The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-04-23

it's Jennie maybe ye mean" mildly sug-
gested Silas.
"Oh-yes ! Jennie; so it is. Strange
/ should forget the name when 1 have
heard it SO often" answered the Judge,
flushing little. And then. as they came
to small building on a corner he added,
Here's my Office, Bronson. Come in
little while, want to see you.
Still wondering Silas obeyed. If the
Judge had asked him to take off his boots
it is probable he would have done so.
He entered the Office AZ requested, and
sat down in an awkward way by the stove,
and stretched out his hands toward it rs
if he were cold. To be sure it was n
warm day, and there was no fire in the
stove; but then Silas didn't know what
else to do, so he did that while he awaited
the Judges pleasure.
"Quite a cosey little Office / have
here, haven't L 2" queried the latter gen
tleman, pleasantly. "Take cigar,
Bronson" producing case. Perhaps
they are not as good as you are accus-
toned to, but they are imported, and 1
think them very fne."
Silas meekly accepted cigar, lighted
it, and then said, "They are very nice "
applying the remark to both office and
cigar.
For few minutes tho Judge pulled
away in silence.
"That was comfortable little wind
fall you had-your uncle dying off there
i'll California and leavingyou thatmoney,
he said at last.
eyes," answered Silas, beginning to
E. ggTalnr'hlo ,,inn Etfla
pile ont-a thousand dollars. Got it
this mornin'."
"To be sure it is not very large sum
for man of your means" continued the
Judge but it is nice to get such things,
and it will do to get a suit OF clothes and
few knick-knacks, maybe. And that
makes me think, Bronson-where is it
You get your clothes! My wife often
says: Now, Judge Fay, if you only had
the taste of Mr.. Bronson about dress !
But then, bless me haven't or l would
look rs tasteful on Sunday as you do. J."
The Judge was careful to say Sunday, }"
for if he had included week days it would
have been more than even Silas could
swallow.
"Jerry Markle, he made my last suit, T"
answered Silas, surprised and pleased that
his dress should thus attract admiration,
and from so distinguished source, too.
The Judge passed another few minutes
i'll meditative smoking.
THE fact is, Bronson" he resumed,
taking the cigar from his mouth, "the
fact is | wanted to see you about little
matter that is-well, may say of mutual
advantage. You see, Twas over in Penn
sylvania last week, and through the oil
regions. And while there bought
tract, five acres, right near the best pro-
ducing well. OF course i could have
made good thing by selling it again,
but | concluded not to be selfish but to
come home and form stock company of
II few of our influential men, like your
self and others"
81 am very much obleeged to we,
Judge" began Silas "but then
Il"
Please hear me through interrupt
ed the Judge, with soft, deprecating
wave of the hand 81 am not done yet.
Now, there is lots of money in this
thing if it is properly managed, and as
didn't wish to connect with Tom, Dick,
and Harry, have mentioned the matter
to but few of our best men. DR.. Ross,
Col. Clark and Squire Hardy have all
taken stock, and our minister, the Rev.
Mr.. Norris, expects to invest The stock
is only II triho-five hundred dollars a
share"
g Yes-five hundred dollars
mon cheap, 1 should say" stammered
Silas. But then, we see, I hain't got
the money-that is, to spare, jest now.
I'm sort of poor, like"
"Poor % echoed the Judge &" a man
of your means talking about poverty.
What is paltry five hundred to you?"
And the speaker snapped his finger as if
the sum mentioned were insignificant
beyond measure. Why, man, I'll
warrant you have more than that with
you now |"
81 know but then l thought I'd bet
ter" began Silas but the Judge broke
in with apparent surprise.
"Oh, that's it you have been already
considering the NATTER l might have
known Col. Clark would speak to you
about it. When L told him of my pro-
posed company last week he asked if you
were in it, and he said, If Bronson
takes hold l will, because whatever Bron-
son takes hold of assure to succeed. Those
were his very words and so he spoke to
you himself Well, L am glad on the
whole he did, and that you are going in
with us. But you can't have more than
four shares, Bronson with a playful
tap on the back" and you needn't pay
more than half down. That will be
enough to carry the thing through, 1
think"
And what could poor Silas say to all
thisl With nature weak and yielding,
he was surprised and fattered to learn of
his own prominence in the community,
and that such men as the Judge, Col.
Clark, and others should give heed to
his views on any subject was, to say the
least, extremely complimentary. In fact
Silas began to think his self-estimate had
been placed altogether too low in times
past, and he presently smoked and talked
himself into very pleasing state of COM
placency indeed.
The Judges tongue was not idle the
meanwhile he piled on the "soft-
solder" to a remarkable thickness. and
after time, somehow-Silas didn't
exactly know how-the Judge took DOS
session of the one thousand dollars, and
Silas found himself the owner of four