The leader., 1905-06-03

FINANCIAL QUOTATIONS.
head for figures, and one evening after
he had been thinking for long time
about Miriam Ives-a neat figure she
was-he did some figuring on F., L. & B.
common.
'Supposing," " he said to himself, that
| bought about $500 worth of it at Is
and sold it at 80. That would increase
my working capital to $500. Then or
the next slump could invest my $500
and sell out for 81 ,200''
1T was simple proposition. All he
had to do was be a little patient. After
the third turnover he would have
So, 400, the fourth would see him $4,800
to the good. On the fifth swing of the
pendulum he would have $4,000, but he
knocked off the $500 for commissions
and other incidentals, leaving $4,000
even money. His sixth plunge would
make him winner to the extent of
$4,000, and after that his wealth be-
gan to pile up very fast. He would
emerge from his seventh transaction in
F., L. & B. common with $4,000; an
other go would increase his wealth to
$4,000; in nine years figuring only on
one turning over of his money per an
num- he would have $144.000. and in ten
years he would be worth $28S, S,000 He
knocked off.$38,000 for general expenses,
making his start on the second ten
years with an even $250,00O. Before he
got up to the fifteenth year of his ca
reer as buyer and seller of F.. L. & B.
common his head began to be dizzy and
putting his pencil in his pocket, he went
out to ask Miriam if she would be his
wife.
Il want you to know" he said, when
she had permitted him to press her
cneek against his chest and gather one
of her soft, warm hands in his, that my
love for you is not a selfish love. If it
was I'd have asked you long ago to be
my own and let you share with me the
troubles that would come from trying to
get along on my income. But | have
waited and worshiped you in silence un-
I'll could see the way clear ahead
Then he kissed her a few times more
and told her candidiy what was going
to happen.
Archibald she whispered, q don't
care for all these terrible riches Wealth
is an awful responsibility. Let's keep
your $500 and furnish a nice little fiat
with it.
But he convinced her before he left
that it would be almost criminal if he
neglected to take advantage of the
opportunity which was opening before
him, and he continued to watch the
financial page. 1t was early sum-
mer. f., L. e B. common was steadily
| declining along with about everything
else on the list BY the middle of
June it was at 20, and Archibald Wat
kins would experience fluttering SEN
sation in the region of the upper left
pocket of his vest every time he took
up his paper in the morning.
On the 18th of July f., L. & B. com
mon was quoted at II. Then A. Wat.
kins transferred $500 of his money
from the savings department of the
bank and opened up a checking ac-
count against 1T. At the same time
he gave certain broker an open or
| der to buy 90 shares of F., L. & B.
common at Is. A week later he had a
dizzy spell when he opened his paper
and saw the the stock quoted at the
egure he had named. Later in the
day he was informed by Bloodgood,
Ketchum & Co that they had bought
for his account 20 shares Of F., Z. &
B. common.
He sat and thought of Miriam Ives
and dreamed dreams and built air
castles. and wrote out an open order
to sell his 20 shares at 30, but put it
In his pocket not wishing to let his
brokers get the impression that he
had gone in for the mere purpose Of
..slxinning the market He expected
to see the stock hover around IS for
q month or so before starting on the
upward swing. so there was no need
of haste about putting IN his selling
order In the meantime he and Mir.
lam could be looking around for q
tsat
"A week later Fl. +. & 3. common
was quoted AT ! i. and there were ri.
mprs of reors sanization which might