Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-12
Epening Story
LEARNING TO SPECULATE.
Copyright 1916, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate

Z y
Ito 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 few hundred
dollars and have made great gains.
! Miss Edith got liberal supply Of
!, pin money from her father. and when
/, he had made lucky strike he pre-
scented 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
it a secret When the time came at
last and she had FIVE hundred dollars
laid by she went quietly to brokers'
Office to make an investment. The
broker was a fatherly looking man,
and. being told that it was her first
speculation, he said he would pick her
out something that would be sure to
win out. As rule. he said. he did
not care for female customers, as they
always kicked when they lost, but in
! her case-he would make an excep-
| ton.
4, The Wild Goose Silver Mine had
( been plodding along with its stock at
1853, but there was something coming.
! He was not at liberty to tell just what,
but he was sure the stock would take
long jump and she would get the
! benefit of it. She would not make a
hatful of money by only investing her
x11I1 hit CHI hn To- rr.
ing how to speculate. For $500 he
would sell her bond, and she could
i take it home and hide it safely away
and say nothing to any one until the
jump had taken place. Then she
could bring it down to him and sell it
back at the increased price.
1t 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 subway train talking about
the Wild Goose Silver Mine. They
said it was one of the biggest swindles
ever worked Of on the public. and that
lit was on the point of a collapse that
would be known through the papers in
Ia few days. They said plenty to in
form the girl that she had been swim
died by the broker. He had lied to,
her. knowing that she was novice
at speculation. he had deliberately
sold her worthless bond and swindled
her out of her money
The girls first impulse was to 60 to
her father about it. but her second was
not to do so. He would be sarcastic
over her speculation for the next yeaT.
She had no big brother and did not
want to call in another girls big broth
must do it herself. Her next move.
was to brv a horsewhip. and her mex
was to call on the broker again. If
he refused to return her money. she
would lay the lash on him. and. as theI
meeting would take place in his ONCE
the newspa pers would not And out
about it. She went over this plan
again and again and finally decided
that it was the proper. thing to do
When Miss Edith made her call it
was about the noon hour. and she en-
tered the brokers once to fnd him
busy with figures at table which
brought his back to the door. She
opened the door without knocking. At
sisht of the individual who had ca
ioled her into parting with her saw
ings. a sudden wave OF indignation
swept over her, and she drew the
horsewhip from under her cloak and
began to lay 1t over his back. or
course the victim was surprised. and
after he had felt the lash Ave or six
times. the girl wa. also surprised.
He rose to his feet and faced around.
and. behold it was not the broker. 1t
was a young man.. a young man VINO
had also bought a bond of the Wild
Goose Silver company He had also
discovered that he had been swindled,
and was there to raise fuss about 1t.
He had found no one in the office.
and had sat down to wait. or course
there were apologies. and the two were
talking very amicably together when
the broker arrived from his lunch. He
greeted them with smiles, and was
looking quite the father, when the
young man began to talk.
Young Mr. Henderson talked
straigh. 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 lie quietly said:
VERY we'll, my chIldren-very well.
| will give you both checks for your
money. assure you that you are en-
tirely mistaken in ME, and are doing a
very foolish thing. but we will let all
that go"
He sat down AMI wrote two checlis
and handed them over, and was so nice
about it that both felt chagrined AS
they left the office. They had ex-
changed names and addresses. Of
course, but SO far as Miss Edith was
she never expected to see
the young man again.
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 ad-
wise any one to invest in just now?"
why. the Wild Goose Silver Min
ing company seems to be good thing
just now" was the reply.
How much of good thing