Barton County democrat., 1906-11-23
me crowd. Many shifted ther eres


On: The speWlators, the gamblers.
are the saiy people who were hurt.
Those who sold what theT didn't have
are paying for their folly. have no
sympathy for them. Blackjack and
Company wishes none such in its
following. and seizes every oppor-
tunity TO weed them out. We are
In business only for the bona flde iu-
vesting public. and We are stronger
with that public to-day than we have
ever been"
Again looked from coward to cow
ard Of that mob. changed from three
hundred strong to three hundred
weak. Then | bowed ana withdrew.
leaving them to mutter and dispense.
| felt well content with the trend Of
events-I who wished to impress the
public and the financiers that | mad
broken with speculation and specula-
tors, could | have had better than
this unexpected opportunity sharply
to define my new course! And as
Textiles, unsupported, fell toward the
close Of the day, my content rose to-
ward my normal high spirits. There
was no whisper in the Street that |
was in trouble; on the contrary. the
idea was gaining ground that | had
really long ceased to be a stock
gambler and deserved a much better
reputation than | had.
searched with a good deal OF anK-
iety, as you may imagine. the early
editions of the afternoon papers. The
first article my eye chanced upon
was a mere wordy elaboration Of the
brief and vague announcement Mon
son had put in the Herald. Later
came an interview with old Ellersly.
Not at all mysterious" he had said
to the reporters. "Mr. Blackjack
found he would have to go abroad
on business sOon-he didn't know
Just when. On the spur of the mo-
ment they decided to marry" A
good enough story, and | confirmed
II when | admitted the reporters. |
read their estimates of my fortune
and Of Anita's with rather bitter
amusement-she whose father was
living from hand to mouth: who
could not have emerged from q forced
settlement with enough to enable me
to keep a trap. Still. when one is
rich. the reputation Of being rich is
heavily expensive; but when one ID
poor the reputation Of being rich can
be made a wealth-giying asset.
Even as I was reading these fables
Of my millions, there lay on the desk
before me q statement OF the exact
posture Of my affairs-a memoran
dunn made by myself for my own eyes
and TO be burned as soon as | mas
tered It. On the face of the figures
the balance against me was appalling
My chief asset, indeed my only asset
that measured up toward my debts
was my Coal stocks. those brought
and those contracted for; and. wh,lt
their par value far exceeded my iia
bilites, they had to appear In ms
memorandum at their actual narke
value on that day. I looked at ths
calendAr-seyenteen days sntii the
Reorganization scheme would be "a
nounced, only seventeen days!
Less than three business weeks
and | should be out Of the storm ant
sailing safer and smoother seas thar
had ever known. ITO indulge II
vague hopes Is bad" thought |, "bu
not to indulge In q hope, especial!
when one has only It between hin
and the pit" And I proceeded u
plan on the not unwarranted sasump
ton that my Coal hope was q presen
reality. Indeed, what alternative ha,
I! To put It among the futures un
certaintes was to put myself anon,
the utterly ruined. Using a. collat
eral the Coal stocks had bough
outright, borrowed more money
and with It went still deeper into tn,
Coal venture. Everything or nothing
since the chances in my favor wer
q thousand. to practically none agains
me. Everything or nothing!-sinc
only By taking everything could
possibly save anything at all.
Homet For the first time since
was q squat little slip of a shaver tn
world had personal meaning 70
me. Perhaps. II the only other hom
Of mine had been less uninvitng.
should not have looked forward wit
such high beating of the heart to tina
cold home Anita was making for ms
No. withdraw that It 10 fellow
like me. to whom kindly looks and vi
bought attentions are az unfamilia
as flowers to the Arctc-it is me
Ike me that appreciate and treas
ure and warm upi under the faintes
show or shadowy suggestion Of tn
sunshine Of continent I'd be Q III
tie ashamed to say how much none
I handed cut To beggars and stree
gamins that tay. had q home Z
60 to!
Ar ny electric drew up ct the WI
: ioughby's. q carriage backed to mai
room for It | recognised the horse
and the coachman and the crest
"Hov long has Mrs Ellersly bee
With my wife7" I asked the elevate
boy. a. he was taking me up.
About half an hour. sir" he q