Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-05-29
proved to have been simple frauds and

cheats.
Nine months had passed. ~hea. ons
dav, Charles Moultcn stopped Walte-
In the street and asked him II be had
received a notice Of assessment per
cent-fr0m the Treasurer Of the Grand
Orie=f. No. Walter said he had not
..WeIl, I" said MOultOn, they sent TO
me, and notified me that If the assess
ment was not paid within thirty days.
my stock would be forfeited. or, if they
chose they could come on and collect
il. as the bond which 1 signed Just for
forms sake! gave them power TO do.
SO / have sent on the hundred dollars.
1 tell YOU. Walter. il came hard. o,
wish I'd listened 70 my wife, and left
the thing alone"
Walter wen. home feeling unhappy;
but he dared not speak with his wife on
the subject s-Oi if had only listened
to Jenniei'' That was the burden of
his wall
Ii was during the first week in No
vember that Walter had given the
mortgage on his home. and drawn his
thousand dollars from the Savings
Bank. II was in july. next following.
LuAL AAOuAAOn anu AI1A4AAA8A4r Ia 1CIA
assessed ten per cent on the stock they
had taken At that time. as Walter
afterwards learned, simmons had been
inclined to let his stock. and his thou
sand dollars already paid in 90. rsther
than be bled any more; but the officers
OF the company had very clearly shown
him that they had power. unser the
bond he had given. 70 come on and
make distraint On any property Of his
they could find.
And Walter was in for two thousand
T the worst should come. it would
swallow up the rest Of his farm-everT
bit of IL, He suffered more and more;
and he suffered the more keenly be
cause he would not speak with his wife.
and ask her sympathy.
A year had passed. and another No
vember had come. One morning. al
the post-ofiice. Charles MoultOn, pale
and aghast. and quivering with mental
torture. pointed out 10 Walter Witherell
an item in n city paper. which = friend
had sent him Walter took the paper,
and read as follows:
"A SAD COLLAfsE--wc fear that mnny OF
the honest. nard-workinE farmers and me
chanics OF the surrounding country are euf-
fercrs by the collapse Of the Grand ORIENT
Petroleum. Mining and Manufacturing Com
pany. - called The affair has been 4 stu.
pendous swindie from the nrst; vet. "a
adroltly did the corporators do their business
that their victims can gain no redress The
company owned al the land they pretended
20 own: but. IN truth. a more utterly worth
less tract OF land than was their territory was
not 70 be found on the continent But the
loss OF money paid Tor stock n not ali A feu
monered men have bought uD the whole con.
c IN. and are nov making distrniat upon the
original subscribers q the stock. for the Coz
lection OF the full face value Of the premium
notes which t'iev uuwifrinziy gave AZ the time
OF subscribing We venture 90 say that scarce
ID 4 man OF them dreamed shat be was glrinE
A bona-.de note when be signed that s.mPie
might have been worse Some nav nud thu
exaersence worth ali u viii cost while all mas
do well to remember the hotnely Old saying:
Cobbier. stick to-your last
Walter gave back the paper with
4 grOan. and quickly sought the fresh
air. When nc got home his wife was
frightened She thought him deathly
sick. She hastened TO his side and
wound an arm around his neck.
Dear Walter. what is il? What is
the marfer?"
20. Jennie. Jenniel if had only
listened to you"
And then, In broken tones and in
tears. he told her of the sad collapse ol
the Grand Orient He concealed moth
ing. but told her the plain. unvarnished
truth Not only was the two thousand
dollars gore that he had already paid.
but they were coming for two thousand
more, and he could not escape pay
ing it.
Jennie sat down and looked into her
husbands face. What meant thai
lurking smile which he caught at the
corners of her blue eyes and about the
full, ruby lips? Was il possible thai
she could find il in her heart 70 maks
sport Of his cruel. bitter agony?
Walter she said At length. Evil
ycu go and get your certificate o.
stock and let US look il oTer2''
He arose. moving like n decrepit old
man. and procured the envelope ant
brought il back. Jennie took il. ant
drew out the certificate and opened IL
Where is the conpany's seal?'' sh'
asked
whatg' cried Walter. is there nj
scalp
mo. and look Al the signatures. ID,
they look as such signatures ought u
lOOk2"
A brief silence. aud then the wife
with happy tears mingled with he
smiles, threw her arms around he
husbands neck. exelaiming as she did
20. Walter. know y0u viii forgiv'
me now did n bold thing; At IN
time YOU might have called il an out
rageOus thing; but l could not pa
away that hansi-earned money for wha
knew to be a mess OF pOttage- Dea
husband. you have never owned :
share Of this stock l went TO Kais
MOultOn-I knew that Sparkler was {,
call there before he came hcre-and
got her to beg If Mr.. Sparklsr Que .
the blank certificates Of stock. on tn
plea that she wanted to keep the prett
picture for curiosity he gave il 4
her. and she brought It Al once to Eie
When Sparkier called upon me l sen
him about his bd siness Off-hand. | toll
him Just what thought Of him and O
his company; and I viii only say tina
he was very som glad to get away
Then / carried back the thousand dol
lars 20 the Savings Bank. and Mr.. HOl
den took il back Just rs though we ha
never touched IL And Mr.. Baldwi
very cheerfully gave me up the mort
| gaze for the return of the thousand dol
lars he had given yon- The certilicat
filed up myself. believing YOU wOul
never notice It's strange look
Now. Walter. darling. am read
10 be scolded. Let me have il just !
savageiy rs you please; only, when 70
have finished. have 4 favor 20 ask
:. Ask il now. Jennie, he said, in
low. broken whisper
." It IS this; ! want you to promise m
that you viii never
Hold on, He caught her 20 b
bosom. and kissed her -ain and agaiI
20. my own blessed wife, never, nevs
again. viii | step aside from the tru'
upright. straightforward and legitimai
path of honest business and labor