The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-12
CHAPTER xxxvH.
THE DEPARTURE OF UNCLE PETE
AND SOME GERMAN PHILOSOPH

The Bineses, with the exception of Psyche,
were at breakfast week later. Miss Bines
had been missing since the day that Mr.
and Mrs. Cecil G.. III. Mauburn had left for
Montana City TO put the Bines home in or
der.
Uncle Peter and Mrs. Bines had now de-
termined to go, leaving Percival to follow
when he had closed his business affairs.
Its like starting West again to make
our fortune said Uncle Peter. He had suf-
fered himself to regain something of his old
cheerfulness of manner.
az wish you two would wait until they
can get the here, and go back with me-,
said Percival. I'VE can go back in style
even if we didn't save much more than a
getaway stake"
But his persuasions were unavailing.
II can't stand it another day. said Mrs.
Bines, land those letters keep coming in
from poor suffering people that haven't
heard the news"
I'm too restless to STAY" declared Uncle
Peter. II declare, with spring all greenin
up this way I'd be found campin' UP in
Central Park some night and took off to the
calaboose. just got to get out again where
you can feel the wind blow and see a hum
L
horse-cars every minute. It's wonder one
of 'em amt got me in this town. You come
on in the car, and do the style fur the fam
lily. One of them common Pullmans is good
enough for Marthy and me. And besides, 1
got to get Billy Brue back. He's goin' plumb
daft lookin night and day fur that man
that got his thirty dollars and his breast
pin. He says there'n be an ambulance
backed up at the spot where he meets him
makes no difference if it's right on Fifth
avenue. Billy's kind Of near-sighted at that,
so I'm mortal afraid he'll make a mistake
one Of these nights and take some honest
mans money and trinkets away from him."
well, here's Sun editorial to take back
with u.s." said Percival; you remember we
came East on one" He read aloud:
1.-The great fall in the price of copper.
Western Trolley and cordage stocks has
ruined thousands of people all over this
country. These losses ARE doubtless irrep-
arabic SO far as the stocks in question are
concerned. The losers will have to look else
where for recovery. That they will do so
with good courage is not to be doubted. 1t
might be argued with reasonable PLAUSIBLE
ity that Americans are the greatest fatal
lists in the world; the readiest to take
chances and the least given to whining
when the cards go against them.
"a case in point is that of certain West
ern family whose fortune has been swept
away by the recent financial hurricane. If
ever man liked to match with destiny,
not for the beers but for big stakes, the
young head of the family i'm question APP
pears to have been that man. He persisted
in believing that the power and desire of
the rich men controlling these three stocks
were great enough to hold their securities
at point far above their actual value. In
this persistence he displayed courage worthy
of better reward. A courage, moreover
the gamblers courage-that is typically
American. Now he has had plenty of that
pleasure of losing which, in Mr.. Foxs esti-
nation, comes next to the pleasure of win
ming.
From the point of view of the political
economist or the moralist, thrift, saving and
contentment with modest competence are
TO be encouraged, and the propensity to
gamble is to be condemned. We stand by
the copy-book precepts. Yet it is only hon.
est to confess that there is something of this
young Americans love for chances in most
of us American life is still so fluid the
range of opportunity so great, the national
temperament so buoyant, daring and hope
full, that it is easier for American to try
his luck again than to sit down snugly and
enjoy what he has. The fun and the excite
ment of the game are more than the game.
There are Americans and plenty of them
who will lose all they have jim some magnifi-
cent scheme, and make much less fuss
about it than Paris shopkeeper would over
a bad twenty-franc piece.
"Our disabled young Croesus from the
West is a luminous specimen of the type.
The country would be less interesting with
out his kind, and, on the whole, less healthy
for they provide one of the needed fer
ments. May the young man make another
fortune in his own far West-and come once
more to rattle the dry bones of our
Bourse,''
Hell be too much stuck on Montana by
the time he gets that fortune" observed
Uncle Peter
az will that, Uncle Peter. Still it's pleas
ant to know we've won their good opinion"
Excuse me fur swearin', Marthy." said
Uncle Peter, turning to Mrs. Bines, "but
he can win better opinion than that in
Montana fur damn sight less money"
s"That editor is right" said Mrs. Bines,
what he says about American life being
fluid There's altogether too much drink
ing goes on here, and I'm glad my son quit
it."
Percival saw them to the train.
take care Of yourself" said Uncle Peter
at parting. you know I amt any good any
more, and you got whole family, includin'
an Englishman, dependin' on you-we'u
throw him on the town, though, if he don't
take out his first papers the minute 1 get
there
His last shot from the rear platform was:
Change your name back to Pete SON.
when you get west of Chicago. 'Tain't any,
thing fancy, but it's crackin' good bust
ness name fur a hustlerr'
"All right, Uncle Peter-and hope I'll
have grandson that thinks as much of it
as i do of yours
When they had gone he went back to the
work of final adjustment. He had the help
of Coplen, whom they had sent for. With
him he was busy for a week. BY lucky
sales of some of the securities that had
been hypothecated they managed to save a
little: but on the whole, it was what Per-
cival described ii, "a lovely autopsy"
At last the vexatious work was finished
and he was free again. AT the end of the
final days work he left the office of Fouts
in Wall street. and walked up Broadway
He went slowly, enjoying the freedom from
care. 1t was the afternoon of a day when