Barbour County index., 1884-02-22

/ trust The friend was going abroad to
remain for years, perhaps permanently
; He owned, jointly with his sister. a
pfece of property near the great Oil
Belt. n might be worthless. and it
might prove very valuable. What the
friend required was honest dealing.
For himself he did not care. He had
great wealth. but his invalid sister was
entitled TO all that could be realized
from her half of the land II was for
Eugene f. TO d scover the value of the
land and 10 cxercise his judgment in
dispOsing ~ il. He undertook the task
with ill-cOncealed repugnance. He dis
liked travelling; had a.horror of un-
aireI beds and pot-luck. lie went to
the oil regions ip bal humor. When
he returned. great change was noticed
ia his manner. a month Lad worked
wonders.
just think Of It," he said To me,
when he dropped in TO shake hands in
- his checry, hearty way. IL thought
those six hundred acres were worth
about five dollars an acre. At the end
Of a week was offered sixteen thou.
sand dollars; in another week Il jumped
up To Il hundred thousand, and finally
] let IL 90 for four hundred thousand.
half cash, balan 20 in three mOnths.7
1t struck MS aH rs = surprising streak
of luck. and everybody put il that way,
but Eugene. who was convert to the
Belt theory, held it was simply n
matter Of management and business ex-
pericnce and sagacity. He asserted
there was abundauce Of oil territory
undcvclopcd, and hisfriends were sur
4 .prised beyond expression when he an
nOunced his resolve To demonstrate the
correctness OF his conclusions He un-
dcrtOOk the task Of developing, and.
like MANY another who started out on
the Belt theory, he ended wildcat
ting" In other words, he assumed ex-
traord nary risks. Ills efforts were at
tended with varying success. He expe-
rienccd downright bad luck. and rare
good fortune, too.
In a year-lesa iime-his old friends
scarcely knew Eugene F.. He was
''cnergct'c, confident. positive and de-
cisivc: very fair specimen of n thor
ough-going American business man
Ills ventures proved profitable I'm the
main, and then, all ut once, accident
filed his pockets one night when he
slept. lie was the possessor Of half n
million. He was In tho middle OF the
current. prominent craft i'm the stream
that allured thousands, noatcd n frac-
ton into safe harbor. and stranded the
great majority. a.-
seldom met Eugene now. We were
in different channels. Chance brought
us face To- fac one day in front of the
Era Office.
How are You, Ned9 Hat dinner?
Come with me. 1 want company No
refusal now" .-- -
make il tonight, at home, aud I'll
be ON hand"
IL wish could; hut the truth is. I
am 30 seldom nj home now-I dom [
Know when I've spent n night, OF rather
an evening, at home H
Aud this was my bookish friend who.
year ago, could not be induced to
leave his snug library. or coy living
room. where his wife and children were
his chief companions. ...r
Half an hours conversation proved
TO me that my fricnd-tEe man 4 had
respected and loved was ns dead rs
the PharO1hs. In his place i found n
man who seemed n bundle of nerves.
He had lost the reposc of my old
friend, and with II his grace. While IL
was impossible for Eugene F TO be-
come either coarse or brusquc. his posi-
tive manner and tones, his decision.
gave him an angularity that was le -
to bc admired than his former case and
urbaniy. . g....-
! Now YOU have made your pile, Eu-
gene, | suppose YOU will hc of To Europe
some of these days. Possibly we may
lOso you altOgethsr.n
He looked at me with undisguised
asionistment. "What makes YOU say
thatP-
-"They sag YOU are worth nearly n
million" M
See hcro--this Is in confidence.
Ned ihcy !aV' great deal that isn't
4 ttue.s But IN this instance MsU are not
far wrong. But why should | quit on n
mill one Have some more mushrooms.
This isthr only place can act decent
steak IA town.
4, i've seen. tho time YOU would have
been content with quarter of mill
Yes; in the long ago. DO YOU
know, | was u fool i'm those davs.. Ma
turc never intended n man SHOULD be-
content. lie ought To- be lust as eager
To make his tenth yes. his hundredth
million fur that mattcr--as his first
For my partrbut mind you don't let
your hive know Il, don't care To a ct
them after me--Fre no intent ON of
! quitting iHti'vc msdc five millions.m
- Iou have only another step TO take.
! and YOU viii establish your claim TO ali
Tho priSl.eees enjoyed by aristocrats. :
He lau shcd.
4 '.No. am too sensible for that he
replied; 'lnlthouyh. for that matter
eYSu know ! always held nature had
made its divisions There will be hew-
ers ol-Nood and drawers of water as
long ~ grass grows or water runs.''
I Il meant there is danger that one day
you win loOk With contempt ON a man
With less than ten thousand YEAR.
n Don't blame me, my boy, be re-
Pl ei. IN patronizing manner imme-
l'diatoly resented, IF I've set my peg for
five m lions " go
'lSe seen the time you were as well
on. enjoyed the world. literature. ar1.
4 the society Of your frlends. and. above
! all, The companionship Of your wife and
chiiireu.s and III on iess than three
th0usan 4 a year. Tor happen 10 know
you gSvosfberally and lent freclv.p
Il can only rcpeat-iive million is
my iignrc And I've only made the
first notch nthat st!ck. ~
['Howh you failp Yoli never. know
when the sec-sawNvfIi bump YOU on the
ground. .a.,
The next day Eugene F lost a hun
drcd thousand A week later he was
not worth tcn- There came Out of n
contest, such as was never Witnessed
before nor since between oil operators.
merc wrecks Of men mentally ami NOR
ally. Physically and financially, q ief
among whom was Eugene F.. The
tarantula's bite had poisoned his ii e's
blood lie was was no longcr the brisk.
nert set1iPllously-sircssed qu;et-ma
neted gentleman, lie was unshaven
nan the tinIe, HIS eyes were shifting.