Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-07
"Niobe's'' hull.

/ all company SO weak and young as ours,
would venture, save on the very strongest
I grounds, openly to dispute claim and
! fight so strong firm as Barnes & Brandy
man; for failure would not only involve
! discredit, but increase the original loss by
! the cost of an expensive lawsuit.
/ All the same, | was determined not to
| let these people reap the reward Of their
villainy if l could possibly help it, and after
! q long cogitation | decided on a plan of
campaign which / proceeded to put into
( execution at the next Board meeting.
/ When the "Niobe" claim came up for dis
| cussion, | quietly observed, TO the great
/ amazement of the directors, that did not
/ think Barnes & Brandyman would insist
| on its payment. Of course I was over
whelmed by an avalanche Of questions, to
which I answered that for the moment /
must keep my own counsel, but that at the
next meeting they should know everything,
/ assuring them that in the meantime they
might trust me to neither compromise the
! company's reputation nor involve it in any
/ further liability. With this they were
1 content, probably because they guessed that
/ had found something out, and were ready
! to grasp at any chance, however remote,
of keeping the concern on its legs.
| am a pretty good draughtsman, and
/ when | went home in the evening drew a
| little sketch, which | made as graphic and
as life-like as I could. 1t represented the
hold of q ship, a man boring holes with 8
big augur, another man behind him hold
ing lantern; and, lowering above both, a
grinning devil in his hand a well-filled
bag, on which was inscribed "e20 000."
| The first man was Captain Deep, the Sec
| ond Mr.. Brandyman, and both, l fatter
myself, were rather striking portraits.
| The next morning I called at Barnes &
/ Brandyman's office and asked to see Mr..
Brandyman; for though not the head of
the firm, he was its guiding spirit and pre-
siding genius. A pleasant-spoken, portly,
fresh-complexioned, middle-aged gentle
man, it seemed the most natural thing in
the world that he should wear mutton chop
whiskers and white waistcoat, sport a
big bunch Of seals, be an important man
in the town, and shining light at the
Rodney Street Chapel Gas l understand he
was).
He gave me a cordial greeting, and af-
ter inquiring. with much seeming interest,
as to my own health and that of my moth
er, he asked how the Oriental and Occi-
dental was getting on.
GAS well as can be expected for a new
company" | answered, cautiously and
vaguely.
"You find the 'Niobe' papers all in order,
L hope?"
'Oh, yes; the papers''-emphasis on
| papers, appear to be quite in order"
THAT is all right, then When shall we
send round for our check? 1t is a large
amount to be out of. Walkers settled yes
terday, and the other companies will settle
to-day, believe. All the same. there is
no hurry. and if it would be more conven-
lent next week."
| You can send round for the check when
ever you like, Mr. Brandyman, but, here
| paused a mOment-"I am by no means
sure that you will get it,
| "What for, should like to knoW?"-fir-
ing up.
Look at this, and you will see what forF
And with that [ whipped out the sketch
and laid it before him.
| He looked at it curiously, but when it's
meaning dawned on his mind las it did
very quickly his countenance changed as
if he had seen a Gorgeous head. His high
color gave place to a death-like palIor, the
paper dropped from his trembling hand,
and there was hoarse gurgle in his throat
| which made me fear that he was going to
nave a fit.
you seem faint, Mr.. Brandyman; drink
this, and you will feel BETTER" said, fill
! ing tumbler of water from a carafe that
| stood on the table.
"Thank youP' he gasped. "'Tis sud
den faintness. 1t must be the heat of the
room, think. "A curious sketch thisl
Where-where did you get it?'
81 drew it, Mr.. Brandyman-fTo7n in
formation I TeceiUed."
"Reallyl looking at it again; 'T did
not think you were SO clever, Mr.. Erie,
and-and-wha can do for you, Mr.. Erle9"
Nothing at all. Only, with your per-
mission, / should just like to give you q
hint"
'Of course--certainly-I am sure-yes-
what is it?'' returned Mr.. Brandyman, a
little incoherently.
"Well, if were you, I would not send
round for that check. We are a young
company, and don'twant litigation; but"
81 will think about it, Mr.. Erie. | will
speak to my partner, and think about it.
And this sketch-you can perhaps leave it
with me. I should not like mean /
should like to keep it. if you will let me.
1t is so very curious"
"By all means. Keep it as a memento of
our interview, Mr.. Brandyman-and of the
'Niobe."
And then I babe him goodbye, and re-
turned to the Office in the full assurance
that the twenty thousand pound check
would never be sent for. True | had no
evidence of the barratry worth mentioning
from legal point of view-but con-
science makes towards of Us all. Mr.
Brandyman gagged our knowledge of the
facts by his own fears. He believed, too,
though I had not said so, that we should
resist payment of the claim: and as could
well see, he dreaded the scandal of a law
suit, involving a criminal charge, as much
as we dreaded litigation and heavy law ex-
penses.
The Board fully approved of what had
done, and received many compliments on
my smartness. | had saved the Oriental
and Occidental from serious danger. and
given it a new chance of life; which is an
other way of saying that l had saved the
directors a good deal of money, for as al
were shareholders, the failure of the com.
pany would have brought them both loss
and discredit
A few days later Tom Bolsover called al
the Office to tell me (what | knew already,
that the Diana" had arrived in the Mersey
and to remind me of my promise.
This was quite work Of supererogation
on his part. | was not likely to forget
either his services or my promise, and
renewed my offer of a handsome reward
but he would accept nothing more valuable
than a pound of cavendish tobacco and q
box of Havana cigars.
ST. ~ r