The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-05-10
| the fair sex had always regarded az
ominous, and before her Quietness ]
now sat wretchedly.
CHAPTER viii.
Boy.

I know Of few things more uneoW
Portable than for q man to pose -
fore the woman he loves in the garo
Of a sage, and being suddenly W
yelled to realize that he stands ~
vealed to her as q naked fool. That ]
had been asinine enough to air my
opinions to her as self-styled expert
upon such an impossible proposition
40 the winner Of horse race CALLED
mo to the marrow. My humiliation
was all the more complete for the
reason that in this, the first financial
transaction in which had advised
her, she had come to grief. No oas
knew better than the unforgivatle
ness of my ofiense. Man may lead
woman astray in love and be weps
over through the darkness OF many
night; he may counsel her out q
her hope Of hereafter and yet die
with her arms around his mech; 10
may separate her from the world ana
still reign as her king. but when no
separates her from her pocket-book
he becomes rascal or clown In her
eyes. Just how Mrs. Dace made me-
know that I had lost caste IN hee
favor was not thing that could =:
analysed, but in some mysterious wa
she saw to It that knew It. Perhaps
it was by the almost imperceptiole
arching Of her eyebrows when
CHANGED to express my views upon
some matter: perhaps it was in tho
occult way some women have OF NAH
Ing you uncomfortable when they
wish you to be 30 without discernablo
physical manifestations on their paEts
and perhaps 1t was partially due -
my own sensitiveness upon the sue'
feet. More than likely It was q com
pound Of the three. Be that a. 1t may.
I became almost timid in her pres
ence: and knowing that this wou'o
never do grow desperate. I had never
believed that 4 man could retain .
woman's love unless he could COM
mand her respect as to his mentality.
and I. therefore, determined to REIN
state myself to my former position az
any cost. Clearly tho only way !
could do this would be to reimburse
her for her loss in so delicate man
ner that she could neither take offense
nor refuse. pondered over the mat
ter for about ten days and determined
to take a plunge, sink or swim.
transferred what money had In the
savings bank to my overdrawn check
ing account.
I had been watching the steady riss
Of a certain stock upon the exchange
; for some months with secret covetous1
ness. It pertained to vast system OF
underground railways which were to
honeycomb the depths beneath the
city. The franchise had been secured
, through political sorceries. and thu
capital to float the enterprise was DO
Ing raised by public investment. Al
J steadily as the mercury mounts under
a summer sun the stock had advanced
point by point from merely nominal
sum until It had reached thirty cent?
on the dollar. The more ponderet
upon the yearly increasing value o.
such system as the overhead street.
became more congested, tho more
became convinced that public rumol
! would be verified and that the stool
! would soon be at par. Without con
flding in any one except my broker
). and binding him to secrecy. maj
xined q considerable quantity OF 1t AM
!. watched it, daily rise with hear
that mounted az steadily as my fo'
y tunes. A week later strolled owe
to sec Mrs. Dace.
rro RE CONTTNUED)