The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1886-02-11

Couldnt yoa gis him 10 take his meals
hsre while he's dom tbs iobf suggested
Mary Ann.
That's . good idee. I'm glad you
thought ont. Yes. well make him board
IL cut gness W. Gao trusl mother not
TO make bis meals cost over bali =
dollar day And Stephen chuckled
/ grimly.
James Bryant Was hard working man.
With sickly via aud several litts ch,l-
dren. The foregoing winter he bad bor-
rowsd little money OF stephen. giving
his note. which PAschal Fuller willingly
signed ss security. He owed Bryant
double the amount Of the loan; and he
said as he wrote bis name, iii pay this
my self IS soon Is ! get some money, I'm
expecting most any time now.
Doubtless. he meant what be said; but
he was spsculating heavily. and the de-
preston in business which followed the
breaking ont Of the war caused his 6nan.
cial ruin. James Bryant found that hc
must pay the debt 70 Stephen H;lrnd him
self; and. worn out with tins constant
dunning which Stephen kept up, be was
glad Of the opportunity to pay it In work,
even though the prospects Of eating at
Mrs. Hiland's table was not the most
agreeable.
The storehouse was built, and Stephen
Hilsnds wool packed away in it long be-
fore the summer was over. When win
ter set in. he had added to 1t the "clips"
OF less fortunate neighbors, who could not
wait for higher prices, until he had near
ly 1000 pounds stored away. He gloated
over his treasure, constantly figuring up
on it--how much it had cost, what he
might hope to gel for it--until Mary Ann
grew tired Of the word "wool."
Land, father. she would say, I'm sick
and tired OF that everlastin' wool. We
shall all turn TO sheep next.
We should be more vallyble then than
we're likely to be any other way, Stephen
would rejoin.
He invested in sheep quito heavily dur
Ing the winter; and when spring opened,
and he found wool had already risen be-
yond the price he had intended to sell at,
his avarice grew, and scared Alps upon
Alps beyond his original expectations.
The storehouse was enlarged, his clip
Of that year also slowed away. He now
and then bought small quantities from
his neighbors, but not often; for speculat-
ing in wool was becoming an important
brauch Of trade, and men secured the
country, securing what there was to be
found in every town. As his storehouse
filled, it became famous among the wool
dealers. Hardly man of them but had
made some effort to buy it. When the
demand for wool was so great, it was mad.
dening to the brokers to see man with
thousands Of pounds packed away.
"holdin' on" for higher price.
Hang i'll said one, after an unusually
exasperating interview with Stephen, a.
mans s no right to be such a hog. Gov
ernment ought to seize that wool, and de-
clare it contraband Of war.
Did ye have pretty tough time with
the old cuss? asked sympathizing lis
tener.
Tough amt no name for it. talked
and talked. aud we went TO the store
house and looked at the wool, and then
we sot down in the house and talked some
more. Finally. offered him more than
I've ever gin yet. but that didn't satisfy
him. Then asked him to name his price
tell me what he'd take for the lot straight
through. So, after some beatin' about
the bush, be gave me his figures.
What were they, Huntress? some one
asked.
Huntress colored and looked sheepish.
dunno as I'm obliged to tell he answer
ed. Fact is / don't want you fellows TO
know what fool was. They was high
and no mistake; but my blood was up,
and ! was bound to get that wool. / said
I'd take it. Well, we talked spell lon
ger, and settled about payments and how
twas to be delivered; and l thought I'd
got II, sure. But, finally, he got up, and
said be guessed he'd go and see what Mary
Ann said; and pretty soon he came back,
grinning and showing all the ysller teeth.
and said Mary Ann thought he'd better
not sell just yet. and be guessed he'd hold
on little longer.
What's he thinking about? asked some
one. when the laughter caused by Hun
tress story had subsided.
The Lord knows, said Huptress. hope
bis wool will choke him some day.
Hantress' experience was that Of ell the
dealers. Again and again. the trade
seemed almost concluded; and at the last,
Stephen would find some pretext for
s'hoIdin on" continual struggle Was
going on in his mind between avarice and
reason. lie knew he ought TO be satisfied
with the profit be would make by selling
at once; but sorely tempted as be was by
the certainty Of present gain. the thought
would arise that by waiting little longer
be could make little more, and he could
not bring himself 10 let bis boarded wool
go. SO time wsps on. the stock Of wool
continually accumnlsting, until at the
time Lincoln's second election he had
nearly 10000 pounds packed away, wait
ing for higher price.
If you take my advice, Neighbor Iii
land, said Squire Flanders. his nearest
ncighbor, you'll sell that wool now. while
yon can. rbe war is bound 10 be over
10 the spring. and wool will bs one Of
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