The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-05-06

| 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 as requested
and sat down in an awkward way by the
stove, and stretched out his hands tow
ard it as if he were cold. To be sure it
was a 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 cosy little office | have here,
haven't l. queried the latter gentleman,
! pleasantly. Take cigar, Bronson, pro-
| ducing a case. Perhaps they are not as
good as you are accustomed to, but they
are imported, and l think them very
fine"
Silas meekly accepted cigar, lighted
it, and then said, They are very nice
applying the remark to both Office and
/ cigar.
For few minutes the Judge puffed
away in silence.
fall you had-your uncle dying off there
in California and leaving you that mon
ey," he said at last
Yes" answered Silas. beginning to
feel complacent "Toler'ble nice little
pile on't-a thousand dollars. Got it
this mornin'"
ITO 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 90 to get suit of clothes and
a few knickknacks, 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 dressP
But then, bless me! l haven't, or l would
look as tasteful on Sunday as you do"
The Judge was careful to say Sunday"
Tor If he had included week days it would
have been more than even Silas could
swallow
Jerry Markle, he made my last suit,
answered Silas, surprised and pleased
that his dress should thus attract admi-
ration, and from SO distinguished a
source, too.
The Judge passed another few minutes
in meditatiVe smoking.
"The fact is, Bronson" he resumed,
taking the cigar from his mouth, "the
fact is l wanted to see you about a little
matter that is-well, may say of mutual
advantage You see, l was over in Penn
sylvania last week, and through the oil
region. And while there l bought a
tract. five acres, right near the best pro-
made good thing by selling it again but
l concluded not to be selfish but to come
home and form a stock company of few
of our influential men, like yourself and
Others"
I'm very much obleeged to ye, Judge
began Silas; "but then-I-1-"
please hear me through" interrupted
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 l didn't wish
to connect with Tom, Dick, and Harry,
have mentioned the matter to but few of
our best men. DR.. Ross, Colonel Clark,
and Squire Hardy have all taken stock,
and our minister the Rev. Mr.. Norris,
expects to invest. The stock is only
trifie-fve hundred dollars share. u
"Yes-five hundred dollars-uncom-
mon cheap, l should say stammered ST.
las. But then, ye see, 1 haint got the
money-that is, to spare, jest now. I'm
sort of poor, like"
your means talking about poverty. What
is a paltry five hundred to your And
the speaker snapped his finger as if the
sum mentioned were insignificant beyond
measure. "Whyt man, I'll warrant you
have more than that with you nowr'
Il 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 |
the matter2 I might have |
known Colonel Clark would speak to you
about it. When I told him of my pro-
posed company last week he asked if you
were in it, and he said, IF Bronson takes
hold | will, because whatever Bronson
takes hold of is sure to succeed Those
were his very words; and so he spoke to
you himself? Well, 1 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 playful
tap on the baek-'and you needn't pay
more than half down That will be
enough to carry the thing through,
think"
And what could poor Silas say to all
this2 With a nature weak and yielding,
ne was surprised and hattered to learn
Of his own prominence in the comnuni-
~, and that such men as the Judge,
Colonel Clark, and others should give
need to his views on any subject was, to
'ay the least, extremely complimentary
In fact Silas began to think his selfesti-
nate had been placed altogether too low
n times past, and he presently smoked
I
state of complacency indeed.
The Judges tongue was not idle the
Meanwhile; he piled on the 'soft-solder"
% remarkable thickness, and after
ime, somehow-Silas didn't exactly
know how-the Judge took possession of
he one thousand dollars, and Silas found
himself the owner of four beautifully
certificates of stock, calling
or five hundred dollars each
They looked nice, and Silas placed
ae and Judge Fay, Colonel Clark, and
he others were very important men and
hrewd fnanciers withal Then the
Judge mildly intimated he had business
o attend to, and Silas took his depart
Ire. But when outside, and on his way
home, Silas, like the prodigal son, came
% himself, and he began to think the
Investment not so good one after all
de tried to recall the arguments and
brilliant promises of the Judge, but some
way he couldn't remember them, and the
more he tried the more he forgot, while
acIng him was q very important ques-
ion:
What would Maria say2
Yes, there was the rub! And Maria
1ad great deal to say when she heard
of it, as her words, at the first of this
story, do in part testify. But her words
could not bring back the money, and
With heavy heart the poor woman placed
the stock certificates in a bureau drawer,
hoping against hope that something
might come from them after all.
Vain delusionl Days and weeks pass
ed by, and the Great Union Petroleum
Oil Company" paid no dividends to its