The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-05-28
Select Story.
WHY | JOINED THE DErECrIv Es .

Can l sit with your
Certainly, SIR
Nice weather.
Splendid, indeed
Crops growing linely?'?'
'Yes-couldn't do better
was sitting in a car on Wisconsin rail-
road one day, years ago, when good-look.
ingpleasant spoken man came along, stopped
at my seat and the following conversation
took place, the latter part of it after | had
ven him my seat.
Now, am regarded as a social man. |
like joke; more 80 then than now. On
entering a railroad Car always looked about
for talkative man, and then | got as close
to him az possible and drained him dry, if
the journey was long enough.
And | want to state one thing more. Left
an orphan before | could realize the sad
event which had made me one, got kicked
qere and cufftd there, and grew up between
folks as they say. ought to have had, at
the time of which write, pretty thorough
knowledge of human nature, aud have been
able to read evil in mans face if he intend
ed me evil. | did not pride myself 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 I began to enjoy his
company. He was a we'll made fellow, fine
ly dressed, aud wore iine watch and ST.
mon-pure diamond ring. | never saw man
who could talk so easy and 50 pleasantly. 1t
seemed that he had but to open his mouth
aud the words fell right out.
| 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 up, smashed
up, and repaired again and again; my new
friend had experier ced all these things, anc
was wishing for something of more start
ling nature We agreed on politics, neither
had any religion, and never met such a
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 to try to quiz or draw me out, but
he asked me questions in such a sly, round
about way that before knew it was giving
him my history.
wa. at that time just on the point of be-
ing admitted to the bar of Wisconsin as a
student of Law & Law of Briefville. The
firm were old lawyers, with lucrative prac-
tice, and it had been talked over that in
about mouth | should be the Co. of the
firm. A year before farmer named Pres
tor, down about mile from Grafton, died,
and his matters had been put into the hands
of Law & Law for settlement. Preston had
died rich, He had money in bank, railload
stock and mortgages, etc., and everything
was settled up to the satisfaction of the re-
lict and iatherless.
About year before his death, being
pinched for money, and not wishing to sell
anything at a sacrifice, Preston had given a
mortgage on his farm for $4,000. While The
papers read for one year from date there
was verbal agreement that it should be
lifted any day that Preston desired, month
after, when, having the funds to clear off the
the paper, the odd money bags holding il
refused to discharge wishing to secure his
interest for year,
was on my way to learn the date of ex
piration. A fire among my office papers hao
destroyed the date of memoranda, and mus
20 down aud get the date from old Grip, ,whc
lived south of Grafton about five miles
The stranger pumped all this out of me in
about ten minutes, and yet ! never onc'
suspected be was receiving any informa
ton.
4 am not positive, added, but am pret
ty sure that the time is the 18th. which
would be Tuesday next
And then your folks will send down tn
money and discharge the mortgage, O
course he quered,
oh, yes, shall most likely bring
down replied, and it never occurred t
me how imprudent was.
He turned the conversation into othe
channels, and did not once attempt to PUN
me further. We got to Grafton at l050,sn
to my great rurprse he announced that b
was to stop in town on business for a FEY
days. had not asked his name or avoca
ton, while he knew everything about mi
We went to the hotel and had dinner, an
then secured lively team and drove ou
and getting through with BUSH ess so that
was back to take the 920 express East. NJ
frieni was on the porch of the hotel as
drove up, carrying the same honest and dig
nified face.
We'll, did you find out?' he inquired, i
his pleasant way.
Yes, it was on the 18th, as Iexpected,'
replied
We had lunch together, aud when v
shook hands aud larted had no more ids
of ever meeting him again than | had
knowing you. In fact he told me that |