Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-21

president of tho company, if-if-you
would be so very kind rs to call him,
Amund remarked apologetically.
II regret to say tho president is out of
town Mt present" said the plausible
youth, but won't you sit down, please?
1 think perhaps 1 can give you all the
information you require, and need not
say shall be very happy if can DO of
service to you.
There was something so insinuating
in the young fellows manner that
Amund, though he had resolved to be
very cautious, soon found himself talk
ing freely.
The next day the young nan-Fariey
was his name-dropped i'll upon him,
by pure chance it seemed, while he was
having his noon rest, and they became
better acquainted. The following Sun
day they met again, and Farley took
Amund about IN buggy and showed
him all the property he had for sale ON
the West Side He invited him to lunch
with him in his little cottage on West
Indiana street, where he was living, and
the upShot of many interviews and con-
versations was that he offered this cot
tage, with LOT, to Amund for So, 900,
possession to be granted when $1,000
had been PAID, ;u:d u mortgage TO be
given for TIE lr.""lning amount. 1t
seemed all 50 pen :! iaIr and square
that AuuuJ. ;tt,r having got the price
down to 81, so ;'Nl. TX furniture thrown
in had no hlrIt..t.uu in closing the bar
gain. He l,ui;} over to Farley the $500
which he had then accumulated and
received an acknowledgment Of the
amount from him, with promise of deed
on payment ui $500 more.
Then he picked ont the room which
was to belong to the Little Chap (tho
girls might take what was lef0, and all
day long during his work he hummcd
to himself or broke into snatchcs OF IN
mclotlious song ut the thought of the
Little Chaps pleasure i'll that room and
the furniture which he would make
with his OWN hands for tho Little
Chaps comfort. He worked with will
now and would scarcely grant himself
time for sleep, for every blow with his
hammer and every whiz of his saw
brought the Little Chap nearer.
Then another year passed. Month by
month Amund handed over his savings
to Farley, who pOckcted them in Il COOL
buSinvsslikH manner, and mt last, when
the 81. 200 had been paid, he kept his
word and gave a deed of the property
to the carpenter. Joyously then Amund
wrote to his wife, telling her to mako
no delay i'll coming, for he had now 4
homo of his own i'll which to receive
her and the children. And it was all
furnished, and there was Il separate
room for the Little Chap-God bless
him!-whcrc he could keep all his funny
little traps, 50 that his sisters wouldn't
annoy him.
Much he wrote i'll this strain, for his
heart was ovcrbrimming with joy, and
life seemed brighter and more beautiful
to him than ever before. The only thing
that troubled him little was the fact
that the f:uaily who lived i'll tho house
had not yet moved out. But Farley ex-
planned that their lease did not expire
until April !, and that III the mCanwhllc
he would have to be patient On April
2 they would be gone, and then he could
take possession.
l shall not attempt to describe the
meeting between the Little Chap and
his dad 1t was Just the 2d of April
when the family arrived in Chicago
and were put, like so much baggage,
into an express wagon and driven TO
West Indiana street. AlNunu ran up the
front steps with the Little Chap i'll his
arms to show of his cottage, and the
wife and the five Gi-l&, all bundled up
with Scarfs until thy looked like walk
ing haystacks, scrambled uut of the
wagon as best they could. Farley had
promised to be there with the keys, and
formally put the new owner in posses
sion 1t annoyed Amund n good deal
when his first and second ring at the
doorbell remained unanswered, and still
more annoyed was he when at the third
man who had not the least rCsem
blancc to Farley opened the door and
asked him, i'll language moro vigorous
than polite. what hoeNantCd.
IL have bought this house, AM
und said, with an aic of righteous in
dignation, land l WAS told by Mr.. Far
| ley that You We're IL muvc out on the
list of April.
The occupant OF the house smiled an
! extremely unpleasant smile and asked
coldly, Whom did you buy it OFF,
MIR. Farley"
| 1Ndt Is ~ SItt't pay, lpi llt htNNA
owned it. ~
But where is he? He promised me
tho keys last night.
HE has gone west.
"Gonc west" An icy terror clutchcd
at the NorSvnlau' 5 heart, and he rccled
backward as if he had been struck.
Good God!' he groancd, sinking down
upon the topmoSt step Good God!'
The Little Chap, seeing his distress,
wound his arms tightly about his neck
and rubbed his check against his face.
He sat thus for five OF ten minutes,
while the five blond bundled up girls
stood on the sidewalk staring at him
with innocent stupidity. Then the man
| Of the house rcappcarod and ordered
| them in harsh language to moNo on.
And when they only continued TO stare
in uncomprehending wonder two po-
hcemcn were sent for, and the whole
family We're huddled into patrol wag
ON and driven to the nearest police sta
iton. There Amund, under the stress of
answering the required questions, was
aroused sufficiently from his dumb mis-
cry to send for Norwegian lawyer, who
presently made his appearance. He lis
tened to the carpenters story and then
shook his head mournfully.
"You have been swindled, my
friend" he said. You ought to have
been more cautious"
''But-but, lawyer" the poor fellow
went ON, gazing into his face, with an
anguished expectancy, "he-he-sold
me-the house-and here I've got the
papers. It's all right, surely. Amt it,
lawyer"
The lawyer looked at the paper which
was handed him and then dropped it
contemptuously on the floor.
IA very clumsy forgery" he said.
"But-but-he couldn't surely sell
mc-what-whatd didn't belong to him,
lawyor?''