The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-04-14
MISCELLANY.
THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL,
BY ANsoN d. CLIFFORD.

doing business in thriving country vii.
| lage. He had two clerks in his employ,
but with some differences in minor points
of character. Peter White was twenty
one years of age, the child of now wild
owed mother, and in his choice of pro-
fession 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 equally honest, but he paid more at
tention to outward appearances of things
than did his companion. For instance, it
CALLED him to put on his frock aud over
alls, and help pack up pork, potatoes, and
so on; while Peter cared NOT what he
did, so long az it was honest.
One day Mr.. Somers called the two
young men into his counting room and
closed the door after them His counte-
nance looked troubled, and it was some
moments before he spoke.
Boys he said at length, i have been
doing very foolish thing. l have lent
my name to those l thought my friends,
and they have ruined me. gave them
accommodation notes, and they promised
solemnly that those notes should not pass
their hands save to such men as might
accept. Of eouree 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. Every
thing in the store is attached, and ! am
left utterly powerless to do business now.
| have looked over your accounts, and
find that | owe you about a hundred dol
lars each. Now, l have just hundred
dollars IN money, and the small piece of
land on the sile of the hill just back of
the town house. There are four acres Of
land, and have been offered a hundred
dollars for it, by those who have lands ad-
joining. feared the blow, which has
come upon me, and conveyed this land
to my brother so now he can convey
it to whom he pleascs Now | wish you
would make your choice. If could pay
you both money ! would, but as can
not, one OF you must take this land. -
What say you7 You, Walter, have
been with me the longest and you shall
say first.
Walter Sturgis hestated few mos
ments, and he said
Il am sure don't want the land, un.
less could sell it right off,
| 'Ah, but that won't DO, returned Mr..
Somers. IF you take the land you must
keep 1t. Were you to sell it, my credits
ors would say at once that you did it for
me, and that / pockeied the money
Then am willing to divide the hun.
dred dollars with Peter, for if | had the
land | should de nothing with it,
You need not divide the money, for
l can easily raise the hundred dollars on
the land. My brother will do that
But imagined you would prefer the land,
for l knew the soil was good, though quite
rocky. However what say you Peter ?
why, will take the land, returned
Peter, 'or | will divide equally with
Walter-each of US to take hall the mon.
ey and half the land
'But what should want with land 2
said Walter. Il could not work it,
should hardly like to descend from a
clerkship to digging and delvng in blue
freck and cowhide boots
Then it is easily settled rejoined Pc
ter, for | should prefer the land
Walter was pleased with this, and be-,
fore night he had the hundred dollar bill
in his pocket, and Peter had the warran
tee deed of the four acres of land upon
the hill side. Both of the young men be.
longed to the village, and had always
lived there. 1t was only five miles fro I'm
the city, and OF course many city fashions
were prevalent there. 1t was under the
influence of this fashion that Walter Stur-
gisrefused to have anything to do with the
land
Times were dull, and business slack,
even though it was early spring. Peter
Whites first object, after having got the
deed of this land, was to hunt up some
kind of work II he had been mechan-
ic he might have found some place, but
he knew no trade except that of salesman
and bookkeeping. A whole week he
searched in vain for employment, but al
| Tue Gnu Vi tudt tline Hc IOuuu an OLD
farmer who wanted q 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 Ste
vens) steadily until the ground was open,
and he should have half the time to de,
vote to his own land, and in part pay
ment for his services, Stevens was 10 helE
about the OK work that the youth might
need. Next Peter went to the hotel
where there was quite stable, and en-
. gagged hundred loads of manure, tn,
t lgndlord promising to take his pay in pro
! ducs when harvest time came. SO Pete
e White put on blue frock and cowhid,
y boots and went to work for farmer Ste
I vens.
# In the meantime Walter Slurgis hat
been to the city TO try to find situation
id some store, but he came back bootlesS
He was surprised when he met Pete
> driving an OK team through the village
d At first he could hardly believe his ow
eyes. Could it be possible that that wa
Peter White, in that blue frock and thos
coarse boots
On the next day relation from tn
! cIiv rama IN visit Wolfa. IT, -,