Evening journal., 1912-05-27
Business Versus
Luck
BY THOMAS c. DEANE

There's a lot of luck in the world"
said John Jones, who in his younger
days had been an inveterate gambler.
when I was betting on the cards my
friends used to consider me all gone
wrong. SO ! was. but It was not the
chances of the game that did it; 1t was
the fact that gambling has a bad effect
on the gambler. I'm speaking. Of
course. of fair game. A man who
plays with professionals is sure TO get
cleaned out.
Il was playing one Of those games
once when | was handed a note from
Tom Andrews. an old friend Of mine.
asking me to send him $500. Within
few hours | had won $1,000, and the
$500 was very small affair to me-
thought Of sending Andrews the
money.
1T occurred to me that within q
few hours more ] would probably have
lost all my winnings. then I could draw
on him for enough to start in with
again. But was so absorbed in the
game that ] doubt II this more than
flashed through my mind.
81 didn't get cleaned out that day,
but did within a week. | didn't have
enough money to buy breakfast with
was walking along the street looking
longingly into restaurants when who
should come along but Tom Andrews.
81 was much Obliged 20 you for
that loan you made me the other day.
he began.
II. but l had forgotten all about the
$500 | had sent him. Then all Of a
sudden Il all came back to me.
you're just the man want , said.
I'm strapped Let me have hundred
or two to begin again
"He looked kind a blank. I'm awful
sorry he said I wanted that money
for a friend, not for myself. He had
once saved me from ruin. The day
sent to you he came TO me and said
that he had the prettiest opportunity
Of making big spec you ever saw.
All he needed was $500. Well. 1t put
me in a very unpleasant position.
was under great obligation to him,
and yet / hadn't the money for him.
so ! told him that ! thought / could
borrow Il for him. but as he was go
Ing into a speculation with It thought
the lender should be interested in his
profits II he made any. / knew You
took flyers with cards. and / didn't
know but you'd take one In another
way. l wrote you all about It In the
note l sent asking for the loan which
was Didn't you read itT
mo. ] didn'tr | snapped. I may
take chances on cards. but I'm not
such a fool as to loan money to a man
l never heard OF 10 speculate with.
Let me have half dollar to buy a
breakfast with
"Tom let me have $40. ate up a
dollar OF II and sank the rest In the
usual way.
about that time fell IN love. My
Girl wouldn't have me unless broke
of gambling entirely; so. as | couldn't
do without her. | promised never to
touch card again. We were married.
and 10 please her ] went into the
safest business / could find ! set up
corner grocery But / must estab-
lish a trade, aud the only way to do
that was to trust those who hadn't
the money convenient TO pay with.
This drew In the class of persons who
run up big bills and let the grocer
whistle for his money l started in
with a $4,000 capital that / had won
at gambling. and It gradually got con-
verted into uncollectable debts l
Skinned along for awhile. Then one
morning the sheriff came down on me
and closed me out.
"I went home to my wife and told
her that / didn't see the difference in
taking risks on purchasers and on
cards. AT least what difference there
was was in favor OF the cards. She
said that the trouble with me was that
I was no manager II we ever did
get set up again she proposed to take
the management Of our affairs into
her own hands and would show me
that. while there was a good deal in
luck. there we're conditions on which
one could calculate almost to a GER
tainty.
"But we didn't get set mp in a hurry.
We passed through several years OF
poverty that make my fesh creep 10
remember. We had several kids and
70 live in comfort required an income
we didn't have. 7 was tempted 10
try the cards again. but my wife
wouldn't hear Of it. was too old to
get situation. and l was so wracked
with worry that my health broke
down.
lone morning on opening my mail
found a letter from a man had never
heard OF lncloslng a check for SS4.500.
The letter said that some years previ-
Gus he had purchased with money
loaned by me a suburban tract. which
he had laid out into lots and had re-
Gently sold the last lot He had prom
ised Thomas Andrews. through whom
the loan had been made. that the lender
should have half the profits Of the
proposed speculation. would ind a
check inclosed for my share Of the
profits less expenses. plus interest on
$500 for seven years.
"Waving the check aloft. / cried out
to my wife, It's all luck and nothing
else
Having read the letter she remark
ed coolly. 1T isn't luck with that man
at all; it's business
How do you knows I asked
Hes put In the interest on the