The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-18

Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub Co
The Wall street broker returned to his
room tired man. 1t had been an
exciting day in the market, but he had
come out Of it with several thousand
dollars to the good. In fact he had
been extraordinarily fortunate in his
speculations for more than a month. His
Great Central stock had risen steadily
from the time he had put his 100000 in it;
his sugar and iron interests had cor
respondingly increased, until now he was
more than millionaire.
AS the bold shrewd operator sat in
his lonesome bachelor apartments his
mind rapidly went over the incidents of
the day. Before his eyes was the form
of an old acquaintance whom he had
noticed walking down the steps of the
great building wherein fortunes are made
and lost almost every hour In the mans
eyes were streaks of red; below them the
flesh hung in puffy layers that We're dark.
Tobacco juice despatched his shirt front
and the wrinkles in his coat indicated
that he had been sleeping in a chair the
night before. His face mirrored a heart
overfiowing with despair; his hands were
clenched as if he were going into battle.
By rights the watch chain which dangled
from his waistcoat did not belong to
him. He had lost alI-everything. All
that he had won from the world, after
years of struggling, he had just given
back to it.
The sight of the aged and fractured
figure, as it disappeared among the
ceaseIess and restless vortex of specula-
tors had touched William Vernon deeply.
His friend had passed him without any
sign of recognition and VERNON knew the
reason. He started after him, but before
he could lay friendly hand on the re-
fra frlcr oh mic Chn
footsteps of those near and the man fell
reeling, his body lifeless, to the side
walk. Already Vernon was due upon the
floor of change, but he stopped long
enough to give some directions to the
police officer. Then he retraced his steps
to the greatest of existing gambling
houses, and his thoughts were soon abb
sorbed in matters touching his financial
standing The tragic suicide of his
friend affected him strangely. He would
| buy the same stocks that had moulded
the bullet which was fired an hour be-
fore. In less than twenty minutes these
stocks began rising rapidly Vernon
doubled his investment; he trebled them;
he quadrupled them Men were flying
about like crazy persons Their shouts
deafened all other noises; the whirr Of
traffic, the shrill voices of newsboys did
not penetrate that immense room as was
usual, for more than two hours. Ten
| minutes before the closing time Vernon
unloaded all of the holdings he had ac-
puired that day, thousands of dollars
richer than when he had entered upon
the Threshold of the building at noon.
Friends crowded around him in the effort
to congratulate him upon his successful
deals, but he had no ear for them.
Reaching the street, he hailed the first
passing cab, and was soon driving to
Fourteenth street and Fifth avenue, the
home of the man who had taken his life
He did not try to gid the widows grief
with words of sympathy. He silently ex-
tended his hand, expressed some simple
words of coincidence and plunge into bus
mess.
| Madam said he, ST know that your
husband died without dollar-died leav-
ing you penniless and with a cherries
and unsympathizing world to battle with
When I first came to New York Mr..
Howard than whom there was none kind
lier or gentler, gave me my first lesson
in Specializing. Since then we have been
more than friends-we have been COM
rades Had known the desperate straits
that he was in this morning I should
have detained him and have assisted him.
But that is too late to talk about now.