Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-05-23

| the projectors OF "The Grand Orient
Petroleum, Mining and Manu- act
uring Company" had spotted him a:
ono of the first of their victms and sc
plausibly had they talked, so grandilo-
quently had they set forth the golden
possibilities OF their vast property, and
so plainly had they given him to sec
the wealth that must flow in upon him,
that his head was turned.
On the very next day after the con.
versation TO which we have listened.
Mr.. Plausible Sparkler called at Walter
Witherell's s house, finding himself and
wife both in. He was man of middle.
age about forty with light, flaxen
hair, neatly oiled AMI curled, an i'm
mense naxen moustache. pair of eyes
of light blush gray. which, in certain
lights, scintillated like the eyes of a
squirrel; prominent Roman nose, like
the cutwater of boat. with sloping
forehead, and n pair OF ears that be.
tokoned asnine will combined with
great caution. He was dressed in the
very height of fashion, wore an enor-
nous diamond (or paste) in his shirt
front, and heavy weight of bright,
yellow metal Gt looked like gol1) at
taCheu TO his watch.
"Ahal--ha! ha! hal" laughed Spark
Ter, after he had laid out his brilliant
plan for tho hundredth time, and had,
in bold fancy, filled Walters Golfers to
the brim with gold! "Ha! ha! ha!--old
Spoopendyke came to me yesterday and
wanted to give me his block of eight
story, marble-front stores in New York,
for two hundred shares of our stock.
All! the old rascal has n long head on
his shoulders. He can sec --aye, sec
what our enterprise must come TO. But
did not listen. You can imagine that
1t was n great temptation; but I put it
behind me. We had resolved that we
would not give our property TO make
wealthy men wealthier; but to make
poor men wealthy men who were
at the same time deserving. Think. my
dear Witherell-you will own more
stock, very much more, than old Spoop-
endyke proposed to take for that valua-
bic estate in the great metropolis"
And so the oilytongued man talked
on, until Waller had the same as prom
ised that he would be prepared to take
the stock on the morrow"
That very afternoon, after Sparkler
had gone, Walter Witherell filed out
mortgage-deed with his own hand, and
then cslled in a justice to acknowledge
the signatures of himself and his wire.
Jennie signed it; but it almost broke her
heart to do it. And during the evening
he took the deed to the man of whom
he was to have the money, and received
thousand dollars-ten new, crisp, one
hundred-dollar greenbacks, fresh from
the United States Treasury.
When Walter reached home, on his
return from the money-lender' he
found n boy ut his door with a tele-
gram. 1t was from his sister, in dis
tant part of the State. informing him of
the sickness of his mother. 1.-The doc
tor says dangerous. Come immcd ate
ly," was the closing of the message.
The nearest railway station was six
miles distant, aud there was no train
until morning which would help him on
his way. However, the business to be
done with Mr.. Sparkler he could leave
with his wife Just as well. The pre-
liminaries had been all arranged, and
all that remained to be done was to pay
over the money-two thousand dollars
and take the certificate of stock
"There will be paper to sigma
sort of bond-just for FORMS sake,
which you can sign Just as we'll. The
wife's name is good.n
Hadn't you better give me power
of attorneyP" suggested Jennie. "Mr.
Sparkler may re use to take my name
without some such thing. Just you sit
down, and write out simple statement
that you give to me entire authority to
sign for you Il certain paper, stating
what it is, and that you will hold your
self bound thereby"
Walter liked the idea, and he pro-
ceeded forthwith to make out the paper
as his wife had suggested He gave her
this, together with two thousand dollars
in money, and she was to do the busi-
ness with Sparkler. The thousand dol
lars from the savings bank he had
drawn that very day, SO that the money
was all ready.
On the following morning Walter ate
an early breakfast; then harnessed the
horse which his wife was used to driv-
ing, and having kissed his little ones
he entered the carria 20, and Jennie
drove him over to the station, and
stopped there and saw him of On her
way home she stopped at the dwelling
of dear friend-Kate Moulton whose
husband was going to take thousand
dollars worth of stock of ''The Grand
Orient Petroleum, Mining and Manu-
featuring Company"
"Kate," said Jennie, "Charles will
surely take the stock?"
"Yes. have tried to persuade him,
but he will not listen"
"Dear Kate, want you to do me a
favor. Listen" And she whispered
the request into her ear, so that even
the walls should not hear it. "Will
you do itP"
And Kate Moulton promised that she
would do it. upon which Jennie With
erell went home quite contented
II was after noon when Mr.. Sparkler
called, bright and bustlfng, ready for
his business with Walter Witherell. He
was somewhat disappointed when he
found that the man was gone, but when
the wi had assured him that she was
fully empowered to act for her husband
he was content. She led him into the
library. and gave him seat, after
which she proceeded to business. And
Plausible Jparkler, Esquire. found her
not quite SO ready to his hand as he
might have found the master OF the
However, she managed to
get through with the business after a
fashion, and she breathed more freely
when she had seen the last OF the phil
anthropic Spectator.
On the morning of the next day a tel
egram came from Walter, TO his wife,
informing her that his mother was fail
ng. and she had better join him with
the children, and on the day after that,
leaving the house in the charge OF their
one servant and the farm hands, she
set forth in answer to her husbands
,all.
She arrived in season to see Walters
mother alive. and to sit by her side
when she fel asleep. They tarried I'M
Ill after the funeral, and then returned
nome, anl took up once more the usual
cares OF life.
1t was on the second day after their
arrival at home that Jennie gave to her
L 4