News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-09-10


sentation at the Office, As Doaue street, to
James Collins, who is authorized to receipt for
the firm, ANDREW J. SCRIMsoN,
MARcEILUs F. FULLY"
Mr.. Tully senior was indeed in quite
as violent state of mind as his nephew
had pictured him. The latter, with a
prudence most becoming to his years, re-
Trained from communicating to his uncle
the original source of his information of
the breach between the partners, pre-
sentmg the newspaper announcement as
his excuse for inquiry as to particulars.
They were soon given in emphatic
phrase. A year of fairly good business,
as compared with the depression all
about them, had been changed into a
year of actual loss by several apparently
| good accounts proving worthless when
collection was attempted. For some of
these losses, which wiped out the years
work, one partner was responsible; for
some, the other A chance word in
spired by worry provoked recrimination
and the two somwhat peppery tempera-
ments had warmed into an angry sepa-
ration.
"When it came to that old dotard s
throwing Fosters mortgage in my face, :"
said MIR. Tully, in narrating the final
scene, 81 told him I'd buy the con-
founded claim for the face of the debt,
and he could go to thunder"
'Who is Foster, and what is his
mortgage?" asked Mark
''Foster Is a customer / picked up
from Philadelphia, and six months ago
| took mortgage on some land of his
in Pennsylvania, as security for what he
owed us and couldn't pay. We had to
foreolose on him; and then, as near as
we could find out, nothing but stones
grew on his farm, and the land was
worth about six cents an acre"
"Did Scrimson buy up any of the bad
debts that he took in2"
EfNo; he isn't quite such fool as am
The business will be wound up square,
except this one claim that took Thank
the Lord don't need to work any
more unless l feel like it, and that
policy will be falling in one of these
apoplexy in ones of his RACES"
''You mean the Monadnock Mutual
on his life 2''
eyes; that's the only way we can bal
ance accounts. He has cost me more
than ten thousand the past year; and if
he goes ON losing for himself as he lost
on joint account, it will be money in his
daughters pocket to get his estate into
executors hands. By-the-by, Mark, are
you fooling around there as much as
| you were 9''
'1 don't go the house much now" 5"
answered Mark, calmly disingenuous.
''Well, 1 wouldn't if l were you.
Nothing good can come of it. am done
with him and all his belongings, and
you'd better be-"
What a ludicrous similarity in the
turn and habit of mind of these two
menl thought Mark. After ten years of
close relations, quarrel which involves
mutual reflections upon their business
capacity changes their friendship into
detestation, drives them apart, and sets
each watching for the death OF the
other, on whose life a price has been
put. 1t seemed to him despotism of
the business instinct, asserting its su-
preme rule over all sentiment and pas
sion; and as he listened to his uncle
talking in the way that had seemed so
horribly grotesque to Fanny when she
heard it from her father, the glimmer of
an idea became sudden light to him,
and he saw his way to an experiment
with this same abnormally developed
business instinct which had something
of promise in it. At least, nothing
it concerned himself and Fanny, and it
might be made better.
To this end he called on his own bust
ness faculties.
''Have you got that Pennsylvania
mortgage with you2" he asked.
mo; it's with some other papers in
the safe. What do you want of itT'
81 am going to Philadelphia in day
or two and might run down and look
at the property. Now that you own it,
you ought to know something more
about it. 1t may not be such bad
place as you have been told"
''Oh, it's as bad as it can be. We
leased dozen acres of it month ago
for twenty-five dollars year and taxes,
with option of purchase. But you may
look at it if you want to. l put the
whole matter in your hands. Collins
will give you the papers if you drop in
at the office tomorrow. By-the-way,
ask him for that policy on Scrimson's
life, and see if it is all straight and safe
and if you happen to run across Scrim-
son, let me know how he is looking"
Mark did not run across Scrlmson,
and consequently could not seport upon
the prospect of his sudden demise; but
he mailed a letter to Scrimson's pretty
daughter before starting on his Penn.
sylvania trip the next day. His bust
ness in Philadelphia was soon finished,
and as he took his seat in the westward
bound train his mind was free to work
on the audacious scheme which had
come to him like an inspiration, for the
simultaneous punishment and reforma-
tion of the two unreasonable men whose
prejudices stood between him and his
Fanny. His conclusion was that while
it was a desperate experiment, it was
worth trying; and his resolution was not
shaken by an incident which occurred
the next day.
He had stepped off the train to catch
breath of undiluted mountain air al
Altoona, and walking along the station
platform he had a glimpse of face al
the window of Pullman car that sem
an electric shock from the region of his
heart up and down his frame to brair
and feet simultaneously.
"Fannyp
'Markl"
GLOW did you get heres Where ar'
you goinga"
'rHow did you dare to follow usF'
'It was "a spirit in my feet M.
good angel sent me without my know
ing it"
7'Whyl didn't you get my letter."
'No; but / wrote you one"
"And / didn't get that, either
Father hurried me off without even Civ
ing me time to pack. We got new
that his cousin in Pittsburg had strok
of apoplexy and wasn't expected to liv
his own cousin, born the same day h
, was, and named after grandfather, jus
like papa"
''Was the old gentleman good dea
cut upP' inquired Mark, "ls his hear
Just little softened?"
'Poor papa feels very bad" answered
Fanny; "but it is awful to hear hin
talk iust as unkindly as ever about yo
, and your uncle. Why, the first thing h
said was, IF it had only been Tully
now He is as hard as ever. Therel h
, is coming back to his seat. DO g
away, Markp
"Wait Just minute. This is import
ant, Fanny, and you mustn't forget it
: Pm going to Pittsburg; but if tina
cousin should die, you send me news
paper with the notice of his death jus
as quickly as you can, and write me tn
: minute you get home. L shall be Dacl
hnr2