Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-02-06

The principal shook hands with Walter
and withdrew. When his tall form had
vanished, Walter sat down and tried to
realize the fact of his fathers sickness :;
but this he found difficult. 1t was long
time before he got to sleep but at length
he did sleep, waking in time only for a
hasty preparation for the homeward jour
| ney.
He was so occupied with thoughts of
his father that it was not till he was well
on the way home that it occurred to him
that this was his fifteenth birthday, to
which he had been looking forward for
Some time.
The seat IN front of Walter was for
some time vacant; but at the Woodville
station two gentlemen got in and entered
upon an animated conversation. Walter
did not at first pay any attention to it.
He was looking out of the window list
| lessly, unable to fix his mind upon any
thing except his fathers sickness. But
at length his attention was caught by
some remarks made by one of the gentle
men in front, and from this point he list
enc dlanguidly.
Il suspected him TO be swindler when
he first came to me-" said the gentleman
sitting next the window. He hadn't an
| honest look, and ] was determined not
to have anything to do with his scheme
Mining companies are risky things al
ways. | once got taken in to the tune
OF five thousand dollars, but it taught me
lesson. So l was not particularly i'm
pressed with the brilliant prospectus of
the Great Metropolitan Mining Company,
in spite of its high-sounding name, and
its promised dividend of thirty per cent.
Depend upon it, James Wall and his con-
federates will pocket all the dividends
! that are made"
Very likely you are right. But it may
be that Wall really believed there was
good chance of making money"
"Of course he did, but he was deter
mined to make the money for himself,
and not for the stockholders"
| Il might have been tempted to invest,
but all my money was locked up at the
time, and l could not have done so with
out borrowing the money, and that | was
resolved not to do
1T was fortunate for you that you
didn't, for the bubble has already burst
There will be many losers. By the way,
| hear that Mr.. Conrad of Willoughby
was largely interested. He is rich man,
but for all that he may have gone in be-
yond his means"
Il am sorry for him, but that was reck-
| less"
Yes, he was completely taken in by
| Wall He's a smooth fellow"
When the gentlemen left the cars Wal
| ter saw one of them had left a morning
paper lying in the seat. He picked it up
and examined the columns until his eyes
| fell upon the following paragraph:
The failure of the Great Metropolitan
Mining Company proves to be disas-
| trous one The assets will not be suffi-
cient to pay more than five per cent of
the amount of the sums invested by the
stockholders, possibly not that. There
must have been gross mismanagement
somewhere or such a result could hardly
have been reached. We understand that
the affairs of the company are in the
hands of assignees who are empowered to
wind them up. The stockholders in this
vicinity will await the result with anx-
iety."
THAT looks rather discouraging, to be
sure" thought Walter. II suppose father
will lose a good deal. But I'll tell him
| he needn't worry about me. shan't mind
being poor, even If it comes to that As
| long as he rs left to me, | won't COM
plain"
The time passed until the cars stopped
az Willoughby station. Walter jumped
over fence and took his way across the
fields to his fathers house. By the road
it would have been a mile, but it was
| scarcely more than half a mile by the foot
path.
| He went up the pathway to the front
door and rang the bell. The door was
opened by Nancy Forbes, the housekeeper,
whose name was appended to the tele-
gram.
so it's you, Master Walter" she said
81 am glad you are home, but it's a sud
home you're come to-"
us father very sick, them" asked Wal
ter, turning pale.
MY dear child, your father died at
eight o'clock this morning."