Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-07-10


"if you knew how / love you, All It
Elove that other girls divide between
mothers, sisters brothers, friends, |
have given to youF
There was something pathetic IN
the girls deep attachment to ner
father. Listening TO her, one cou
| have fancied her mother talking 20
child.
Now tell me- she said. 81 wish |
! could know it without, as telling VIII
give you pain; but that cannot be.
A dreary, far-Off look came into al.
= old mans eyes; his thoughts seemed
to have wandered. She recalled them
by touching his forehead with her
| lips, he started as though she ha1
reused him from sleep.
Il have been trying to think,
Ianthe," he said, how far am guilty
but | cannot tell, my thoughts are in
tangle For example, If a man be
born with an overwhelming tendency
to any one thing, how far is he cut
Fable in yielding to it,"
"You cannot put such a question
replied Ianthc. There is the limit OF
right and wrong; no strong tendency
can excuse wrong-doing.'
Il suppose not said the old earl,
with a sigh. Some men are born
poets--they must paint pictures. /
was born a Observation-Disclosures !
have been compelled to speculate"
1 AL, had hnnn
too far above the ordinary grooves of
life to know how much the term
"spccuator' may be made to convey,
She repeated the word dreamily-it
had no tCrrUrs for her
"A Spectator, papa? There IS
nothing dreadful in that, is there"
she asked.
eyes, he replied "if a man is ncy T.
content, never satisfied"
But you" she said. wonderingly-
chow could you be that?'
Il cannot tell you, child, when / was
ever anything else. The first thing !
did when | came into possession OF
my estates was to speculate. Some
times ! won largely; sometimes | lost
Winning or losing, the madness grew
on me. DO you understand the kind
Of speculation | mean, lanthe? Per
haps | should rather call it gambling
it is gambling after all and tn"
same fever fires the veins of spec
ulator and gambler. One day through
my agent who turned out aftCrWard o
be most INSCRIPTIONS rogue, | would
purchase stock, hold it for few days
and then by selling it realize some
thousands OF pounds; aftcrward | lost
even more heavily than | had won.
Fifteen years since" continued the Old
earl, with a deep sigh, Il lost what
was to me a terrible sum. To meet it
! was compelled to mortgage CrOOmbt
abbey; a continuous run of Ill luck
left me no other resource. Listen,
Ianthc. That ten thousand pounds 10,
which | mortgagcd this fair house
and broad domain was lent to me by
John Culross, wealthy manufactures
You remember his son, Herman
CulrOss?"
curlcd the proud lip of Lady lanthe.
but she made no reply.
That" he went on. did not trou de
me very much. | might have save1
the amount, but that | have always
lived up to my income. | thought
one good speculation would pay for
all Two years since | was groyious'v
tempted, Ianthe A new company was
started. 1t was to be confined to o
few, and great hopes were entertained
of It. It was for the working of n
silver mine in Mexico My agent
came to see me about it, He could
think and talk Of nothing save the
enormous profits to be rCali2ed-the
vast sums to be made. | was greedy
-ah. Iantho, how my greed has been
punished, They told me that any one
who could invest two hundred thOus-
and pounds in that mine would soon
he millionaire. ! read all the
papers, studied the figures, | thought
long and anxiously about it. rheu
he love of greed ard speculation
mastered me- | went to London, an"
met several men of business They
all spoke highly of the mine SO
gathered all the money | could from
every source mortgagcd my income
for the next three years. raised tho
two hundred thousand pounds, After
waiting impaticntly for some return
for cheerful ncws-on Christmas-eyo
the blow fell Then were realized my
worst fears, The mine has proved q
complete failure, and | am ruined
mana ruined man. repeated the
old earl with terrible gesture of
despair Maurice, Lord Care is
hopelcssy ruined; he is the first
/ Carrc who has brought even the
faintcst shadow Of disgrace on the
! name oh. Ianthc. have you any pity
4 for me? Have you anythinG save
contempt?"
you did it for the best she muir
murcd
You nave not heard all yet lanthe
six months since they wrote to me
! those men who have ruined mc-and