THE cOLONEL'S INVESTMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1383, 1 June 1878, Page 3

THE cOLONEL'S INVESTMENT.

Our friend the Old Colonel (says, the Chicago Journal) is continually making investments on a small scale, which disappoint him in their results. He has a spendthrift of a young nephew who wrote to him from St. Louis, saying :—: — Dear Uncle — There is a fellow down here who offers to bet me a $100 greenback that nobody will lend me that amount of money. Now, I have taken the bet, and if you will write me a letter, enclosing a draft for $100, saying you lend it to me, I will divide with you equally the $100 that I will win from the fellow. I will send the $50 by the very first mail — sure. He sent the young scapegrace the $100. We happened to be in his office when he opened the return letter, a day or two afterwards, inclosing $50. The Colonel shook his fat sides as he read the nephew's missive, which ran thus :—: — ' " Hurrah ! We've won the fool's money, dear uncle. Here's your $50. Much obliged. Yours, Tom." "He's a reckless rogue, the boy is," remarked the Colonel. " But you see he is honest ! He does as he agrees — all our family always do that. " "But Colonel," we remarked, "you say you sent the boy $100." " sTes, a draft for §100 — and here, you Bee, he sends me my half as prompt as the clock." " And you say your nephew is honest, and has done the fair thing." "Certainly — don't you see?— here's the $50." " Yes ; but where is the $100 you sent him." The Colonel's smiling face became grave — he scratched his head — then pulled his moustache— then looked at ua for a> moment, with mouth and eyes wide open. "Sure enough," he muttered; "I hadn't thought of that. He ought to> have sent me $150 ; the young rascal has done me out of $100 as clean as a whistle. Well, well, I'm an old fool ; that's a fact." A conference between the Alloa join«r» and their masters has resulted in a decision that the wages should remain as at present' — 7\ per hour — for the next three months, the masters at the same time giving notice ■ that at the end of that time a reduction . Id would be made*