The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-08-05

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stephens Plan Fol. Paying His DSb6
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lathe absence of further statistics I beg
to close this series of Old Mississippi arti
cles with one more. "Reminiscences of way
ward, careless, Ingenious Stephen, j" whom
l described in a former paper.
Most of the Captains and pilots held
Stephens note for borrowed sums RANGING
from $3.50 upward. Stephen never paid
one of these notes, but he was very prompt
land very jealous about renewing them ev-
cry twelve months. ~ 3.
OF course there came time, at last
when Stephen could no longer borrow OF
his ancient creditors; 60 he was obliged
to lie in wait for new men who did not
know him. Such a victim was good
hearted, supplemented young Yates Il
use a fictitious name, but gthe read natn
began, rs this one does, With " Young
Yates graduated as a pilot, got berth,
and when tle, month was ended and he
steppsdup TO- the elerk,A Office and re-
ceived his $3.50 in crisp new bills Stephen
was there! His silvery tongue began to
wag, and in a very little while Yates $3.50
had changed hands. The fact was soon
known at pilot headquarters, and the
amusement and satisfaction of the old cred
itors were large and generous, But inno-
cent Yates never suspected that Stephens
/ tn v,f1ryyN 10
| the week was a worthless one Yates
called for his money at the stipulated
time; Stephen sweetened him and put him
off week. He called then, according to
agreement, and came away sugar coated
again, but suffering under another post
ponement. So the. thing went on. Yates
haunted Stephen week after week to no
purpose, and at last gave it up. And then
straightway Stephen began to haunt
Yates! Wherever Yates appeared there
was the inevitable Stephen. And not only
there, but beaming with affection and
gushing with apologies for not being able
to pay. By and by whenever poor Yates
saw him coming he would turn and fly
and drag his company with him, if he had
company; but it was of no use; his debtor
would run him down and corner him.
Painting and red-faced, Stephen would
come with outstretched hands and eager
| eye& invade the conversation, shake both
Of ates' arms loose in their sockets, and
begin:
"My, what race I've had! saw you
didn't see me, and so l clapped on all
steam for fear I'd miss you entirely. And
here you are! There, just stand so and let
me look at you: Just the same old, noble
countenance." To Yates friend: "Just
look at him! s Look at hinr! Amt it Just
good to look at him! HINT it, now? Amt
he just picture? Some call him picture !;
1 call him panorama! That's what he
is-an entire panorama! And now am
reminded! How do wish l could have
seen you an hour earlier! For twenty four
hours I've been saving up that $3.50 for
waited at the Planters from six yesterday
evening till two O'Clock this morning,
without rest or food; my wife says:
Where have you been all nighty' I said !:
| This debt hes heavy on NY mind. She
says: In all my days never saw man
take a debt to heart the way you do
| said: It's my nature how can I change
itT She says: well, do 60 to bed and
get some rest I said: Not till that poor,
noble young man has got his money So
set up all night, and this morning out
shot, and the first man met told me you
had shipped on the Grand Turk and gone
to New Orleans. Well, sir, had to lean
up against building and cry. So help
me goodness, l couldn't help it. The
man that owned the place came out clean
ing up with a rag, and said he didn't like
to have people cry against his building,
and then it seemed to me that the whole
world had turned against me, and it
| wasn't any use to live any more; andc
ing along an hour ago, suffering no man
knows what agony, I met Jim Wilson and
paid him the $3.50 on account; and to
| think that here you are now and haven't
got a cent! But as sure as am standing
here on this ground, on this particular
brick-there, I have scratched a mark on
the brick to remember it by-Tll borrow
that money and pay it over to you at
twelve O'Clock sharp tomorrow! Now,
stand SO; let me look at you just once
more"
And so on. Yates life becamea burden
to him. He could not escape his debtor
and his debtors awful sufferings on ac-
count of not being able to pay. He dread
cd to show himself in the street lest he
should find stephenlying in wait for him
Bogart's billiard saloon was great re-
sort for pilots in those days. They met
there about1As much to exchange river
news as to play. One morning Yates was
there; Stephen was there too, but kept
out of sight. But by and by, when about
all the pilots had arrived who were in
town, Stephen suddenly appeared in the
midst and rushed for Yates as for long
lost brother.
"Oh, am SO glad to see you! Oh, my
soul, the sight of you is such comfort to
my eyes! Gentlemen, l owe. all of you
money; among you owe probably forty
thousand dollars; want to pay it; in:
tend to pay it-every last cent of it. You
all know without my telling you what
sorrow it has cost me to remain SO long
under such deep obligations to such pa
tient and generous friends but the sharp
est papg sutfer-by far the sharpest-is
from the debt owe to this noble young
man here; and have come to this place
this morning especially to make the an
nouncement that l have at last found a
method whereby I can pay off all my
debts! And most especially l wanted
him to be here when l announced it. Yes,
my faithful friend-my benefactor, I've
found the method! I've found the method
to pay off all my debts and you'll get
your money!' Hope dawnsd in Yatss,
eye; then Stephen, beaming benignantly
and placing his hand upon Yates head,
added: II am going 70 ~ them off in
alphabetical order S5s'zssss -~''' - -
Then he turned and disappeared. The
full significance of Stephens method"
did not dawn upon the perplexed and
musing crowd for some two minutes and
then Yates murmured with sigh:} i =
We'll, the Y's stand y gaudy chance.
He won't get any further than the C's in
this world, and reckon that after good
deal Of eternity has wasted away in the
next one I'll still be referred to up there
as that poor, ragged pilot that came here
from St. Louis in the early ys'?'-Mark
7toain. in August Atlantic.
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