The Yale expositor., 1916-12-21
LEARNING TO SPECULATE
BY S. J. PHILLIPS.

Miss Edith Manchesters father spec
ulated In stocks and bonds and shares
and notes, and almost always made
money at IL. Ever since Edith was six
teen years old-and she had come to
be twenty now-she had heard her
father talk of his business until she
was fairly forced to take an interest
in it. Finally she became so interest
ed that she read of finance In the daily
papers. She often thought she read
of opportunities In which she might
have invested a few hundred dollars
and have made great gains.
Miss Edith got a liberal supply OF
pin money from her father, and when
he had made a lucky strike he pre-
sented her with fifty-dollar bill. She
decided to save up as much money as
she could and try her luck in the stock
market. Her father would laugh at
her If he knew her plan. So she kept
ii secret. When the time came at
last and she had five hundred dollars
laid by she went quietly to a brokers'
office to make an investment. The
broker was fatherly-lOoking man. and,
being told that il was her first specula-
tion, he said he would pick her out
something that would be sure to win
out.
The Wild Goose Silver Mine had
! been plOdding along with its stock at
GS, but there was something coming.
lie was not at liberty to tell just what,
but he was sure the stock would take Il
-. Il. IA
! fit of it. She would not make hatful
Of money by only investing her five
/ hundred dollars. but she would be
| learning how to speculate. For five
! hundred dollars he would sell her Il
! bond, and she could take ii home and
! hide it safely away and say nothing to
anyone until the jump had taken place.
Ii looked very simple and very good
to Miss Edith, and she put down her
money and went away with the bond.
Two weeks thereafter she heard two
men in a subway train talking about
the Wild Goose Silver mine. They said
it was one of the biggest swindles ever
worked off on the public, and that il
was on the point of a collapse that
would be known through the papers in
q few days.
The girls first impulse was to 90 to
her father about it, but her second was
not to do so. Her first move was TO
buy a horsewhip, and her next was to
call on the broker again. If he re-
fused to return her money, she would
lay the lash on him.
When Miss Edith made her call it
was about the noon hour, and she en-
tered the brokers' office TO find him
busy with figures at a table which
brought his back to the door. At sight
of the individual who had cajoled her
into parting with her savings, sud-
den wave Of indignation swept over
her, and she drew the horsewhip from
under her cloak and began to lay it
over his back. OF course the victim
was surprised. He rose to his feet and
faced around, and, behold, it was not
the broker. 1t was a young man,
young man who had also bought
bond of the Wild Goose Silver COM
pany. He had also discovered that he
had been swindled and was there TO
raise a fuss about 1t. OF course there
were apologies, and the two were talk
ing very amicably together when the
broker arrived from his lunch.
Young Mr.. Henderson talked
straight from the shoulder, and when
he paused for breath, Miss Edith did
some talking that was almost as en-
phatic. The broker saw the horse
whip, and he saw the young man re-
move his coat and spit on his hands,
and he quietly said:
"very well, my children-very well.
| will give you both checks for your
money. l assure you that you are en-
tirely mistaken in me, and are doing
a very foolish thing, but we will let
all that CO."
1t was two weeks later when Mr..
Henderson called, and his call was
made just after the girls father had
been asked
Father, what stock would you adj
wise anyone TO invest in just now?"
"Why, the Wild Goose Silver Min
ing company seems to be a good thing
just now," was his reply.
allow much of good thing?"
"You could have seen by the papers
this morning that it had jumped to 105
and was still soaring. i think shall
go down and buy a big block of It."
Mr.. Henderson had called TO break
the news to Miss Edith. They con-
doled and consoled each other. but it
was too late. The young man had been,
horsewhipped and both together had
been deprived of making a smart little
profit.
Mr.. Henderson made n third cali
soon. II was partly TO tell Miss Edith
that the Wild Goose was flying higher
and higher, and partly to get better
acquainted with her. 1t seemed a
good time to tell her father all about
it and the story was told. He laughed
uproariously and then said:
"Why, the broker you went TO is one
of the most honest of the lot. You
couldn't get him to cheat any of his
cuStomprS"