The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-04-08
A MYSTERIOUS VISIT.
From the Buffalo Express.l ]


The first notice that was taken of
me when l settled down." recently
was by a gentleman who said he was
al. assessor, and connected with the
L. :. Internal Revenue Department.
l said l had never heard of his
branch Of business before, but l was
very glad to see him, all the same
would he sit down? He sat down.
l dId not known anything particular
to say, and yet 1 felt that people
who have arrived at the dignity of
keep-house must be conversational,
must be easy and sociable in COM
Ipany, So in default ofanything else
to say, l asked him if he was open
| ing his shop in our neighborhood.
He said he was. | did not wish
to appear ignorant, but l had hoped
he would mention what he had for
sale.
l Yentured to ask him ''how was
trader" and he said so So"
I then said we would drop in, and
if we liked it as well as any other,
we would give him our custom.
He said he thought we would like
his establishment well enough to con-
fine ourselves to it-said he never
saw anybody who would 90 of and
hunt another man in his line after
trading with him once.
That sounded pretty complacent
but barring that natural expression
of villainy which we all have, the
man looked honest enough.
! do not know how it came about,
exactly, but gradually we appeared
to melt down and run together, con-
versationally speaking and then
everything went along as comfortab-
" as clock-work.
talked, and talked, and talked
at least 1 did. And We laughed,
and laughed, and laughed, at least he
did. But all the time l had my
native shrewness turned on, "full
head, as the engineers say. l was
determined to find out all about his
business, in spite Of his obscure an
swers-and l was determined
would have it out of him without
his suspecting what I was at. 1
meant to trap him with 4 deep, deep
ruse. ! would tell him all about my
own business, and he would natura-
llv so warm to me during this reduc-
tive burst of confidence that he
would forget himself and tell me all
his affairs before he suspected what
I was about. I Thought to myself,
My son, you little know what an old
fox you are dealing with. l said;
Now you never would guess what
Imade lecturing, this winter and last
spring.
"No-don't believe / could, to save
me. Let me see-let me see, About
two thousand dollars maybe? But
mono. sir, l know you couldn't
have made that much. Say seven
teen hundred, maybe?'
"Ha-ha! l knew you couldn't
My lecturing receipts for last spring
and this winter were fourteen thou
sand, seven hundred and fifty dol
Iars-what do YOU think of that?'
"Why it is amazing-pcrfeetly
amazing, ! will make note Of 1t.
And YOU say even this wasn't all?'
"Ah: Why bless you there was
my income from the Buffalo Express
for four months-about-about-
well, what should you say to about
eight Thousand dollars, for instanceT
"Say; Why l should say ] should
like to see myself rolling in just such
another ocean Of aflluence. Eight
thousand. I'll make u note Of it,
Why, man and On top of all this /
am to understand that you had more
income?''
"Ha-ha-ha. Why, you're only in
the suburbs of it, so to speak.
There's my book. The Innocents
Abroad'-price SO so to S. 90 ac-
cording to the binding. Listen to
me. Look me in the eye. During
the last four months aud a half say
ing nothing of sales before that-but
just simply during the four months
and half ending March 15,lS10,
we've sold ninety-fve thousand cop
les of that book! Ninety-fye thou.