Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-06-24
Tht Stutw Temer.
WHY | JOINED the DETECTIVES.

Certainly, sir.
'Nice weather"
"Splendid, indeed"
"Crops growing finely"
Eyes couldn't do better"
was sitting in car on the Wisconsin
Railroad, one day years ago, when good
looking, pleasant spoken man came along,
stopped at my seat, and the above conversa
tion took place, the latter part of it after
bad given him part Of my seat.
Now am regarded as a social man.
like Joke; more so then than now. On
entering railroad car always looked about
for talkative man, and then I got as close
to him as possible, and drained him dry, if
the journey was long enough.
And want to state one thing more. Left
an orphan before I could realize the sad
event which made me one, got kicked here
and cufed there, and grew up between folds,
as they say ought to have had at the
time of which I write, pretty thorough
knowledge of human nature, and have been
enabled to read evil in mans face if he in
tended me evil. I 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 began to enjoy his COM
pany. He was we'll made fellow, finely
dressed, and wore fine watch and simon
pure diamond ring. never saw man who
could talk so easily and so pleasantly. 1t
seemed that he had but to open his mouth
and 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. 1 had been up in balloon,
down in 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 more start
ling nature. We agreed OH politics, neither
had any religion, and had 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, ne
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 such sly, round.
about way, that before knew it was giving
him my history.
was 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 month I should become the &C.," of
the firm. A year before farmer named
Preston, down about four miles from Grafton,
died, and his matters had been put in the
hands of Law & Law for settlement. Pres
ton had died rich. He had money in bank,
railroad etocks and mortgages, etc., and ev.
erything was settled to the satisfaction of the
relict and fatherless.
About year before his death, being pinch.
ed for money, and not wishing to sell any
thing at sacrifice, Preston had given mort
gage on his own 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. A month
after, when, having the funds to clear off the
paper, the "old money bags" holding it re-
fused to discharge, wishing to secure his In
terest for year.
1 was on my way to learn the date of ex'
piration. A fire among our Office papers had
destroyed the memoranda, and l must GO
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 information.
II am not positive" added, "but 1 am
pretty sure that the time is the 18th, which
would be Tuesday next"
"And then your folks will send you dowr
with the money and discharge the mortgage
of course?" he queried.
"Oh, yes, l shall most likely bring it down,
I replied, and it never occurred to me how
imprudent l was.
He turned the conversation into othe
channels, and did not once attempt to pump
me further. We got to Grafton at l0.5o
and to my great surprise he announced tina
he was to stop in the town on business tor
few days. had not asked his name or avo
cation, while he knew everything about me.
We went to the hotel and had dinner, ane
then l secured livery team and drove out
getting through with business so that wa
back to take the 800 express east M.
friend was on the porch of the hotel as
drove up, carrying the same honest, digni
fled face.
"Well, did you find out ?" he inquired il
his pleasant way.
"Yes, it was on the 18th, as l expected"
replied.
We took lunch together, and when W
shook hands and parted had no more ide'
e o,.r rnoot;no him apain than [ had O