Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-09-20
CHAPTER XVI.
rnAINoR D. RouRLn.

town q brOken-heafted man, and not long
afterward died, leaving his family destitute.
But Trillion, with a junior partner, settled
with the creditors, kept on with the business,
and prospered. Perhaps il the widow had
received what was righfully hers, the juniors
sould have had a smaller capital to begin
w~ith-Trillion knew; but the account, if
there was one, was past settlement by human
tribunals, and had gone upon the docket in
the great Court of Review.
Wealth grows like the banyan, sending
down branches that take root on all sides in
the thrifty soil, and then become trunks
themselves and the parents of e-ver-increas-
ing boughs-a sturdy forest in breadth, a
tree in unity. So Trillion grew and flour
ished. AT the time of our story he was rich
enough to satisfy any moderate ann
bition; but he wished to rear a col
lossal fortune, and the operations lie
was now concerned in were fortunate
beyond his expectations. But he was not
| satisfied. lie concluded to carry on tile same
desperation on a larger scale. and made
an arrangement with one Of the leading
"bears' OF the city; but he was careful 10
keep this q secret, most OF all from Trainar
and others of his associates Fortune
favored him, as usual, and he promised
himself a success that would make him a
monarch in the financial world. Under tie
excitement Of The moment he had filed the
baby hands of Trainor's child with gold
pieces. 1t was as Trainor said; his head was
fairly turned by the glittering prospect be-
fore him.
His associate proposed to 1'rillion the pur.
chase Of a controlling interest in a railroad
and Triton, believing that the deprcs ion
had nearly reached its limit, and that affairs
would take a turn, agreed that it was best
now to change their policy, and to buy all
the shares in this stock that should be offered
while the price was low, and keep them as
an investment. lie felt sure that
be with his capitalist partner, had
now money enough to Swing" all the
shares in the market, and they each agreed
to purchase al that should b9 brought 10 the
hammer. Following up his promise faithful
", Trillion bought all the stock OF the rail
road that came into Wall street, and In this
way rapidly exhausted his ready money.
Then he raised loans upon lis ether property,
and still kept the market clear. But he won~
iered that so many shares came to New York.
for sale, for the railroad was in q western
State, and few of the original holders were.
New York men.
Trillicn a w met the first check in his ca
reer. Withstand, whose appeals for help 10
had disregarded, and whose property had
been w~oefully deprecated by the course Of
the "bears, of whom Trillion was chief, failed
for a large sum. As lie was treasurer of the
Neversink mills, the stockholders and cre1i-
tors OF that corporation made an immediate
investigation of its accounts. Withstand
was found to be a defaulter to the amount OF
hundreds of thousands of dollars; theproperty
was gone-undermined like n snow-bank in
spring. The largest owner was Triliion. lie
was overreached by his own shrewdness;
and the hitherto unlucky "bulls," who had
had small cause to laugh, thought it was
sport to see the engineer
Hoist with his own pctard-"
better even than to have tossed him on their
owr hor'.
though great, was not ruinous. He was
obliged, however, to take back the shares of
the factory-stock on which he obtained loans
for his later operations, and to substitute an
equal amount of other securities n thus
cramping his resources at a time when be
needed every dollar to carry out his plans.
: In the multiplicity Of his affairs, 1rillion
had almost forgotten Trainor, and left him
to pursue his own course. But there was a
! AAltth VIM AAhA AlOk ~ &blANAt bAliAf AktlhA ACAiyFhAh
all his movements with vigilant eye. Nor
cross was convinced that Trainor had in
some way become prosperous, and he now
advanced to use that peculiar note as a draft
on the miserable debtors funds. There was
the same willy approach, the same covert al
lusion TO Trainor's supposed resources, tie
tame peremptory demand. and the same ugly
shreats which had 50 desperately maidenod
him when the subject was preached before.
Trainor felt the tightening Of the lasso, but
could not free himself from the fatal moose,
He must pay whatever the coiI-eyed creditor
demanded. Two thousand dollars was the
sum asked for the acknowledgment of having
appropriated five hundred. Two-pance for
half-penny has been accounted lair Gsury
among the jews; but in Christian commuui-
ties it is only crime that accunulates interest
like that.
As a measure of %precaution, Norcross had
made a copy OF the paper and prepared an
explanatory statement; these he now inclosed
in an envelope, in Trainor's presence, and
directed it to Messrs. Holmes, Major & Case.
Then drawing ont his watch, as ii to make a
careful computation of time, he said
"Nine, ten, oleven-yes-at eleven, to-mor-
row, / shall expect to receive the sum; other
wise / shall feel it my duty to send this letter
by a trusty hand. In fact, | suppose / have
hardly done right in not putting the gentle
men on their guard before"
A cold sweat covered Trainor's shivering
limbs, and for a moment he stood irresolute;
bat recollecting Trillion, he rallied himself,
and, asserting to the proposition, babe Nor
cross good-by; then, as the only revenge prac-
ticable, he cursed him with the heartiest en-
phasis, when his back was turned. Presently
Tousor came with the news of Whitsand's
failure.
"The street is full Of rumors," he said
Bullion is a large owner in the Neyersink. y
"Boshf' said Trainor- ~Trainor is in there
for $4,000, to be sure; but what is that? He
has other property enough-halt a million,
at least"
"Stil, a pebble brought down Goliath. A
house failed in New York worth a million.
failed yesterday for want Of twenty-five
thousand"
"Don't you be alarmed. Trillion knows.
He isn't going TO fail"
81 want to get ten thousand from him tc
take some shares bought for him."
"How soonF"
"Now and he is not at his office"
iii get you the money from our house. ]
haven't deposited the funds for to-day yet,
and Ill put in q memorandum which Trilliol
win make good"
"IIadn't you better waltz
aNo: it doesn't matter. He's all right; and
it isn't best to break his rules for Sl0,0 00.n
Trainor handed the money to the broker.
and, as bank hours were then about over. b,
put his papers in order and went home.
@Loveyl' he exclaimed, upon meeting hi
wife, Il have been thinking over what yor
said about getting my notes cashed. be
lieye I'll take Trillion's offer and salt tht
money down Probably, now, he will Civ,
me a better trade, for there is considerable,
more due
"Oh, John! how glad / ami You win do il
tomorrow, won't you, nowF'
Eyes, Ill settle with him tomorrow
He was thinking Of the fact that Sponsor
had bought shares for Trillion, and he wout
dered what the move meant. A house di
vided against itself could not stand; and b,
said to himself that a man must be uncom
monty deep to be a @buln and a "bear' at til,
same time. There was no doubt that Trilliol
had embarked in some speculation which h,
did not see tit to make known to his agent.
"There you go,-of into one OF your fog
! againln said his wife, noticing his suddenly
1 uIef,.n1taI - AYs1sZ4N A. -