The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-12-21


: gamble-never! And l felt that. il h
| should learn that l had staked a larg
} part of my entire fortune on a singh
4 gambling operation, he would straightwa,
cut me off from his confidence. would lool
on me as too deeply tainted by my Ion;
career as a "bucket-shop" man to b
worthy of full rank and power as u imam
cler. Financiers do not gamble. Thei
only vice is grand larceny.
All this was flashing through my minG
while l was thanking him..
II am glad to have such a long fore
warning" l was saying. Can l be OF
use to you? You know my machinery is
perfect-I can buy anything and in any
quantity without starting rumors and
drawing the crowd"
No thank you. Matthew" was his an
swer. II have all of those stocks l wish
at present"
Whether 1t is peculiar to me, I don't
know-probably not-but my memory is so
constituted that it takes an indelible and
complete impression of whatever is sent
to it by my eyes and ears; and just as
by looking closely you can find in a pho
tographic plate a hundred details that
escape your glance, so on those memory
plates of mine l often find long afterward
many and many a detail that escaped me
when my eyes and ears were taking the
IMPRESSION. On my memory plate of that
moment in my interview With Roebuck, L
find details SO significant that my falling
to note them at the time shows how unfit
l. then was to guard my interests. For IN
stance, l find that just before he spoke
those words declining my assistance and
implying hat he had already increased his
holdings, he opened and closed his hands
several times, finally closed and clinched
then-a sure sign of energetic nervous ac-
ton, and in that particular instance a
sign of deception, because there was no
energy in his remark and mo reason for
energy. l am not superstitious, but I be-
lieve in palmistry to a certain extent.
Even more than the face are the hands a
sensitive recorder of what is passing in
the mind.
But was then too intent upon my dill
emma carefully to study a man who had
already lulled me into absolute confidence
IN him.. L left him as soon as he would
let me so. His last words were, NO
gambling, Matthew! No abuse of the OPP
p~ortunity God is giving US. Be content
with the just profits from investment. ]
have seen gamblers come and go, many of
them able men-very able men. But they
have melted away, and where are they,
And l have remained and have increased.
blessed be God who has saved me from
the temptations to try to reap where I had
not sown! 1 feel that I can trust YOU.
You began as a Spectator, but SUCCESS
has steadied you, and you have put your
SER on the firm ground where we see the
solid men into whose hands God has given
the development of the Astounding re-
sources of this beloved country of ours
DO you wonder that I went away with a
heart full of shame for the gambling PRO-
jects my head was planning upon the in
formation that good mar had given me?
L smut myself in my private office for
hours of hard thinking-as 1 can
now see, the first real attention I had
gwen my business in two months. It
soon became clear enough tina my Textile
plunge was a folly: but it was too late to
retrace. The only question was, could
Ind should I assume additional burdens?
looked at the National Coal problem from
every st~andpoint-so I thought. And 1
could see no possible risk. Did not Roe
bucks statement make 1t certain as sun
Use that, as soon as the reorganization
vas announced, all coal stocks would rise?
yes. I should be risking nothing; 1 could
With absolute safety stake my credit. to
make contracts to buy coal stocks at pres
mt prices for future delivery was no
more Of gamble than depositing cash In
he United States treasury.
You've gone back to gambling lately,
said ] to myself. you've been on
! bender, with your head afire. You must
get out of this Textile business as soon as
But it's good sound sense to
plunge on the coal stocks. In fact. yo,,r
Profits there would save you IL by some
nischance Textile should rise instead of
all. Acting on RoebEck's tip isn't gam
bling, it's insurance.
II emerged to issue orders that soon
brew into the National Coal venture all
had not staked on a falling market for
I was not content-as the pious
'ambing-hater. Roebuck. had begged me
o be-with buying only what stock / could
'ay for; I went p%lunging on, contracting
or many times the amount / could have
Fought outright.
The next time I saw Langdon was full
enthusiasm for Roebuck. / can see his
mile as he listened.
II had no idea you We're an expert on
trumpets of praise, Blackjack" said
le hnaliy. "A very snowy accomplish
ont o think? The player may become
.nchanted by his w music"
- try to look on the bright side Of
said 1, even of human nature"
Since when?" drawled he.
L iaughed-a good. hearty laugh. for this
ny reference to my affair of the heart
lchleu me. l enjoyed to the full only in
ong retrospect the look he gave me.
AS soon as a man falls in love" said
le, trustees should be appointed To take
barge of his estate" NA
You're wrong there. old man." 1 re-
lied. I've never worked harder or with
clearer head than since I learned that
here are'-I hesitated. and ended lamelvN
other things in l.fe."
Langdon's handsome face suddenly
tarkened, and l thought 1 saw in his eyes
look of savage pain. Il envy you" said
le with an effort at his wonted lightness
nd synicism. But that look touched nv
leart; L talked no more OF nv own hanni,
less. To do SO, l felt would be like bring
as laughter into the house of grief.
XVI.
TRAPPED AND TRIMMED.
There ore two L;,a. -