Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-10-05

pendenCe, which alone can make the nome,
be it ever so humble, a heaven upon earth.
Christian Weekly.
HOW HE COLLECTED HIS BILL.
SOME twenty-five years ago, MIR. Bod
kin, one Of the old fashioned printers of
New York, was looking sadly over his
ledger AS he turned over the leaf that
disclosed the account of Mr.. Quoin, with
an unsettled balance of $685. y. and more
than two years past due, the sadness
changed to grimntss. How we'll he re.
membered the first visit Of deluding
Quoin, when, with corn-basket full of
wood cuts, said to have cost $500 he in
weighed the credulous Mr.. Bodkin into
printing book. For which Qnoin had
never paid. But he had promised magniti-
Gently.
AS soon, Mr.. Bodkin, as receive the
$3l5-and the sales of the book, l KNOW,
will not be less than that every week-you
shall have the money. A debt of honor,
MIR. Bodkin. You should have it, if had
to sell my teeth" And here he showed a
collection that hyena would have envied
for wilderness and hardness. "Then
again, Mr.. Bodkin, you hold my wood. cuts
as security. Worth three times the
amount of your bill Finer collaterals
were never negotiated in Wall Street
Pooh!' And he swung his cane around
his head, as If ready to demolish any man
or opinion that might rise in opposit on.
So Mr.. Bodkin, much impressed with
the rhetoric of Mr.. Quoin, went on his way
rel icing. Quoin went to Rhode Island,
where he SOLD his hooks, andp0cketed the
proceeds. And Mr.. BOdkin had waited
for the money. How often he had written
TO QuOin! How he hal expostulated, and
coaxed and ,hrestened! How he had Of
fered to take calicoes, Goldfish, potatoes, or
shinple nails, or any other production of
Ri 1, STAND. Ali to no purpose.
Then he had put the ac cunt in law
yer's hands. Quoin was sued, and judg,
nett was had, and execution was issued,
and was returned unsatist1ed. Neither Mr..
Quoin's property nor income could be At
tached. Bodkin faily snorted as his eye
fell upon the expenses of that suit.
Then he thought of that security
those invaluable collaterals-the precious
wood.cuts that had cost $1,000. Bodkin
had hawk.d them at ev.ry publisher in
the city, only to get substantially the same
answer from all. "Good cuts of course
they are. Worth a 81 600 no doubt to cut
thsm; but to US, who don't need them,
and could not use them, worth no more
than firewood." Such security Bodkin
was growing hysterical.
He laughed aloud, not scornful]y, but
exultingly. It was the laughter of inspi-
ration. For the wood.cuts hsd given him
q new notion of how the debt might be
collected. Wi h undisguised chuckling,
he put on his hat and weat in search OF
Mr.. Mallet, a young gentleman Of remarka-
bly, persuasive faculties, faultless in dress
moreover, an agent of the POkOmoke
Lote and an excellent JUICE of the
game of pea and thimble. What trans
pired between Bodbin and Mallet is purely
conjectural. But it was odd that Mr.. Bod.
kin should, on his return, have directed
his foreman to print q dozen cards with
this inscription. Henry Mallet, publisher,
No. 2,450 Washington Street, Buffalo"
Hen. Mallet a publisher! Why, even the
feeder-boys laid their fingers aside their
noses when they read it.
Two days after this Mr. Mallet laid one
of these cards ON the desk of Mr. Quoin,
and begged to inquire of that gentleman
the probable value Of the wood cuts used
in his book. Was he disposed to sell
them, or could they be usedl To be can
did land candor was always a weakness of
his), he needed them surely. He had
mad1 arrangements to publish certain
bO.. k within three months. If it was out
by that time he would make $4,000 sure !;
it it was delayed week his chance Of
profit was & ne forever. The miserable
engravers wanted three months to do the
work. whereas he could not spare thrt g
weeks. Q1oin's cuts were not exactly
what he wanted, bit they would serve.
Would he take $50 for the use of them
Quoin smiled at his innocence, and
shook his he ID II don't lend cuts but
| will sell them to you for $500, and that
is cheaper than you can get them made to
There was no denying this; but it took
more than an hours hard b ring to make
Qu"in abate the price to 5000 The most
potent argument Mallet used was his ap-
parently careless production OF a long,
fiat wallet, fl led with new crisp and crack
ling bank notes, of hign figures only, toe
sly bit of which made Mr.. Quoin show the
beautiful white teeth. Mallct was un-
doubtedly cash buyer
Next came the question of terms
Would Mr.. Mallet paw $as5 cash, aud
take an order Oh his printer, who would
deliver the cuts on payment of 1915.
1t was Mallet's turn to smile, and he did
it like the he.then Chinee, "childlike and
bland" What did Mr. Quoin take him
for? He never paid for goods till he had
them. The idea Of paying for cuts he had
not seen as yet, and OF settling up Quoin's
bills was absurdl Under no circumstance
whatever would he take the cuts, until he
saw the receipted bills of both the engrav-
er and printer. Was he to buy lawsuit?
to be served with attachments and trovers
aud replevins and injunctions and games
Of that sort? Not much. Mr. Mallet
tilted himself back in his chair, and looked
upward, as # in quest of relief from the
Of Quoin.
Quoin became pensive. It was quite
clear that Mallet would not advance the
money to pay the printers bill. Where
could he Ct it? But if he did MT get it,
he would lose the 1885, That was not to
be tn ught Of The interview was ad-
journed. Quoin went out to hunt up the
money, much to the annoyance of Mallet,
who could not conceal his apprehension
that @ ,oin was about to refuse to sell.
W hen MALT had made up his mind to
buy. he wanted to buy and end the matter.
If Quoin would 60 on to New York with
him, he would pay all expenses; but he
would not pay for the cuts till he had
them, and with good title. And here he
dourished his wallet.
This was talking business to purpose,
and accelerated Quoin's movements. He
raised the money. That night Quoin aud
Mallet took passage together on the
steamer, and next morning found them at
the Aston House. Mallet had proved cx
cellent company. Hrtate and drank and
smoked and told good stories, and was as
chatty and confidential with Quoir as 1t
they had been schooiboys together. But
with all this, Mallet showed most unac-
c untab|e fear that Quoin would give him
the ip. Quoin had to be very decided to
prevent Mallet from accompanying him
when he went to see B dk,n. "He only
wanted to make sure it was all right" For
obvious reasons, Quoin was bound that
Mallet should not sec the Interview, and
shook him off resolutely.
II sh"ll count the minutes while wait
in this room t. II you come back" said the
aggrieved and wistful Mallet, as he cast
hims elf upon the sofa.
l will 'urely b. back in half an hour"
said the triumphant Quoin.
1t was with exceed ng hanteur that
Quoin strobe into the Office of Bodkin. His
face was hard, h's yes severe. 1t was the