, 1880-04-15
A Detectives Story.

''Splendid, indeed"
"Crops growing fneyT
'Yes-coudn't do better"
[ was sitting in a car on Wisconsin
railroad, one day, years ago, when a
good looking, pleasant spoken man came
along, stopped at my seat, and the
above conversation took place, the latter
part of it after l had given him part of
my seat. }~rrr
sHst Now, am regarded as q social man,
like a joke; more so then than now.
On entering the car always looked
about for talkative man, and then
got as close to him as possible, and
drained him dry, if the journey was
long enough Ha HgHp3-t.
And want to state one thing more ::
Left an orphan before could realize the
Is sad event which made me one, L was
kicked here and cufFed there, and grew
up between folks as they say. I ought
to have had, at the time Of which
.4) write, q pretty thorough knowledge of
human nature, and have been enabled to
read in mans face if he intended me-
evil did not pride myself at being
over keen or sharp, but the knocking
about among strangers ought to have
given any one good experience
- Well, the stranger and fell into an
e4 easy strain of conversation as we rode
together, and in ten minutes l began to
enjoy his company. He was a well
made fellow well dressed and wore a
Ia41H fine watch and simon pure diamond
ring. l never saw man who could talk
80 easy and so pleasantly. 1t seemed
that he had but to open his mouth and
the words fell right out
G|H i had travelled in the South, so had
he. / had heard the roar of the Pacific,
he knew all about it. / had been up in
balloon, down in mine, been blown
lstor up smashed sp and repaired again and
sa 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 | never met such railroad
companion
mn Did you ever meet msn, who,
'11 though stranger to you ten minutes
before, could wrest from you your Sc
crets which you had sworn to yourself
not to reveall Well, he was such a
800 man. 1t was long before he commenced
asking me questions. He dld not seem
trying to quiz or draw me out, but he
asked me questions in such sly, round
g about way, that before i knew it was
giving him my history, "
was at that time just on that point
Of being admitted to the bar Of Wiscon-
-ng sin as a student Of Law & Law, of
Briefville The firm were old lawyers
with lucrative business practice, and
~ it had been talked over that in about a
@s month / should be the "Co" of the
firm. A year before farmer named
k6g Preston, down about four miles from
hv4 Grafton, died, and his matters had been
put into the hands of Law L. Law for
settlement. Preston had died rich He
had money in bank, railroad stock,
mortgages, etc, and everything was set
%" tied up to the satisfaction Of the relict
and fatherless. fI.#
About year btfore his death, being
pinched for money, and not wishing to
sell anything at a sacrifice, Preston had
given me mortgage on his own farm
for So, 900. While the papers read "one
year from date" there was verbal
agreement that it should be lifted any
GO day that Preston desired. A month
after having the funds to clear off the
paper, the "old money bags" holding It
refused to discharge, wishing to secure
interest for year.
/ was on my way to learn the date Of
expiration A fire among our Office pa
pers had destroyed the memoranda, and