The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-08

just ~ ITcscul
not be sold at any price"
"What do YOU propose. then, to do with
YOUR own bonds ?" inquired Burton.
Il should hold them, by all mean,. said
Roe, "that is-if l had any"
If you had any" echoed Burton; you
told me You had fifty thousand dollars "t
them"
Il had at one time. my dear friend, an
swercd Roe" hut sold out in April"
Good God, sr!" exclaimed Burton, strd-
ing up to Roe with an air that might easily
have been mistaken for a menacing air, > YOU
have sold out and left me in. DO you tell me
that sir :"
MY dear Burton" cried Roe, ''bc calm.
PRAY be calm! 1t was the merest accident In
the world. Mr.. Burns, of Albany, wrote to me
to sell his bonds, and promised to send them
by express the next day. made the sale, ana
to accommodate the purchaser, delivered my
own bonds In the afternoon received tele-
gram countermanding the order 70 sell-but
my bonds were gone
''Mr. Roe" said Burton. g came to you in
confidence. | trusted you as | would have
trusted brother: I placed all my property in
your hands, and left you to manage it without
asking Il question You bought for me bonds
which you said were good f'roriag your opin-
ion by an assurance that You held large
amount of them. and SECURING mine. as IL were
by promising to sell mine if You ever found
occasion to sell yours. You have. neyerthe-
Is.
give me ten cents on the dollar, tor these bonds
namely fifteen hundred dollars Tor my fifteen
thousand z"
Mr. Roe could by no means permit his friend
Mr.. Burton to make such a sacrifice; but he
would lend Mr.. Burton five hundred dollars on
| the deposit of the fifteen thousand of bonds rs
| collateral neutrality-suspicious. that the bonds
| should be forfeited to Roe ii the loan was not
| repaid in twenty days.
There needed but this Mr.. Burton had re-
Gently heard that Roe had accumulated for
tune by purchasing large amounts OF worthless
| Western bonds at low prices. and paIming
them eff on coniiding friends and customers at
par. He moW believed the story. - MIR. Roe.
| said he, YOU are the villain that vou have
| been represented to be- and may that God
whose laws you have outraged bring YOU to
| poverty and disgrace. and that right speedily
No sooner was Mr.. Burton gone than some
body else came in Oh a similar errand; and the
number of this class Of troublesome, captiouS,
| complaining customers exceeded score he
fore the morning was ended. So great num-
Der all in one day. forced Richard Roe to nc
| mark Z" it never rains but it pOurs.'
True: Roe was equal to the emergency.
lie didn't break down. He took comfort in
persecution. He knew that blessed are The
| presentation something OF that kind. Be-
sides he had that morning made several capt.
! tai hits in morning prayers, and his fund OF
| grace on hand was unusually large. Moreover.
|
have chance to pcrsecute in turn. lie had
suffered some at the hands OF Paul, and he
would avenge himself by paving OFT Peter
| Mr. Hicks came in With an embarrassed air.
Mr.. Roe, said he, - received your letter
and"
And" interrupted Roe, >tcimiy. you
waited till quarter past three O'Clock before
you replied to it,"
! Il am very sorry, SIR" Hicks began again.
Does your sorrow pay that note. siri'
again interrupted Roc looking as solemn as it
he really asked for Information.
| "Mr Roe don't be hard Oh me-" entrcatcd
poor Hicks. Il have already made great SAG
riiices to keep down the interest on that loan.
| Pray remember. sir, tina. within six months
have actually paid you fOrty-twO per cent. all
for interest," and you know. Mr.. Roe, that the
security you hold is ample
"IknOw nothing OF the kind. rctortcd Roe
| pcremptorily.
Why, Mr.. Roe. only consider said Hicks,
| who had rclapsed into mental calculation and
lost ROes last remark, that is at the rate of
eighty-four per cent. a year for the use OF mo-
ney; and yOu. Mr.. Roe. Chyistan man!
| Whv sir, il is usury and ruin. The Bible
says"
DO YOU come here, sir TO tell me what The
Bible says Uninterrupted Roe. in voice OF
thunder; and You talk to me about usury?
Doesn't your Bible tell you to owe no man any
thing? and don't you owe me ten thousand
|
outer darkness the man who owed him one ia
lent, because the debtor wouldn't pay him his
| own lsury? Besides, isn't bargain bargain!
Didn't you come to me for ten thousand dol
lars when it, and nothing but it, would save
you from bankruptcy? And didn't you agree
70 pay-ycs, offer to pay-day rate Of interest?
And didn't you promise to take up the loan 1T
the end of the mouth? And do you now come
here to talk Bible to me-"
but, Mr.. Roc" gasped Hicks, perfectly
overwhelmed by such Il torrent OF intcrrogatO-
ample security"
II tell YOU again, Numbered Roe, Il hold
nothing OF the sort"
"Why, Mr.. Roe" exclaimed Hicks, you
hold fourteen thousand dollars of those Erie
Bonds, which were never, until just now. sold
at less than seyenty-fye per cent
Read my letter again, replied Roe, with
sneer that made Hicks tremble.
Hicks drew the letter from his pocket, and
remarked with faltering voice, you say
here, Mr.. Roe, that you will sell those bonds
at any price they will bring if the loan is not
paid before three o'clock. But, sir, was call
ed home by the sudden illness of my wife, and
/ sent YOU word that 1 would call very soon
after three, as have DONE
''And you thought, I suppose" continued
Roe, "that after l had sent you my solemn
promise in writing as to what would do, that
/ would deliberately break that promise and
not Sell the DOn0S, JUST because your Wuc Is
sick2 What's your wife to me, sir And what
business to name your wife when you can't pay
your debts?"
"But, Mr.. Roe cried Hicks, regardless of
Roes brutality, - l trust, nevertheless, that you
have not sold them at their present depressed
price. They have been sold within day or
two as low as sixty-fve."
"They have been sold to-day at .Gfty," re-
piled Roc sat least can answer for one sale
at that price, little lot of fourteen bonds that
held as collateral. They produced just sew
en- thousand dollars, and still hold you for
three thousand dollars, balance due on your
note"
Poor Hicks said not one word, bnt dizzy and