New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-10-15

LiAS 3ie1isC ie1o OIOuSiAG OS0l uull-
dred dollars more than the debt, and
she must take out letters OF admins
tration. And tell her for me not to
think OF moving. She can have the
house and the garden around it free
OF rent. She's q thrifty woman and
with that start she'll get along.
felt that Foljambe,s conduct was
through an impulse OF generosity
which he could well afford. But the
general verdict was that he was a fool.
H. r. ps bid a hundred over Phipps,
or even two hundred, it might have
passed, but to throw absolute-
lv throw away -tveive hundred dol
lars! When they heard atterward that
he had given the widow a life estate in
the house and garden, it was general
ly agreed that he should have a guar
dian over him to save his property.
Talk died out, however, to be re-
vived again by another astounding
act OF folly.
The Ellomah Iron Works, about q
mile from Brantford, had exhausted
the bed OF ore they had been working
for over forty years, and had to bring
the crude material some distance by
rail and water. It began to be ques-
tion whether itwouldnot pay to build
q new furnace near the source OF sup
ply and abandon the old one. Sud.
denly, however. new ore bed was
opened close at hand. The forty-two
acres of clayey hill on the Peabody
farm was found to cover heavy de-
posit OF limonite. AS that ore gener-
ally contains impurities only fitting it
for ''cold short" iron, little attention
was Eaid to it. But when the chemist
OF the company made three
separate analyses and discovered
the usual PHOSPHORUS was replaced
by nearly three per cent OF manganese
oxide, the thing took another shape
The company offered Foljambe a
handsome royalty, which he at once
declined. He would sell outright or
not at all. After some chaffering and
a rough survey of the bed, they took
all the farm but the widows five
acres. and paid seventy-five thousand
dollars.
IA foo. for luck" was the general
comment. But the reputation or
Foliambe for downright folly was at
it's height when it leaked out alter
ward that he had settled thirty-fv
thousand seven hundred and fifty
dollars on Mrs. Peabody-that is, the
interest during life to her, and the
principal to her daughter afterward.
No words sufficed to express the won
der, contempt and disgust at this act
OF folly.
Old Eggs died about this time, and
Oalchieze offered me shore in the
business if could put in five tlous-
and dollars. had saved a little over
half OF that by pinching ana screwing,
but | was puzzled alb ut the rest.
Foliambe found it out, and gave me
the money on my note. Some folks
may think this folly on his part, but
| did not, neither did he. for l have
paid it back long since.
When tho Widow Peabody Cos her
money, she sent Rebecca of to board
ing-school, as she could we'll afford to,
and there the girl remained for four
years, barring visits home at vaca-
ton. When she came back to stay,
she had grown into q handsome, self
possessed young woman, and she was
quite admired by the young fellows
around. In addition to good looks
and good manners, she would have q
nice sum in hard cash in time good
thing to add to young mans family
resources. But she was of domestic
turn. stayed at home with her moth
er. and rarely went abroad. No suit
or seemed to meet favor in her eyes,
though she had several.
During Rebecca's absence at school,,
Follambe had been going along quiet
ly, and people had ceased to talk OF
him; but shortly after her return he
broke out again.
One day, an old man in a dusty
suit and boots that had been black
ened q week before, and who carried
small grip sack, got out at Brantford
station and inquired if the Widow Pea
body llvedat the old tarm vet. Wesoon
learned that he was the long-lost Da-
vid Peabody who had come back after
all these years, apparently as poor
as a church mouse, and doubtless
with intent TO spong on the Widow
Peabody. He was not SO very old
either, but looked like man whom
Lard luck and ahot climate had dried
up and wriakled.
70 our surprise he was made vel
come by the widow and Rebecca, and
took up his abode there. He vas a
queer specimen. After the dust Of trav-
ell had been brushed off he was clean
enough; but his clothes were OF ordi-
nary material and well worn. It was
evident that he Was poor, but he
didn't seem to mind it. He walked
about and held himself up as though
he owned one-half the town and meant
to buy the other. He was ready with
his tongue, too, and, if any one said a
disagreeable or impertinent thing.
could repay it with interest. Foljanl-
be took o great notion to him, and
told me that the old man was keen
and had wonderfully Dra ctical bust
ness ideas for one who had not prohted
by his precepts, a thing | have o bserv-
ed to be not uncommon. A man
can pick up more valuable hints from
the unsuccessful around him than he
can from sharp business men. So the
two grew quiet intimate, and almost
any fine evening they might be seen
in confab together on the widow s
a