The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-07

ton, and replied:
ut is impossible, sir, for me to give
you an answer at this moment; return at
five o'clock; meantime l will consider
the NATTER
At a quarter before the appointed
hour Mr.. Hardy was again at my door.
''Sir," said l, II had no wish for that
house, and did not even think about it,
when the proprietor came to beg me to
purchase it; and it appears that the
house is now mine. As it suits you, and
any other will do as well for me, | &C
cept your Offer"
"You shall be paid in a fortnight, d"
exclaimed the purchaser, delighted with
my promptitude in business.
was so delighted wrote to Messrs.
Hughes and Bergeret that, having GER
tain funds to invest, l begged their adj
vice as to the safest mode. 1t appeared
that the words certain funds" have
very different acceptations in commerce,
according to the name and position
of him who uses them. Certain funds,
situated as l was, was a modest way of
specifying a considerable sum-at least
supposed so on receiving an 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 $20O,000;
that if thought it too much, a large
profit might be easily realized, as the
stock had gone up. A postscript in the
hand ofthe principal congratulated me
on my accession of fortune.
Two hundred Thousand dollars! The
letter fell from my hands; the amount
frightened me. wrote instantly, in
forming them that so large sum went
beyond my means, adding that no re-
mittances having been received from
China, as they supposed, was unable
to satisfy their claims.
The answer came in a day or two,
stating that, as / did not seem to have
confidence in the Pacific Railroad, they
had sold out my stock at profit of
$50, 900, and begged me not to feel I'M
easy, as remittances were always slow
in coming from China; in the interim my
signature would furnish me with all the
money l could want. The prospectus of
bank was enclosed, in which shares
had been secured me.
Eighty thousand dollars! Either I
understood nothing of commercial mat
tiers or the clerk had written one or two
noughts too many. My situation be-
came embarrassing; l was overwhelmed
with congratulations. l was besieged
with annoying questions. In what way
would finish my house?-what would
| do for public establishments? Some
benevolent ladies wrote to recommend
to my notice the benevolent institutions
under their guardianship. Iwould have
been ruined in postage but for the lucky
stroke with Mr.. Hardy, which did not
receive for fortnight after, until which
time, indeed, had no money. Fortu-
nately, from the moment l was held to
be rich, no one would take cent from
me, and tradesmen courted the honor
of giving me credit.
Having received Mr.. Hardy's check l
went to my bankers, who received me
as the inheritor of great wealth.
81 regret" said Mr.. Bergeret, ''that
you mistrusted the Pacific Railroad in
vestment, for the stock has again gone
up. No matter, however, you have some
LETT
"Will you have the goodness" said L,
''to tell me precisely how much all these
funds are worth which you have bought
for mep'
1.-The calculation is cash. Two hun
dred thousand dollars, at so much the
dollar-and the sum already paid. If
you sell to-day you will put about two
hundred and twenty thousand dollars
into your pocket"
| opened both my ears.
"You say two hundred and twenty
thousand. Are you quite certain?'
"As certain as any one can be, within
few hundred dollars"
did not wish to appear too much the
novice, and replied:
THAT is well. You spoke also of a
bank?"
eyes; the establishment of this bank
has met with some difficulties; but the
affair is not less good. We are on the
eve of terminating it, and the scrip is
we'll up"
''Could that also be sold?" Inquired.
"You hold fifty shares" replied the
banker, (which have advanced four
hundred and fifty dollars, making alto
gether nearly sixty thousand dollars"
Although as yet l have paid moth
ing?'
"Without doubt" was the answer.
THAT is singular; but since you say
so, submit. | should like to make a
safe investment of the whole; will you
be so kind as to specify one?'
"Our four per cents, sr--our four per
cents-I know of nothing safer. l can
easily 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 $4,000"
elbow soon can this investment be
made and the bonds purchased for mep"
80, tomorrow, if you confde the
transaction to our house."
THAT of course" was my rejoinder
''What other could inspire me with so
great a degree of confdence?'
The banker bowed
Will it be believedP In the midst of
all these treasures, felt a certain en-
barrassment in asking for small sum,
of which l stood in the greatest need;
for, l had in my pocket but one dol
lar and some silver Suoh bOuayor