Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1880-12-15

1 Inyself has trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in child like faith,
Home to my God,
| To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.
Why I Joined the Detectives.
Can l sit with your"
Certainly, SIR
| Nice weather."
"Splendid, indeed"
Crops growing finely"
eyes; couldn't do BETTER"
was sitting in a car on the Wisconsin
Railroad, one day years ago, when a good
looking, pleasant spoken man came along
stopped at my seat, and the above CONVEX.
sation took place, the letter part of it after
had given part of my seat.
| Now | am regarded as a social man.
like joke; more so then than now. On
entering railroad car l always looked
about for laxative man, and then l got
as close to him as possible, and drained
him dry, if the journey was long enough.
And | want to state one thing more.
Lett an orphan before l could realize the
sad event which made me one, got kicked
here and cuffed there, and grew up between
folds, as they say. ought to have had at
the time OF which l write, pretty thorough
knowledge of human nature, and have
been enabled to read evil in a mans face if
he intended me evil. did not pride nv.
sell on being over sharp, but the knocking
around among strangers ought to have
given any one good experience.
Well, the stranger and fell into an easy
train of conversation as we rode together.
and in ten minutes l began to enjoy his
company. He was a we'll made fellow
finely dressed, and wore fine watch and a
simon pure diamond ring. l never saw a
man who could talk so easily and so pleas.
antly. 1t seemed that he had but to open
his mouth and the words fell right out.
had travelled in the south; so had he /:
bad heard the roar of of the Pacific; he
knew all about it. / had been up in a
balloon, down in a mine, been blown up,
smashed up, and repaired again and again ;
my new friend had experienced all these
things, and was wishing for something of a
more startling nature. We agreed on
politics, neither had any religion, and l
never met such railroad companion.
Did you ever meet man who, though a
stranger to you ten minutes before, could
wrest from you your secrets which you had
sworn to yourself not to reveal? Well, he
was such man. 1t was not long before
he commenced asking me questions. He
did not seem trying to quiz or draw me
out, but he asked me questions in suoh a
sly, round about way, that before knew it
| was giving him my history.
was at that time just on the point OF
being admitted to the bar of Wisconsin, as
student of Law & Law, of Brefville The
firm were old lawyers with lucrative prac.
tice, and it had been talked over that in
about month should become the Co"
of the firm. A year before, q farmer nam.
ed Preston, down about four miles from
Grafton, died, and his matters had been
put in the hands of Law & Law for settle.
ment. Preston had died rich. He had
money in bank, railroad stocks and mort.
cages, etc., and everything was settled to
the satisfaction of the relict and fatherless
About a year before his death, being
pinched for money, and not wishing to
sell anything at a sacrifice, Preston had
given mortgage on bis own farm for
$4,000. While the papers read 'for one
year from date" there was verbal agree.
ment that it should be lifted any day that
Preston desired. A month after, when,
having the funds to clear off the paper,
the "old money bags" holding it refused to
discharge, wishing to secure his interest for
year.
was on my way to learn the date of ex.
piration. A fire among our Office papers
had destroyed the memoranda, and must
60 down and get the date from old Scrip,
who lived south of Grafton, about five
miles. The stranger pumped this all out Of
me in about ten minutes, and yet never
once suspected he was receiving any infor.
nation.
"I am not positive" l added, "but am
pretty sure that the time. is the 18th, which
would be Tuesday next"
"And then your folks will send you down
with the money and discharge the mort
gage, of course2" he queried
ooh, yes, shall most likely bring il
down." 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 al
1880, and to my great surprise he an
nounced that he was to stop in the town
on business for a few days. had not
asked his name or avocation, while he
knew everything about me.
We went to the hotel and had dinner
and then secured livery team and drove
out, getting through with business SO that
was back to take the ago express east
My friend was on the porch of the hotel as
drove up, carrying the same honest, dig
nified face.
swell, did you find out2" he inquired
in his pleasant way.
eyes, 1t was on the 18th, as expected,
replied.
! We took lunch together, and when we