The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-01-31

acknowledged, was entitled to $50 shares
of the capital stock of said company, &c.
Walter carefully refolded the handsome
flaming document, put it back into its en-
velope and put it away in private drawer
of his secretaire, and from that time ceased
to talk about it. That is, he talked no
more with his wife, but ever and anon,
when he CHANGED to meet Charles Moulton
and George Simmons, both of whom had
bought some of the same stock, he would
pass few words with them on the sub
ject.
Time passed on-six months were gone,
and not word had Walter heard from
Sparkler. He began to be uneasy, and,
more than once, had said to himself he
wished he had not taken that stock. He
had heard of the failure of many compan-
les which had proved to have been simply
| frauds and cheats.
Nine months had passed, when, one day
Charles Moulton stopped Walter in the
street and asked him if he had received a
notice of assessment-10 per cent-from
the treasurer of the Grand Oriental. No,
| Walter said he had not
"Well," said Moulton, "they sent to me
and notified me that if the assessment was
not paid within 30 days my stock would be
forfeited, or, if they choose, they could come
on and collect it, as the bonds which /
signed just for forms sake gave them pow
er to do. So l have sent ON the hundred
dollars. tell you, Walter, it came hard.
Oh wish I'd listened to my wife, and
let the thing alone"
Walter went home feeling unhappy, but
he dare not speak with his wife on the
subject. ''Oh if had only listened to
Jennie p That was the burden of his
wall
1t was during the first week in Novem-
Der that Walter had given the mortgage on
his home and drawn his 81 900 from the
savings bank. 1t was in July, next fol-
lowing, that Moulton and Simmons had
been assessed 10 per cent. on the stock they
had taken. At that time, as Walter after
ward learned, Simmons had been inclined
to let his stock and 81 900 already paid
in 90, rather than be bled any more; but
the officers of the company had very clearly
shown him that they had power, under the
bond he had given, to come on and make
distraint on any property of his they could
find
And Walter was in for $2,000l If the
worst should come it would swallow up the
rest of his farm-every bit of it. He suf-
fered more and more, and he suffered the
more keenly because he would not speak
with his wife and ask her sympathy.
A year had passed and another Novem-
Der had come. One morning at the post
Office Charles Moulton, pale and aghast,
and quivering with mental torture, pointed
out to Walter Witherell an item in the
city paper which friend had sent him.
Walter took the paper and read as follows:
"ASAD COLLAPSE. fear that many
of the honest, hard working farmers and
mechanics of the surrounding country are
sufferers by the collapse of the Grand
Oriental Petroleum, Mining and Manufac
turing Company, so-called. The affair has
been a stupendous swindle from the first;
vet SO adroitly did the corporators do their
business that their victims can gain no re-
dress The company owned all the land
they pretended to own, but, in truth,
more utterly worthless tract of land than
was their territory was not to be found on
the continent. But the loss of money paid
for stock is not ALL A few moneyed men
have bought up the whole concern, and are
now making distraint upon the original
subscribers to the stock, for the collection
of the full face value of the premium notes
which they unwittinglY gave at the time OF
subscribing. We venture to say that
scarcely man of them dreamed that he
was giving boua tide note when he signed
that simple, innocent-looking bond. 1t is
hard, but it might have been worse. Some
may find the experiment worth all it will
cost, while all may do well to remember
the homely old saying: 'Cobbler, stick to
your last.
Walter gave back the paper with groan
and quickly sought the fresh air. When
he got home his wife was frightened. She
thought him deadly sick. She fastened
to his side and wound an arm around his
neck.
"Dear Walter, what is it? What is the
matter ?"
sNOl Jennie, Jennie! If l had only
listened to you.
And then in broken tones and tears he
told her of the sad collapse of the Grand
Oriental. He concealed nothing, but told.
her the plain, unvarnished truth. Not
only the $4,000 gone that he had already
Q
paid, but they were coming for $1,000
more, and he could not escape paying it.
Jennie sat down and looked into her
husbands face. What meant that lurking
smile which 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 at length, twill you
go and get your certificate Of stock, and let
us look it over?''
He rose, looking like decrepit old man,
and procured the envelope and brought 1t
back. Jennie took it, and drew out the
certificate and opened it.
"Where is the company's seal 2 she
asked.
"What" cried Walter, "is there no
seal p
"No; and look at the signatures. Do
they look as such signatures ought to