Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-04-24

is H4iri h gtf9 81
tied up to the Satisfaction of tn
reliet and fatherless. M
] About year before his death
being pinched for money, and wish
ing to sell anything at a sacrifice
Preston had given a mortgage OF
his own farm for sS3, 900. While TIN
diapers read s..for one year from
date there was Il verbal agree
ment that it Should be lifted an,
day that Preston desired. A nlOntl
after, when, having the funds I,
clear off the paper, the sold money
bags" holding it refused to dis
charge. wishing to secure his inter
est for a yea .2ssf 80 4faA Ast
was on my way to learn thu
date of expiration. A fire among
our Office papers had destroyed thu
n1enoFanda, and / must go dow1
and get the date frona old Scrip
who lived south of Grafton, abou'
five miles. The stranger pumped
| all this out of me in about ten min
utes, and yet never once suspected
he was receiving any information
. / am not positive" ! added
"but am pretty sure that the TINS
is the 18th, which would be Tues
day next. - & s}'s iif7' s's'
"And then your folks will SEND
down the money and discharge tht
mortgage, Of course?" he queried.
"Oh, yes, I shall most likely
bring it down. | replied, and 4
never occurred TO me how iInpFu
dent | was. u ~.
He turned the conversation into
other channels, and did not once
attempt to pump me further.
We got to Grafton at 1850, and tC
my great surprise he announced
that he. was to stop in the town or
business for a few days. / had not
asked his name or avocation, while
he knew everything about me.
We went to the hotel, had dinner
and then secured a livery team and
drove out, getting through with
business so that [ was back to take
the 2:3O express east. MN friend
was on the porch of the hotel as
drove up, carrying the same honest
dignitied face.
"Well did you find out?" he in.
quired, in his pleasant way.
''Yes, it was on the 18th, as 1 eX-
pected, / replied. ss,rss.t a s..t.. s,a
We. took lunch together, and
when we shook hands and parted ]
had no more idea Of ever meeting
him again than had of knowing
you. In fact, he told me that he
should sail for England within q
week or ten days, and should not
return to America. At parting he
gave me his card. 1t was a modest
piece of a pasteboard, and bore the
name of "George Raleigh" in old
English script.
Everything at the Office went on
as usual, and the thirteenth came al
length. Law d Law had arranged
with me to go down with the
money, and looked upon it as q
business of special Importance.
1--WE know you are all right, =
remarked the senior partner, as ]
was about to go; shut ] want tC
give you word of warning, never
theless. Don't take any strangers
into your confidence until you have
passed out the money, and look
who sits next to YOU f,-......
1t was something new for him ia
caution me, and ] could not but
wonder at it; but in the hustle oil
getting aboard the train / forgot
what he had said. Ordinary pru-
dence had induced me to place the
money, which was all in bank bills
under my shirt and next to my
skin, where the deft hand OF a pick
pocket could not reach it. sdf ia.
Interested in a newspaper, time
few by as the train flew past, and
at length the hoarse voice of a
brakeman warned me that / had
reached Grafton. i leaped down
and was making for a livery stable
when I heard familiar voice, and
looked up to see Raleigh. He was
seated in a buggy and had seeming
ly waited for me to come in. JgI
"Don't express your SURPRISE" he
began, as / stopped at the wheel.
81 did intend to go away. Ichanged
my mind, and like this section so
well that / am going oat to-day to
look at farm with n view of pur-
chasing. Come ride up to the
hotel"
We rode up, ordered lunch, and
while We were discussing it Mr..
Raleigh discovered that the farm he
was going to see was just beyond
that Of old Grips.
How fortunate! j could ride out
with him, see the farm, return in
his company, and he was greatly
pleased.
/ was also pleased. If any man
had told me as we got into the
buggy that George Raleigh meant
to return with my money in his
pocket, and my blood upon his
hands, ! should have believed him
a lunatie And yet George Raleigh
had meant that very thing. H0
1t was a lovely day in June, and
the cool breeze and the sight OF
meadows and green groves made
my very heart grow larger. My
companion was very talkatiVe, but
he didn't even hint at my errand.
He talked as far away as he could.
"Oh! excuse met" he exclaimed,
after we had passed mile beyond
the village, and were among the
farin-houses. II should have offered
you this before" ..s
He drew from his pocket small
flask of wine and handed it to mo.
Now, was temperate In regard to
drinks In fact, i detested the
sight and smell of anything intoXi-
eating. But / had not the moral
courage to tell him 50, and hand
back the flask undisturbed. feared
to offend him, and so ! drank, per-
haps, three good swallows. He
called my attention to the woods on
the left, as he received back the
flask, and when L looked around
again he was just removing it from
his mouth, as if he had drank heaTt=
lily. In about five minutes / began
to feel queer. The fence along the
road seemed to grow higher and TO
grow larger; something came tony
ears that the rattle of the buggy
sounded long way off.
"How strange! Why, believe
| ana going to be sick |" / exclaimed,
holding on to the seat with all my
might. .,ssfs *. 6.5b
"You do look strange" hereplied,
a sneaky smilestesling over his face;
81 shouldn't wonder If it was apo
plexy." 2aiaa3 -I ylal gaI
/ did not suspect the game he had
played. His words were like an
echo, and his face seemed twice as
large as it was. My head began to
spin, and my brain began to snap
and crack. / was terribly fright