The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-10-27
WINNING A LOSS.
BY T. 5. ARTHUR.


hands. His father had been a cash
that honesty ran in the blood. From
earliest boyhood Charles had beer
noted for the promptne5s and faith
fulness with which he had discharged
all his duties devolving upon him
and when it was found that he wa:
try ing to support widowed mother
and to help his only sister to complete
the course Of academic studies upcI
which she had entered, his friends Sc
cured for him the position of which
we have spoken And, so far as the
young mans native qualities were
concerned, he had not been over rat
ed.
| But Charles Falconer was young
and ambitious Moving continually
in the glare of great wealth, ne often
found himself wishing that he was
rich. And with the glare Of wealth
was the continuous din of speculation
At first Charles thought it looked like
gambling. He saw men risk their
thousands upon the hazards of a sin
gle telegram,-he saw fortunes staked
upon the events of the time as yet
unborn, and he saw men grow sud
denly rich upon the lucky turning of
a die.
At first, We say, it looked to him like
gombling; but he saw that those
whom lie honored and respected often
engaged in the business, and he came
to look upon it more leniently. AT
length be become aware tkat his own
| employers occasionally ventured large
sums where the promise WAS tlatter-
ing-doing it, of course, through a
confidential agent-and he learned,
| furthermore, that they were very for
| tunate.
One day friend came into the
store, flushed and jubilant. He had
made fifteen thousand dollars in a
single leap of the Grand Trunk stock j;
| and he had done it all upon the in
vestment of five thousand dollars. A
friendly broker had advised him that
Grand Trunk was going to jump.
The stock was then at twenty. He
gave the broker five thousand dollars,
| and told him to go III. The broker
took up one thousand shares, paying
down five dollars per share, and the
rest to be paid within ten days. On
the very next day the stock went up
to thirty five,-an at this figure the
friend sold
Charles thought how grand it
would be if he could make fifteen
thousand dollars as easily as that.
But where should he get the capital
Ito start with? He went out upon the
street, and talked with those who
were posted. He talked with other
cashiers who had tried their hands at
| the golden game. He heard that his
old chum, Phil Bret, had won for
tune and he went to see him.
How did you do it, Pbil?"
Il bought just in the nick of time"
How much?"
Il put ten thousand dollars on Dub
lin and Erie, and make a cool fifty
thousand by the operation"
But where did you get the ten
thOusand?"
Il borrowed it."
"lou-borrowed ten thousand"
"Whew You're simple, Charley
But you can keep secretr'
Yes"
Then you can borrow as l did"
How"
Are you not cashier in big houses?
From that time Charles Falconer's
feet were wandering from the only
safe and reliable path. And yet he
could not at first so far overcome the
better part of himself as to 90 upon
the street with his employers money.
He dragged himself down to anoth-
er plan. He learned that others had
made money at the gambling table.
If he could only get enough to make
one successful speculation-he would
ask no more
Charles Falconer took the leap
and he lost. He lost not much in
bulk; but much for him, for it was ell
be had
What next? He must win back
what he had lost, if no more. All!
most fatal of all the counsels which
the demon of the gambling table whis.
pers into the ear of his victim, He
who bravely faces his loss. and gains
wisdom therefrom, may save himself;
but he who thinks to win back what
he has lost, is in the evil ones trap,
body and soul!
For the stake with which to win
back his losses, Charles borrowed
from the funds of the house. He
really regarded it as borrowing at
first; because to the amount of fifty or
a hundred dollars he could keep cash
on hand without trifing with his
books. But by and by he was forced
to withhold more from deposit than
be should have done.
About this time Ned Phillips, though
only SIX and twenty, had command of
one of she finest ships that sailed out
Of New York. His father had been
ship master before him ;and his grand
father had been that doughty Captain
Jasper Phillips, whose surprising
seamanship stood Brainbridge in such
good stead at Tripoli,
And at this very self-same time,
too, Laura Fglconer had come home
on visit from the academy. She
had graduated some time before and
was now employed as a teacher. She
was younger than Charles; and even
her female friends called her hand
some; and, moreover, they did it with
ont envy, which plainly showed that
she must have strong bold upon their
good will and esteem.
Captain Ned Phillips had carried
away with him Laura's promise that
she would some day be his wife; and
as soon as he could leave his ship he
called upon her,-and the old love had
not grown dim nor cool and it was
very soon arranged that she should
not go back to the academy any mere.
One day Laura spoke to Edward of
her brother Charles. She was dis
tressed about him
Something ails him." she said.