West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-05-30

character. companies which had
proved to have been simple frauds and
cheats.
Nine months had passed. when. one
day, Charles Moulton stopped Walter
In the street and asked him if he had
received notice OF assessment ten per
cent from the Treasurer ~ the Grand
Orient. No, Walter said he had not
Well said Moultou. 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
II, aS the bond which signed lust for
torDl's sake gave them power TO do.
SO have scut on the hundred dollars.
| tell You, Walter, il came hard. O!
wish I'd listened 10 nv wife. and left
the thing <.one.
Walter wen; home feeling unhappy:
but he dared not speak with his wife on
the subject. 90. If had only listened
TO Jennie That was the burden of
his wall
1t was during the first week in No.
ycmbcr that Walter had given the
mortgage ON his home, and drawn his
thousand dollars from the Savings
'f'hNs ~ NtAN III bhlNs UtNI 10 lowing.
that Moulton and Simmons hal been
assessed ten per cent. on the stock they
had taken. AT that time, rs Walter
afterwards learned, Simmons had been
inclined TO let his stock, aud his thou
sand dollars already paid in. go. rather
than be bl.d any more: but the officers
o the company had very clearly shown
him that they had power. under the
bond he had given, 10 come on and
make distraint on any property of his
they could find.
And Walter was in for two thousand
Ii the worst should come, il would
swallow up the rest of his farm every
bit of il, He suffered more and more;
and he suffered the more kccnly be-
cause he would not speak with his wife.
and ask her sympathy.
y year had passed, and another No.
vcmber had come. One morning. at
the post-ollicc, Charles Moulton. pale
and aghast. and quivcring with mental
torture, pointed out to Walter Wilhcrcll
an item in a city paper. which friend
had sent him. Walter took the paper.
and read rs follows:
"a SAD CDLLNrS..-Wc fear that many nf
TIC honest, Woodworking farmers and mo
rEhnlcS ol the surrounding country are suf-
-.
Petroleum., Mining and Manufacturing & I'm
piny, - chilc !. Tho affair has been n stu.
pcudous swindle from the first: yet So
Mlrnltiy did tue corporators do their businc -
mat thor victims can gain no redress The
company owned all tho land they pretended
10 own; but, In truth. n more utterly worth.
less tract OF land than was their territory was
NOT To bc found on the continent. But the
loss oi money paid for stock is not all \ few
mon"ycd men have bought uu the who'r con.
g 'ril. anu arc now making Il straint upon tho
original subscribers II the stock, for the col
Of 81,
notes which they uuwttinVly gave at tha time
OF subscribing. We venture To say that scarce.
~ "a man OF them dreamed that he was giving
Dhd-"i note when he signci that simp.c.
innoc"n'-looking bond. II is hard hut il
mi5nt have hcen worse some may hnd the
cNPcricncc worth NIL 1t will cost. while all may
DO well TO remember the homcly old saying:
CObber' sick To your last ''
Walter gave back the paper with
a groan, and quickly sought tho fresh
air. When he got home his wife was
frightened. She thought him dcathly
sick. She fastened to his side and
wound an arm around his neck.
Dear Walter, what is it? What is
the malter?n
80, Jennie, Jennie! ii | hal only
listened To YOU"
And then, in broken tones and in
tears. lac told her of the sad collapse OF
the Grand Orient He concealed moth
ing; but tod her the plain. unyarnished
truth. Not only was the two thousand
dollars gone that hr 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 that
lurking smile which he caught at the
corners OF her blue eyes and about the
full. ruby lips? Was it possible that
She could find it in her heart TO make
sport of his cruel bitter agony?
Walter, she SAID ut length. evil
YOU 20 and get your certificate of
stock and let Us Look it ovcr?'
lie arose, moving like dccrcpit old
man. and procured the envelope and
brought it back. Jennie took it. and
drew out the certificate and opened il.
% Where IS the companys scalp" she
asked
What" cred Walter, ii. there no
scalp
No. and look at the signatures. DO
they look rs such signatures ought to
looko" 80 ~
y brief silence. aud then Che wife
WIN happy tears mingled with her
smiles, threw her arms around Ter
husband meek, cNclaiming as she did
90, Walter, know YOU will forgive
me now. did bold thing. at the
time YOU might have called il an ous-
ragcouS thing; but could not pay
away that hard-e1rncd money for what
knew To- &c mess of pottage. Dear
husband, YOU nave never owned Il
share OF tbs stork. ] went Ia Kate
Moullon know that Sparkler was To
call there before hn came here and /
got her To- beg Of Mr.. Sparklnr one Of
the blank certificates OF sto,k. ON the
plea That she wanted TO keep the pretty
picture Tor curiosity He cnve ia 10
her and she brought 10 M once to me.
When Nparklcr called upon me | ..nt
hm about his business ol-hand. toli
him Just what thought Of him and OF
hi- company, and will only ,lv that
uc wa very soon glad To- get away.
ben carried back the thousand dol
lar, 90 ihc saving Bank. and Mr. Hol-
den took 30 back Just a. though we had
never touched it. And Mr. Baldwin
very cbco~luliy gave me NIP the mort
.a-o for the return Of the thousand dol
,a hc tad given NoJ. Tho ccrtiHcst,
] I'lcd zap myself believing YOU would
never ~ 1iicc it- strange look
Now Walter darling. I ann roady
io hn o'd"d. lot me have b. lust as
-ata2c'y as Won please. only. when YOU
..