THE LION AND THE MOUSE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 96, 18 December 1912, Page 7

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

(By Emanuel Julius.)

For the thousandth time, Middleton Loomis, money lord and stork gambler, stopped at the newstand of Jimmy and bought his favourite paper.

“Nice mornin’,” was Jimmy’s unfailing greeting.

Loomis grunted assent, as was his habit. But for a moment he pondered over a thought that had suggested itself to him. “Here’s a boy who deals in pennies; I deal in millions—l see him every day with his same cheerful face, his happy laugh—he must make his pennies go a long way,” Loomis thought. And then he moved on. “What if I were to fall from millions to pennies? What would I do?” Loomis asked himself. His answer was a mental picture of himself prone on the floor, pistol in hand, gap in head. It was Friday, the thirteenth —the famous Friday—Black Friday. And Loomis was at the wrong end of everything. As the hours were slowly 1 ticked off, the thin strips of paper fell from the ticker spelled: Ruin! Ruined! Absolutely ruined! Completely ruined! Every dollar lost — hundreds of thousands of dollars gone, never to return. Middleton Loomis, money lord, was now penniless. Ho smiled bitterly as he gazed blankly into space. “What a fall!” he sighed. “Ho-W will 'she” receive the news?” Loomis asked, half aloud. Just then the telephone bell rang. When the brief message was received, Loomis felt as though he were about to faint. His wife had heard the news —and had died from the shock!

Yesterday j a millionaire; now, a pauper! So turn the wheels of destiny ! \

Loomis arose from his seat with but one determination in mind—suicide !

It was Ins plan to go to a hotel, and there—die.

Loomis hurried to the street, looking neither to the right or left. His mind was made up. Nothing, he argued, inwardly, was to stop him. “What else can I do?” he asked. “What else is there for me to do? I’m down—far down—too far down to ever come up again! In the struggle for gold all are brutes—cannibals! We eat one (another! I was no better. 1 ate scores. And now, I am swallowed.”

And then, Loomis added; “There isn’t a person in the world willing to lend me a helping hand—now that I’m down—there’s nothing for mo to do but end 'it all. . . •”

“I’m awfully sorry for you,” a shrill voice piped. Loomis looked down. There before him stood Jimmy. “Look,” added Jimmy, opening one of his papers, “see what the paper says. You’ve lost all your money.” In big type Loomis’ name stood out —Ruined! Ruined! Ruined!

“Yes,” he answered. “I’m licked. Everything’s gone—wife, friends, money—all gone—for ever.” “I’m willing to help you,” Jimmy added quickly. Loomis could not help smiling. “How?” ho asked quickly, suddenly becoming curious.

“Why, I’ll be glad to let you have your paper just the same as ever—and you won’t have to pay for it,” Jimmy answered, .his voice ringing with sincerity.

Tears gathered in Loomis’ eyes. “I—l—thanks, Jimmy, thanks,” he said, chokingly. Loomis hurried on, leaving Jimmy ignorant of the fact that a human life had been saved.