The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-05-22
PLELIsHED ENLkI
THURSDAY EVENING.
Is 50 50 8 8 s 8 Z
Bona FIde Circulation,
Too Confidential.

/
-
Too Confidential.
"Can sit with you ."
Certainly, sir"
mice weather" f"
splendid, indeed"
''CrOps growing finely ,"
ayes, couldn't do better"
was sitting in a passenger coach,
on 4 Wisconsin railroad, one day,
years ago, when good-lOoking, pleas
ant-spoken man came along, stopped
at my seat, and the above conversa-
ton took place, the latter part of il
alter had given him part of my seat.
Now, am regarded as social man.
l like joke, q good bit and think
q sour, mOrose man, who uses his
tongue only when forced to, is bound
to die of some terrible disease, and to
go to some place of red-hot punish
ment.
On entering a railroad car I always
look about for a talkative man, and
then get as close to him as possible,
and drain him dry, if the journey is
long enough.
And I want to state one thing more:
Left an orphan before could realize
the event which made me one, got
kicked here and euffed there, and
grew up between foIks," as they say.
1 ought to have had, at the time of
which 1 write, a pretty thorough
knowledge of human nature, and have
been enabled to read in q mans face if
he intended me evil. / did not pride
myself on being over keen or extra
sharp, but the knocking round among
strangers ought to give one good ex-
perience.
Well the stranger and fell into an
easy train of conversation as we rode
on together, and in ten minutes be-
gan to enjoy his company. He was
a well-made man, finely dressed, had
a fine watch and a simon-pure dia-
mOnd ring. Inever saw a man who
could talksO easily and pleasantly. 1t
seemed he had but to open his mouth
and the words fell right out.
had travelled in the South, so had
he. 1 had heard the loud roar of the
Pacific he knew all about it. 1 had
been up in balloon, down in mine,
been blown up, smashed up, and re-
paired again my new friend had ex-
perienced all these things, and was
waiting for something new to turn up
ofa more startling nature. Weagreed
on politics, neither had any religion,
and had never met such a railroad
companion.
Did you ever meet a man who,
! though a stranger to you ten minutes
before, could wrest from you secrets
which you'd sworn to yourself not to
reveal? Well, he was just such a
man. 1t was not long before he COM
menced asking me questions. He did
not seem trying to quiz or draw me
out, but ne asked me questions in such
a sly, roundabout way, that before l
knew it was giving him my history.
was at that time just on the point
of being admitted to the bar of Wis
cOnsin, as a student of Law & Law, of
Brierville. Tie firm were old law
yers, with lucrative practice, and it
has been talked over that in about a
month should become the "CO." of
the firm. A year before a farmer
named Preston, down about four miles
from Grafton, had died, and his mat
ters had been put into the hands of
Law & Law for settlement. Preston
had died rich. He had money in the
bank, railroad stocks, mortgages, &c,
and everything was settled up to the
satisfaction of the relict and the moth
erless.
About a year before his death, being
pinched for money, and not wishing
to sell anything at a sacrifice, Preston
had given a mortgage on his farm for
three thousand dollars. While the
papers read tone year from date"
there was a verbal agreement that 1t
should be lifted any day when Pres
ton desired. A month after, when
having the money to clear off the
paper, the old money bags holding it
refused to disgOrge, wishing to secure
his interest for year.
/ was on my way to ascertain the
date of expiration. A fire among our
office papers had destroyed the mem
oranda, and must go down and get
the date from old Scrip, who lived
south of Grafton about five miles.
The stranger had pumped all this out
of me in ten minutes, and yet never
once suspected that he was receiving
information.
az am not positive" added, "but
/ am pretty sure the time is the 18th
which would be Tuesday next"
"And then your folks will send
down the money and discharge the
mortgage, Of course ?"
GOh, yes, shall most likely bring
it DOWN. l replied, and it never
occurred to me how imprudent was.
He turned the conversation into other
channels, and did not once attempt to
pump me further. We got TO Grafton
at 1890, and to my great surprise he
announced that he was to stop in the
town on business for q few days. l
had not asked his name or avOcation,
while he knew everything about me.
We went to the hotel, had dinner,
and then l secured a lively team and
drove out, getting through with the
business so that was back in time to
take the 2.30 express east, My friend
was on the porch of the hotel as
drove up, carrying that same honest,
dignified face.
"Well, did you find out?" he in
quired in his pleasant way. "Yes it |
is on the 18th, as expected" 1 re-
piled.
We had lunch together, and when !
we shook hands and parted had no
more idea of seeing him again than L
have of knowing you. In fact he told |
me that he should sail for England in
a week or ten days, and should not re-
turn to America. At parting he gave
me his card. 1t was a modest piece |
of pastebOard, and bore the name of |
"George Raleigh,n in old English |
script.
Everything at the Office went on as
usual, and the 18th came at length. |
Law & Law had arranged for me to |
go down with the money, and / looked |
upon it as a business of no special i'm
pOrtance. @
eve know you are all right" re-
marked the senior partner, as I was 1
about to go "but want to give you |
a word of warning, nevertheless. |
Don't take any stranger into your l
confidence until you have passed out |
the money, and look out who sits next !
to you"
Il was something new for him to |
caution me, and 1 could not help but |
wonder at it but in the hustle of get |
ting on board the train forgot what 1
he said. Ordinary prudence had in |
duced me 10 place the money, which /
was in bank bills, and divided into |
three packages, under my shirt, and /
next to my skin, where the deft hand /
Of a piekpocket could not reach it.
Interested in a newspaper, time |
flew by as the train flew west, and at /
length the hoarse voice of the brake |
men warned me that had reached |
Grafton. had lesped down and was |
making my wsy to the livery stable, |
when l heard a familiar voice and /
looked up to see Raleigh. He was
seated in q buggy, and had seemingly |
waited for me to come up.
'fDon't express your SURPRISE" he |
began, as stopped at the wheel. 81
did intend to go away, but changed !
my mind, and like this section so !
well that am going out to-day to
look at farm, with view of pur-
chasing. Come, ride up to the hO-
tel"
We rode up, ordered a lunch, and
while we were discussing it, Mr.. Raj
eigh discovered that the farm he was
going to see was just beyond old
Scripts.