To the Editor:

A week ago, I made a wager and lost. I bet an acquaintance that Mitt Romney would win the election.

It reminded me of a story I read a long time ago.

A woman, waiting in the hallway, approached Benjamin Franklin, as he emerged from a meeting of the Cabinet. She inquired: “Well, what do I have, sir?” He replied, “Madam, you have a Republic — if you can hold on to it.”

Sadly, I feel that I lost something much more valuable than a bet.

Norman S. Reed

Oak Bluffs