The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-10-05
CHAPTER TX

MY dear General" said Mr.. Colby,
Il really cannot understand how such
wise old fox as you ever came to be
involved In this transaction From
the very first it was obviously wild
speculation"
Man." announced the General, sis a
speculative animal. The instinct for
taking a chance is as old as the hu-
man race"
"You mean the instinct for getting
something for nothing, don't your"
"Call it what you like, it amounts
to the same thing. Every man enjoys
gamble. even yourself"
"And how" inquired the lawyer. do
you make me out a gambler?"
"Why," replied the General, "easy
enough. Every time you go into court
to argue case you're dealing with
chance"
Really! l should have thought that
few trifles like justice, experience
and intelligence were the governing
elements"
81 don't say there isn't something in
those things, but the element of
chance enters into every case you try
just the same, and you know it. 1t
makes lot of difference to you what
judge is trying your case. 1t makes
lot of difference to you whether the
opposing counsel is an able man or a
bOnehead. Chance, again. 1t makes
a difference whether the judge slept
well the night before. More chance.
There's lot of luck about your jury,
too. Sometimes you want an intel
ligent jury and you get stupid one.
Sometimes you want dumbbells and
you get smart Alexis. Don't tell me |
Every time you try case you take a
chance, and suppose that's how you
satisfy your particular liking for
gamble"
The lawyer and his client were
iunching at the top of Broadway cliff.
In the beautiful grill room which was
the feature of the Lawyers club. Cen
eral Leavitt, q. S. A.. Retired, was a
ford, hearty man of seventy-one or
two, who, though still in full posses
sion of all his physical and mental
faculties, had been relegated to more
or less private life few years pre-
viously by the operation of the age
limit law. He had taken the precau-
ton when quite young soldier of pro-
viding for his old age by marrying a
rich wife. She had died some ten
years before, and 1t was concerning
the management of her property, which
she had left entirely to the General,
that he was now conversing with his
counsel.
"As l was saying, Alexander, "he
went on" you should cultivate the
sporting instinct outside of your own
profession. 1t will rattle your bones
bit. Now there's your son-in-law !;
he's got the right idea. He's busi-
ness man from ten to three, and after
that he's a sportsman, though | must
say the last time saw him be didn't
seem to be having any the best of the
luck. By the way, do you ever go TO
BrOmfield's?"
"No," said Colby, mot since | was
a young fellow and Bromfield used to
run place at Saratoga. 1t was rather
amusing in those days"
Everything was more amusing In
those days." sighed the General. How
ever, our friend Bromfield is still graf
flying the human propensity for TAX
ing a chance, even though his stage
setting is not what 1t was"
"Er-you say" inquired Colby cas-
ually, my son-in-law didn't seem to
be having the best of luck last time
you saw him there?"
"Well, no, Alexander" returned the
soldier, "he wasn't what you might
call eating 'em up. But l didn't stay
to see the finish. | quit about two
thirty a. m. I'm not as young as
was!"
But really" said Mr.. Colby, get
ting back to business, this speculative
transaction of yours"
"Oh d-n it," said the General, 'let
up. If | didn't play around little
should go mad, bite myself in the calf
of the leg and die of hydrOphobia. If
It wasn't for people like me what the
hi do you think would become Of
people like you, l should like to
know?"
Descending to his Office ten stories
below, Mr.. Colby kept two millionaires
waiting fifteen minutes while he COLI
sidered the case of his son-in-law. He
had been somewhat disappointed by
his daughters choice, but true to his
announcement to Doris, he had not
voiced that disappointment. He had
made up his mind not to interfere
either in her choice of a husband or
in her relations with that husband,
once she had acquired him. Never
theless he kept his eyes wide open, ac-
cOrding to his custOm-for while he
knew the peril of unwise interference
between husband and wife, he was de-
termined to be in position to help
his daughter If the time should ever
come when she should ask it.
(To BE CoNTINUED.D