Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-04-17
The Hundred Dollar Bill.
BY ANSON B. CLIFFORD.

/
was twenty-five years of age, the child
of now widowed mother, and in his
choice Of profession he had only
been governed by the desire to yield
to his mother and self the surest
means of honest support.
Walter SturgiS was of the same
age, and euqally honest, but he paid
more attention to outward appearan-
ces of things, than did his companion.
For instance, it CALLED him to put on
up pork, potatoes, and so on while
Peter cared not what he did, so long
as it was honest.
One day Mr.. Somers called the two
young men into his counting room
and closed the door after them. His
countenance looked troubled, and it
was some moments before he spoke.
Boys" he said at length, ~ have
been doing very foolish thing. l
have lent my name to those [ thought
my friends, and they have ruined me.
| gave them accommodation notes, and
they promised me Solemnly that those
notes should only pass their hands to
such men as | might accept. Ofcourse
| took their notes in exchange. They
have now failed and cleared out, and
have left my paper in the market to
the amount of seven or eight thousand
dollars. | may rise again, but must
give up my business. Everything in
the store is attached, and | am left ut
terly powerless to do business now.
| have looked over your accountS,and
| find that | owe you about a hundred
dollars each. Now, | have Just a
hundred dollars in money. and the
small piece Of land on the side hill
just back of the town house. There
are four acres Of land, and | have been
offered hundred dollars for it, by
those who have land adjoining. |
feared the blow, which has come upon
me, and have conveyed this land to
my brother; so now he can convey it
to whom he pleases. Now | wish you
would make your choice II | could
pay you both money | would, but as
cannot, one you must take this land.
What say you? You, Walter, have
been with me the longest and you
shall say first"
Walter Sturgis hesitated few mo-
ments, and he said;
am y5al SaE9 syff fdfqIP9fIg2tPto II fIgt oht. the lon"
"Ah, but that won't do, returned
Mr.. Somers. of you take the land
you must keep it. Were you to sell
it, my creditors would say at once
that you did it for me and that | pock-
eted the money"
Then | am willing to divide the
hundred dollars with Peter, for if |
had the land l should do nothing with
| it"
you need not divide the money,
for | can easily raise the hundred dol.
lars on the land. My brother will do
that But | imagined you would pre-
fer the land, for knew the soil was
good, though quite rocky. However,
what say you Peter ?"
"Why, | will take the land" return
ed Peter, cor | will divide equally
with Walter-each of us to take half
the money and half the land"
"But what should | want with land =?
said Walter. q could not work it.
should hardly like to descend from
a clerkship to digging and delving in
blue frock and cowhide boots"
"Tben it is easily settled" rejoined
Peter, for should prefer the land.
Walter was pleased with this, and
before night he had the hundred dol
lars in his pocket, and Peter had the
warrantee deed of the four acres of
land upon the hill side. Both of the
young men belonged to the village,
and had always lived there. 1t was
only five miles from the city, and of
course many city fashions were prev
alent there. 1t was under the inhu-
ence of this fashion that Walter Stnr-
gis refused to have anything to do
with the land.
Times were dull, and business slack,
even though it was early spring. Pc
ter Whites first object, after having
got the deed Of his land, was to hunt
up some kind of work If he had
been a mechanic he might have found
some place, but he knew no trade ex
cept that of salesman and bOOk-keep
ing. A whole week he searched in
vain for employment, but at the END
of that time he found an old farmer
who wanted a hand though he could
not afford to pay much. But Peter
finally, with the advice Of Mr.. Somers
made an arrangement Of this kind -
He would work for the old farmer
Mr.. Stevens) steadily until the
ground was open, and he should have
half the time to devote to his owl
land, and in part payment for his ser
vices, Stevens was to help about the
OK work that the youth might need
+ Next Peter went to the hotel, where
there was quite a stable, and engaged {
: hundred loads of manure, the Landlord
promising to take his pay in produce
Y when harvest time came. So Pete
put on blue frock and cowhide boots
and went to work for farmer Stevens
In the meantime Walter Sturgis
had been to the city to try to find /;
9 situation in some store, but he cam,
:. back bootless. He was surprised
when he met Peter driving an OK team
through the village. At first he coul,