Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-01-18
the fair sex had always regarded as
ominous, and before her quietness
now sat wretchedly.
CHAPTER VIII.

I know of few things more uncom-
Portable than for a man to pose be-
fore the woman he loves in the garb
of sage, and being suddenly I'M
yelled to realize that he stands re-
vealed to her as a naked fool That I
had been asinine enough to air my
opinions to her as a self-styled expert
upon such an impossible proposition
as the winner of a horse race CALLED
me to the marrow. My humiliation
was all the more complete for the
reason that in this. the first financial
transaction in which I had advised
her, she had come to grief No one
knew better than I the unforgivabIe-
ness of my offense Man may lead
woman astray in love and be wept
over through the darkness of many
night; he may counsel her out of
her hope of a hereafter and yet die
with her arms around his neck; he
may separate her from the world and
still reign as her king, but when he
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 her
favor was not a thing that could be
analysed, but in some mysterious way
she saw to it that [ knew it. Perhaps
it was by the almost imperceptible
arching of her eyebrows when
CHANGED to express my views upon
some matter; perhaps it was in the
occult way some women have of max
ing you uncomfortable when they
wish you to be so without discernable
physical manifestations on their part,
and perhaps it was partially due to
my own sensitiyeness upon the SUBJ
ject. More than likely it was COM
pound of the three Be that as it may,
became almost timid in her pres
ence; and knowing that this would
never do, grow desperate. l had never
believed that man could retain a
wOman's love unless he could com
mand her respect as to his mentality,
and ], therefore, determined to rein
state myself TO my former position at
any cost Clearly the only way
could do this would be to reimburse
her for her loss in so delicate a man
ner that she could neither take offense
nor refuse. I pondered overethe mat
ter for about ten days and determined
to take a plunge, sink or swim. l
transferred what money I had in the
savings bank to my overdrawn check
ing account.
had been watching the steady rise
of certain stock upon the exchange
for some months with secret covetous-
ness. 1t pertained to vast system Of
underground railways which we're to
honeycomb the depths beneath the
city The franchise had been secured
through political ,sorceries, and the
capital to float the enterprise was be-
ing raised by public investment. As
steadily as the mercury mounts under
summer sun the stock had advanced
point by point from merely nominal
sum until it had reached thirty cents
on the dollar. The more I pondered
upon the yearly increasing value Of
such a system as the overhead streets
became more congested, the more 1
became convinced that public rumor
would be verified and that the stock
would soon be at par. Without con-
fding in any one except my broker,
and binding him to secrecy, ] mar
gfned a considerable quantity of it and
watched its daily rise with heart
that mounted as steadily as my for
tunes. A week later 1 strolled over
to see Mrs. Dace.
ITO Pc C0NTINITEDl