The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-12-19
COMING DOWN.

Johnson was appointed administrator
of the estate. My fathers partner
continued the business until there
could be a settlement, and | remain
ed at home a few weeks with my
mother and sister, intending to re-
turn to college at the beginning of
the next term.
One evening, after we were quietly
seated round the fire, Dea. Johnson,
the administrator Of the estate, came
In, laid aside his coat and hat, and
sat down on an easy chair He was
man about 90 years of age, IN
whom every one had the utmost
confidence, and who would hurt no
ones feelings if possible to avoid it.
He sat long time and talked Of
various topics, but he was evidently
not as much at ease as usual. At
length he addressed my mother,
with an evident attempt to appear
natural, saying: "Have you any ac-
curate knowledge in regard to your
husbands business affairs p
Not in the least" she replied.
ole was man who left business in
the place Of business. and seemed to
he ANNOYED if it was mentioned at
home. At first thi; ,eemed strange,
but when l learned that he preferred
to talk of the store only in the store,
I made no effort to change his habit
and induce him to become more
communicative upon the subject"
"Were there no private papers in
the house?' he asked
"No, all his private papers were
kept in the safe at the store We
have no safe in the house The
money was always deposited each
day before the bank closed"
"Was there no memorandum of his
assets and liabilities, nothing in re.
gard to his standing with his credit
ors. no statement Of agreement be-
tween him and his partner? Have
you never seen any such paper? he
asked anxiously.
"He has never shown me any such
schedule, but I have always inferred
from what he has said incidentally,
that we must be in easy circumstan-
ces; that our annual income must be
considerably more than our eX
penses," was my mothers reply
He hesitated, and at length said;
81 always supposed that it was as
you say; and it may be that the case
is not now as bad as it seems.
My mothers intuitions were very
keen. She could read more clearly
from what was not said than most
people could from what aVaS said.
She had perceived from the first that
there was something unpleasant
which he felt it his duty to say, and
still hesitated to hurt the feelings of
a woman who had so lately passed
through the fiery furnace of suffer
ing. But she determined to make it
easy for him by saying plainly:
deacon Johnson, see very plainly
by your manner that there is some
thing unpleasant which you have to
say. If so, say it plainly without re-
gard to our feelings We can bear
anything better than uncertainty. Is
the estate insolvent?'
"Not so bad as tina we hope" he
replied slowly, "but we met the cred
itors yesterday. The liabilities were
much larger than we expected.
There seems to be a large balance
in favor of the surviving partner,
1,L;ob &c y r0arfaot CurDric0 RI ox,orxy
one 1t would have surprised no one
if he had owed as much to the estate
1t seems as though there must be
some mistake, but we can find none
81 have shown the papers to Esq |
Wilson and he thinks it is strange,
but he sees no way to prove that
there is dishonesty anywhere. Was
there any life insurance policy"
"No, | once heard him say that he
preferred to insure his own life. He
said he should keep enough invested
where it would be perfectly safe, so
that his friends should not suffer if
he should be taken away. think he
had considerable invested, but how
much, or where, [ know not
"But," said the deacon, "there was
not a dollars worth of stocks or
bonds to be found anywhere, and |
there is no schedule of property to
show what his assets were at the
time of his death. fear that there
is something wrong, but see no
proof Of it."
"But," said my mother, ''you have
not yet told me exactly how you
think the case stands. What will be
the final result of the settlement?
What will it be necessary for us to
do?"
at is impossible to tell with any
degree of certainty he said slowly,
"but it may be safe for you to reduce
your expenses as soon, and as much
as convenient. Probably the horses,
will hoyo he /