made no impre ssion |
upon her other than fear that he was |
probably rather unlucky chap, which
did not enhance his attractiveness in her |
eyes She inherited from her father a
prejudice against ''unlucky" persons.
"Oh, / dare say it will all come right |
directly" she said lightly. Papa, I
know, makes great deal Of money in
Wall street, and / have heard him say
that he also lost it sometimes. Nobody,
/ suppose, either wins or loses continual |
ly. You will have to wait for n change
Of fortune, that is all. +"
Waiting would DO bad enough sim
ply as delay in winning fortune, but
Its worst aspect 10 that it postpones my
winning You, my darling" he replied
Perhaps you might de better some.