And
'twas the makin' of him, too."
Pearson was embarrassed and troubled. If this big-hearted, simple-minded
countryman had come to New York to buck the stock market, it was time
to sound a warning. But had he, on such short acquaintance, the right to
warn? The captain was shrewd in his own way. Might not the warning seem
presumptuous?
"So--this--this friend of yours was a successful speculator, was he?" he
asked. "He was lucky."
"Think so? Well, maybe. His name was Elkanah Chase, and his dad was old
man 'Rastus Chase, who made consider'ble in cranberries and one thing
or 'nother. The old man brought Elkanah up to be what he called a
gentleman. Ho! ho! Hi hum! I ain't sure what 'Rastus's idea of
a gentleman was, but if he cal'lated to have his son a tramp in
go-to-meetin' clothes, he got his wish. When the old man died, he willed
the boy fifteen thousand dollars. Well, fifteen thousand dollars is a
fortune to some folks--if they ain't economizin' in New York--but to
Elkanah 'twas just about enough to make him realize his poverty. So,
to make it bigger, he got one of them 'tips' from a college friend down
here in Wall Street, and put the heft of ten thousand into it. AND, I
swan, if it didn't double his money!"
Captain Elisha's visitor shook his head.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142