The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-05-10

l had business at Hartford, so | tele
graphed Edwards to meet me there. Ht
didn't come, although 1 waited over one
, train, and sent another message, sharI
and saucy, over the wires. No Edwards
. appeared, and had TO return home il
, bad hnmor. The next day letter came
, from Edwards: and it was enough t.
| make the Oldest -four merchant cut VI
, rough.
The mills are still idle, and will bt
until the first of next month. They
must eat, whether they pay or not. ]
haven't the heart to starve them, mol
should you, either, 1 am sure
1t then occurred to me that perhaps
Edwards was feeding the unemployed
operatives Of the mills named with nv
-four, and at my cost. There might
have been improper language about il
in the Office, but that was no reason why
the porters should all at once step round
IS if they were in mortal fear of some
body, and say to each other
Il never thought the gentleman could
swear like that, did you?"
But 1 sat down and wrote Edwards q
sharp letter. .t -.
You have been doing a strange thing
with my flour: What right had you to
sell in the way you have done? 1t il
barefaced robbery, as. l look at it ; and
if you can put any other and better face
upon. it, you had better do so at once.
At any rate, come down to the city at
once and bring your accounts with you,
so that fcan see what it all means"
Such letter ought to have brought
Edwards or any other man at once, but
it didn't. II, <1-.- .'..--.
1t was a busy time, Mcintyre, of Liv-
erpool; Van Schwartz, of Hamburg, and
one Jori two others cable for something
every day. This Edwards had stirred
up the depths of commercial bitterness
to the very bottom; now let him answer
for it. .......-.... .......- ..---
l went to Springfield full of mischief
for Edwards. If he did not show good
cause for his outrageous doings, / in.
tended to close him up, sell him out,
break him, and make an end of him as a
flour merchant
Most people are hungry when they
reach Springfield, and that city is one of
the few places in this world where there
is always something good to eat ready
and waiting for you. A good dinner
makes true Democracy. Where there
are ideas at al, it makes them more
broad and liberal. After my dinner /
went TO see Edwards in better humor
than before. .1 go .a.a5-. as
Standing in the door of the store to
which / had been directed was boy
a remarkable looking boy. His pants
we're tucked in his boots, he was covered
with flour, he was cross eyed; and if
that little Chicago man had stood beside
that boy, it would have been hard to tell
which was the original and which the
copy. a- -',
: Il want to see Edwards said to the
boy. - r-.y.., g.....ss .--.-..
"Gone to Chicopee to see grandfather
Be back at four O'Clock. Want some
fOur?" ..-.
, "No, l want to zee Edwards"
r Come at four o'clock" rse
At that moment q customer came and
the boy Left noe to attend to him. vent |
to my hotel and waited. 30 -g .,1t- Il
At ten minutes past four started out |
again to see, Edwards. The same boy
was on duty at the door as before, only |
how his ace was so beHoured that he |
was still more singular than at first.
as Edwards in?" asked.
: He nodded. .,.f
Then I would like to see him at
once. ...cl ...-sF
i He looked me fairly in the face and
grinued at me. Then, jerking
his head toward the rear of the store,
said: .,.-.,.. -.-.-... .
"Back in the Office" .
. I vent back into the Office and found
,nly a lady there. ...- |
Il want TO zee Mr. Edwards. Is he in?"
;: You awunt to see me, then. There
$ nc Mr. Edwards. My husband died
hree years ago" -" ''i-7 ',.. .-
I?was too much astonished 10 say any
hing more for a moment
ais it possible that you are Edwards,
he -four m erchant"
Il am the person, sir" -..-
"And 1 am John Middleton, of New
York. 1 mnst beg your pardon, madam,
or writing you very sharp letter. /
I was writing to man, or it
would have been very differently worded.
You being lady makes it a rudeness on
NY part" |
'g'1 know 1 deserved it," she said,
'milingly, "but, in spite of Johns re-
John is my boy) that /
Vas running my credit with you, l simp-
y couldn't see former customers starv.
ng when ii was possible to feed them.
You have come for your money, sir. Sit
iown and / win pay you what have
lere. 1 must borrow from the bank
'nough to pay the rest They offered to
axe mortgage on our house, but
loped to get along somehow without
hat. But you must have your money,
know, even if there is mortgage put
N the house. ......-. II
And she went to the safe and took out
What money there was-not much; and
at down to write me check for what |
he had in the bank. While she was
Hing the check she kept looking up at
ne in the oldest way. Such pretty
title ,wofnm she was, too. But was I
o much ashamed of myself that I sat
Iumbas An oyster. Here was the little :
widow going 70 mortgage her house,
,erhsps herself, On my account. 1t was {
ough-.the toughest / had ever seen. {
But l, let her ell out the check Two 8
hundred and seven dollars and thirteen I
ents. il took the last cent on deposit
nd che bad Just given me the last cent /
n Ihe cash, ,drawer ot, q: r.--- S
She Was 50 pretty as she sat there {
,,ruaayely writing in her check book, and
!vefy now and then glancing shyly up '
1 me. Where had 1 seen that face be- {
ore, 7 puzzled myselfin vain; I Icouldn't |
ell. - ~ l.
j She gave me the check, and now my
wandering brains had come back into a
business channel again. / tore up the
.-a--- |,
Mrs Edwards, am heartily ashamed (.
# myself for what has just passed be-
ueen ma You shall not mortgage your