The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-18
EVENING STORY
Learning to Speculate.

specialized in stocks and bonds and
shares and notes, and almost always
made money at it. Ever since Edith
was sixteen years old-and she had
come to be twenty now-she had
heard her father talk of the business
until she was fairly forced to take an
interest in it. Finally she became so
interested 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 mucn 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 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 a 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.
The Wild Goose Silver Mine had
been plodding along with it's stock at
IS, but there was something coming.
He was not at liberty to tell just what,
but he was sure the stock would take
a long jump and she would get the
benefit of it. She would not make a
hatful of money by only investing her
$500, but she would be learn
ing how to speculate. For $500 he
would sell her a bond, and she could
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 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 it was on the point of a collapse
that would be known thru the papers
in a 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 a novice at
Speculation, he had deliberately sold
her a worthless bond and swindled
her out of her money.
The girls first impulse was to go to
her father about it, but her second was
not to do so. He would be sarcastic
over ner speculation LOT the HcAI year.
She had no big brother and did not
want to call in another girls brother.
If anything was done she must do it
herself Her first move was to buy
a horsewhip and her next was to call
on the broker again. If he refused to
return her money, she would lay the
lash on him, and, as the meeting
would take place in his office, the
newspapers would not find 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' office to find him
busy with figures at the table which
brought his back to the door. She
opened the door without knocking. AT
sight of the individual who had cajol-
! ed her into parting with her savings,
sudden 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, and after he had felt
the lash five or six times. the girl was
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 who had also bought
bond of Wild Goose Silver company.
He had also discovered that he had
/ been swindled, and was there to raise
! fuss about it. He had found no one
| in the office, and had sat down to
wait Of course there were apologies,
and the two were talking am1cabiy
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
straight from the shoulder, and when
! he paused for breath, Miss Edith did
fol in h1 ~
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. 1 assure you that you are en-
tirely mistaken in me, and ere doing
a very foolish thing, but we will let all
that go"
He sat down and wrote two checks
and handed hem over, and was SO
nice about it that both felt chagrined
as they left the office. They had ex-
/ changed names and addresses, of
1 course, but so far as Miss Edith was
concerned, 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 adj
wise any one to invest in just now"
why, the Wild Goose Silver Mining
company seems TO be a good thing just
now was his reply.
How much of good thing?"
You should have seen by the pa
pers this morning that it had jumped
to los and was still soaring. l think
shall go down and buy 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 a third call