The old man dried his eyes and went on--"Over 50 years ago when I was a young man, I lived near St. Joseph, Missouri. I went to school at a country schoolhouse. Katie Larson was a beautiful young girl. We grew up together. I don't really know when I fell in love with her, but I know that in my school days I loved her and always intended to marry her. The years went by. I had never told Katie of my love. She had grown to be a woman and I kind of took it for granted that she knew and understood that I loved her and intended to marry her. Time went by and we were often together. There was never any trouble or disagreements. I was anxious to succeed and decided that I should make some money before I proposed to Katie. Time drifted swiftly by, I was not as successful as I hoped to be, and finally one day I received the saddest news of my life--Katie had married. I realized that she had probably waited and hoped for me to make known my intentions but my financial affairs had held me back. I knew it was all my fault. I should have confided my plans to her and asked her to have patience and wait. From that day I was a changed man. My heart was broken and if no hope had been left for me, I would never have gone on, but from that day on, hoped and prayed that I might one day have her, even if for only a few years or weeks, in my declining years. Katie moved away after marrying and probably it was the hope for her love some day that spurred me to action. I worked harder than ever. Success crowned my efforts. I studied medicine, moved to Dallas, Texas, became a very successful doctor. There I met a woman whom I thought I loved. We were married and lived seemingly happy for a few years, but the spark of love for Katie in my heart never died. We had a little girl born and I named her Katie, which proved later a very foolish thing to do. She was the pride of my life, my hope was centered on her. Finally I made the mistake that many men make. I told my wife of my great love for Katie. After that time, she lost faith in me and we slowly drifted apart. Then came separation and divorce. I had accumulated considerable money and now being very unhappy, I decided to leave Dallas and go to New York and try the speculative markets. Success and failure have followed alternately, like the rising and falling of the tides. There has never been a day when I have come to Wall Street that I have not hoped to one day meet Katie again. That hope has kept me alive. I have often tried to find her, but the years have brought changes. She moved away to California and I have never been able to find out whether she is living or dead. I hope that you will never have to go thru the years that I have gone thru without the love and comfort that the woman you love can give. Your faith is supreme and that will carry you safely thru, and even if you never find Marie, it is better to live for that ideal because it will make you a better man, as love always brings out the best."