Gilpin observer., 1913-06-19
SPEAKING OF CHANCE
BY F. H. FERGUSON.

Not to me-
well, isn't everything a gamble.
business or sport?" asked Dewitt.
You can't tell how you are coming
out, no matter how careful you are
about going in. The chance that stocks
will go up or down is just the same
as the chance that the ball will fall in
the red or the black on the roulette
Wheel"
Not the same" rejoined Loomis,
"for full knowledge of the market and
the holdings enables the operator to
forecast ordinary fluctuations. There
can be no forecast of a happening
that is governed only by chance"
MAY | suggest" interposed the pro-
fessor, that the analysis is destructive
of both contentious. Mr.. Loomis as
sumes that there are happenings gov
erned' by chance. Perhaps if he will
examine the phrase he will discover
that it is paradoxical. Is what he calls
chance governed by something?"
Loomis hesitated. and Dewitt
laughed 81 think the professor agrees
with my view"
''On the contrary" said the profess
sor. Il believe there is no such thing
as chance. More, am willing to rest
my belief on your experience. Have
you ever known of an occurrence that
ultimately proved to be utterly pur-
poseless and out of time? Don't an
swer me too quickly. Let me tell you
of strange series of what my friend
Loomis calls chances. The story has
just come to me fairly complete.
Mine years ago two children, BROTH
er and sister, were placed in char
table institution in New York city
Their mother had died and left them
unprovided for, their father had dis
appeared some time before. The boy
was ten years old, the girl seven
After year in the institution the boy
ran away, and, strange to say, left
the city and followed the railroad
westward. 1t was in the summer and
he made his way easily for fruit and
plentiful and sleeping out Of doors was
not hardship. He had many ad-
ventures along the road, but none
worth mention until late in September,
when he found himself in little vii
lage in southern Michigan. His cloth
ing had been worn to rags and he was
beginning to be shy Of town, fearing
arrest and possibly forced return to
New York. But in Mattawan he saw
kind-faced woman who not only
gave him meal but complete suit
of clothes, and who talked to him with
so much interest that he told her
more of his story than he had con-
fided to any other new acquaintance.
He said that his parents were dead.
that he was going to California, where
the gold came from, and that he had
made his way alone from Rochester.
The woman tried to induce him to
stay for time with her but he was
afraid and got away as quickly as he
could
HE arrived in San Francisco Christ
mas week, by that time well Injured to
hardship but still self-reliant His first
meal in that city was earned the next
morning selling papers, for he found
not only instruction but help among
the newsboys. For a long time he
made no more than a bare living, but
by the time of the fire he had begun
to save. Three years ago, then fifteen
years old, he realized that he needed
an education more than anything else,
and he began to attend night school.
He kept his place on the street selling
the morning papers, but in the after
noon gave it up to others while he
went to his studies. Last November
he learned of a place with an engineer
ing firm here that would be open for
him if he could prepare for it. To
make 1t he would require at least six
months at the university, and it SEEM
ed out Of his reach. He needed 5000
to sustain him, for he would be oblig-
ed to give up his newspaper selling.
Every plan he could think of present
ed the same necessity-More money
and he knew of no way to get 1t. Two
days later he picked up purse on the
walk where he had stood SO many
mornings, and in the purse was 5000.
1t seemed like direct answer to his
wishes, but he wanted to be honest.
The next morning he turned quickly
but tremblingly to the lost and found
advertisements. What he hoped not
to see was there, and two hours later
he was on his way to the address
given. To his knock the door open
ed and there, not recognized for a
minute Of curious surprise and strug-
Cling recollection, stood his sister,
whom he had not seen for seven years.
Her story was even more interesting
than his. She had been chosen from
among her many companions in the in
stitution and adopted by childless
couple from Michigan. who had visited
New York with this purpose in mind.
A long time after she had become
wonted to her new home she told her
foster mother Of her brother, who
had run away three years before.
With her description the kind.faced
woman recalled the boy she had fed