Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-06-10


cases-but was impossible for these two
men. There is such thing as Fate.
Bladeley in his headlong rush nearly
overturned stout gentleman just at
street corner, made apology without
fairly hating, paused-and an instant
later two hands were clasped with q
warmth that melted the ice of twenty
years. silence in moment.
"Charley! Charley Where on earth
did you rush from? ?" =
"Dear old Andrew Who would ever
have dreamed of knocking you over in
my walk this mornirg?"
Bladeley had to attend to business
Stone bad no business to attend to. So
Stone went with Bladeley, making the
latter gentleman later with several bus.
mess engagements than he had been
before for years. They talked over BY
gone times with all the zest and enthu,
siasm of bygone youth-and Bladeley
smoked more cigars than his economical
habits had ever allowed him before in
any one day, and better ones than he
had ever used.
Stone said he could give his friend
weeks time anywhere and in any way as
we'll as not, while Bladeley couldn't af-
ford to lose train. So it was arranged
that they should go East together in the
morning, instead of Stone going West.
They dined together -Bladely always
in hurry, Stone always slow. Stone
submitted, with protest, to being hur-
ried during the afternoon when assured
that they could have the entire evening
together only on the condition that
Bladeley was allowed to rush his bust
ness first.
81 rushed enough when I was
younger" complained Stone. "pve
been getting slower and slower for ten
years past. What breezy fellow you
are, Bladeleyl"
1t was most uneventful evening
which they spenttogether. Stone told the
story Of his life, or thought he did, and
doubtless told it as completely as any
one could have done under the circum-
stances. Bladeley was to tell his the
next evening in another city couple Of
hundred of miles east, where business
called the business man of the two.
They commenced where the old-timJ
acquaintance left of, with Stones last
letter which Bladeley had buttoned up
in his breast pocket.
"Where was when wrote last ? In
California prospecting for gold? Or had
I gone to Mexico on that railroad
scheme? Or hadn't got back from my
trip after furs up near the Arctic Ocean
in British America ?"
Bladeley took the letter, thick one,
froSa his pocket, and opened it. Twenty
four hours before, he couldn't have said
positively just what venture his friend
was engaged in when the letter was
written /; he had made money in half
dozen curious enterprises before that
time. Tonight, with the memory of it
fresh in his mind from the morning
reading of it, Bladeley started Stone off
at the right point at once, and the letter
was not read that evening.
A half hour after he had taken it from
his pocket, Bladeley put it back, but
the last page written on an odd half
sheet) futtered to the floor unn o.
ticed by either.
Stones life had been an eventful one.
Canada and California and Mexico had
not been his only fields of fortune. He
had travelled and traded in South
America, in Russia, in India, in China.
II never put my hands to anything
that wasn't success" he said. "I
never planned scheme that didn't go
through in the best possible manner,
better always than expected. I never
put my name to note which couldn't
pay when due, to check that wasn't
promptly honored, or to anything
whatever-important or unimportant-
that didn't prove true. When I've ex-
pressed opinions, facts have borne them
out; when I've imposed conditions,
circumstances have shown them true
and correct when have made predic-
tions. the future has made them true
Bladeley. am worth more than a mil
lion dollars"
Did the reader ever meet an old friend
and talk for hours, to part later and find
how much had been said, and yet how
littleP In his chamber that evening
Bladeley thought of a thousand ques-
tions he should ask his friend on the
morrow. He had met man who, slow
though he was, had been almost every
where, and who would think no more Of
journey from London to China than
many q man would of a ride of a couple