The Baltimore County union., 1883-11-03
saw the advantage TO be derived from
my position and | replied:

my position and ! replied:
at is impossible, sir, for me to Civ,
you an answer at this moment; return
At five O'Clock meanwhile | will con
slider the matter"
AT a quarter before the appointed
hour, Mr.. Hardy was again before my
door
"Sir," said |, 81 had no wish Tor the
house, and did not even think about il,
when the proprietor came to beg me to
purchase it; and it appears that the
house is mine. And as it suits you and
any other will do just as well for me,
accept your offer"
"You shall be paid in fortnight, ="
exclaimed the purchaser, delighted by
my prompitude in business.
] was so pleased ] wrote to Messrs.
Hughes x Bergeret that, having certain
funds to invest, ! begged their advice
as to the safest mode. Il appears that
the words "certain funds" have very
different acceptations in commerce, ac-
cording 10 the name and position oil
him who uses them. News Of my in
heritance had reached them. Certain
funds, situated as was, was a modest
way Of specifying 4 considerable sum-
at least ] supposed 50 on receiving in
answer from the firm that my letter had
been received just before the close Of
the Pacific railroad loan, in which they
had purchased to the amount Of $500,
600; that If ! thought it too much a
large profit nigh, be easily realized, as
the stock had gone up. A postscript
in the hand Of the principal congrA,u.
lated me on the accession TO fortune.
Four hundred thousand dollars The
letter fell from my hands; the amount
/ frightened me. wrote Instantly, in
forming them that 50 large sum was
beyond my means, adding that no re-
mttanCe had been received from Chi
ma, rs they supposed, and was unable
TO satisfy their claims.
The answer came in a day or two,
stating that, as / did not appear 10
| have confidence in the Pacific railroad,
they had sold out half my stock al q
profit Of $50, 900, and begged me not
! 10 feel uneasy as remittances always
came slow from China in the interim
my signature would furnish me all the
money ] could want. The prospectus
Of bank was enclosed, in which shares
had been secured for me.
Eighty thousand dollars Either
understand nothing OF commercial mat
ters or the clerk had made one or two
naughis too many. Ny situation be.
came embarrassing congratulations
overwhelmed me. was besieged with
annoying questions. How would
furnish my house? What would ! do
for public entertainments? Some be-
nevolent ladies wrote 10 recommend 10
my notice the benevolent institution
under their guardianship. ! would
have been ruined in postage, but for
the lucky stroke with Mr.. Hardy,
which ! did not receive till 4 fortnight
after, until which time, indeed. ! had
no money. Fortunately, from the mo-
meni ! was held 10 be rich, no one
would take 4 cent from me. and trades
men courted the honor OF giving me
credit.
Having received Mr.. Hardy's check
! went TO my bankers, who received
me as the inheri;or OF great wealth.
al regret, said Mr.. Bcrgerei, "ihat
YOU misirusied the Pacific railroad in
vesimeni, Tor the stock has again gone
up. But no matter. YOU have some
lef,"
"Will YOU have the goodness, said
/, "to tell me precisely how much all
these stocks are worth which YOU have
bought for me?"
The calculation is cash. Two hun
dred thousand dollars Il; so much the
dollar-and the sum already paid, Ii
YOU sell to-day you will put about s,.o, =
900 in your pocket"
opened both my ears.
"Nou say S:so.ooo. Are YOU quite
certain -
"As certain as any one can be, with
in a few hundred dollars.
did not wish to appear too much
the novice and replied
THAT is well. You spoke also OF a
bank -
"Ycs; the establishment Of this bank
has met with some difficulties but the
affair is no, the less good. We are on
the eve of terminating it, and the scrip
is well up"
Gould that also be sold?" inquir-
cd.
"lou hold fifty shares" replied the
banker, (Which have advanced four
hundred and fifty dollars, making al
together nearly sixty thousand dollars
although as vet have paid moth.
ing1"
without doubt" was the answer.
THAT is singular but since YOU say
so submit. should like to make
safe investment Of the whole will You
bc so kind as to specify one1"
"Our four per cents, sir-our four
per cents. II know of nothing safer. !
can case!y understand that all these
little matters worry you. You will
soon have TO deal with much larger
sums"
"By placing all that | hold, except
this draft, in four per cents, should
have an income Of"
"About 81 900"
GLOW soon can this investment be
made and the bonds purchased for me ?"
"Oh, tomorrow, il you conhdc the
transaction TO our house"
"Thai. of course" was my rcjoin-
der. "What other could inspire me
with so great a degree of conhdencc?"
The banker bowed.
viii it be believed In the midst Of
all these treasures felt 4 certain en-
barrassmcnt in asking for small sum,
of which ! stood in the greatest need /;