The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-09-28

time has made"
( The Squire was about to ask something
bnt was interrupted by, "Pray don't ask
me any questions now, sir. What I have
! TO say, shalt be said I'M business-lke
straight forward way. have called tc
8 cure your services. Can trast you :?
| At this suddenand direct intsrrngatory
| the lawyer turned and looked his visitor
full IN the face. with anything that is
honorable and righi, Mr. Thompson,
7 say yes, you aatrust me ask ~ high
ar endorsements than the respect which
my fellow townsmen. bear ma, and tbs
love and affection, especially the poorer
classes among them. l ask no better
cnconium when Idle, than the teass
which the needy and destitute whom
Providence has enabled me to befrie nd
may be she'd over my grave" His co@n
tenance warmed as he spoke. and. che
pride of an honest, generous heart shsne
IN his mild, blue eyes as they met the at
tentlve glance of the Stranger. The Latter
felt re assured.
ITO be brief, then" he said, az want
you to buy me piece OF property, part
of the Matthews farm"
"a good piece Of land, that" said the
Squire, "and worth good figure"
Il shah want about ten acres Of II"
he continued, "includIrg the site Of the
old farmhouse which stood on the knoll
near the road" ..
and how high do you want to pay for
1t ?"
"a fair price, which you can judge
better than [ can. Who is the owner %
"Masthrws still owns it--that is, the
Ion of the old man, Joshua Matthews q
Can You arrange an interview ?"
Yes, he lives near at hand. | can
send for him now"
Better send for him then" said Mr..
Thompson.
In les, time than the old man expec-
ted, there came q rap on the door, and the
brown, sunbnrued face of a man Of thirty
tall, and uucouth in figure, peeped in.
"Want to see me, Squire p
YeS," said the lawyer; "come in, Mr.
Mathews. This is Mr. Thompson, gen
tlemaR from he far South, WHO has ia
ken Il notion to settle down in Wand
IS looking for some eligible property"
Withgthis introduction, the three sat
down, and in half An hour the bargain
was struck. Mr. John Thompson had
purchased Of Mr.. Caleb Mathews all his
right, title, and interest in the ten acres
aforesaid, in consideration of the sum of
ten one thousand dollar notes, all crisp
and new counted out on the table b, fore
him, the SAID Caleb Mathe (slightly be-
wildered) by him, the said John Thomp-
son Gas cool and self possessed as a Gu
cumber) Then Mr.. Thompson, reitera
llng his request that the purchase might
be kept q perfect secret, babe the other
two good day, promising to call to-mor-
row for his papers.
But in spite vt the Injunction of secrecy
laid upon him, Caleb Matthews, with his
ten new bank notes rustllng in his peck
ct, found the news too good, and too sur
prising to keep it long. Between him
and his garrulous wife and halfa dozen
brothers and their wives, the information
soon spread itself through the vilage,and
of course it gathered st ength aud dimen-
Slons with each repetition. Stories Of the
fabulous wealth OF the mysterious stran-
ger were circulated, and it was with a
deterential regard thai the chances he met
on his daily rambles were directed to-
ward him. Day by day the public curl
osity about him became greater, but be
seemed to care not straw-in fact, APP
peared unconscious of his beng the best
noticed man in the village. He had no
intercourse with any casual acquaintance
AS the days went on lie even grew mood
Ter and more reserved than ever, passing
an hour or two every morning surveying
his newly bought ten acres, tramping
them over and over again. and busying
himself in all sorts of quiet speculations.
One day, just week after the purchase,
he called ON Squire Jessup. The kind
hearted lawyer received him cordially, as
before, and wondered that he had not
called sooner for his papers.
"I've been very busy, all by myself"
was Mr.. Thompson's answer. "And now
I've called to engage your services again.
Let me see, the deed is all right ?"
Perfectly. There it is, sir, signed,
sealed and delivered"
Mr.. Thompson took the document, read
it carefully through, asked one or two
questions, and then folding it up again,
laid it away in his capacious wallet, and
proceeded:
I wish to begin building at once. The
plans and specifications of the proposed
edifice l have here with me and ready for
the builder. Now what want you to do
is to obtain for me fair estimate of the
total cost of material and labor required
for its completion before the 10Th of next
December"
Mr. Jessup stretched out his hand to
take the drawings which his visitor had
produced, and glanced over them hastily.
"Why," said he, "this calls for a larger
and finer building than any we have in
town."
Mr.. Thompson's eyes sparkled for mo-
ment. "Indeed ?" was all he said.
/ "Of brick, with one hundred and fifty