Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-07-26
,uado himself 70 spend il. ze grow posi-.

-
lively stinPy, denying himself fhe uc2es-
sary food and clothes, always tryinu to
do with little less, in the hope of has
tening the day when he should be able
to send for the Little Chap. He worked
surreptitiously after time in order t.
earn some extra pennies, and he got the
reputation among his fellow workmen
of being a mean, penuriOus skinflint,
who boarded his wages with view to
becoming boss some day and lording
it over them. He was accordingly excess
lively unpopular and only succeeded in
escaping injury by keeping scrupulously
out of every ones way ANA ignoring in
suits which made his blood boil
AT the end of one year Amund had
saved $3.50 from his wages, but having
no confidence in the banks he carried
the entire amount in gold eagles in q
leather belt about his waist. The con-
sciousness of carrying SO much money
made him, however, very uneasy and
disturbed his sleep. Four or five times
every night he started up in terror, hav
ing dreamed that his money was stolen.
| 1t then occurred to him that the only
safe way to dispose of it would be TO in
vest it in cottage and lot on the West
Side, where land was yet cheap. Land
could not run away, and house not
oven the most daring thief could steal.
| Oistrusting every one in this bewilder-
ingly strange land, he was in no
haste to solicit advice. But one
day an advertisement in Scandinavian
copnl,f hi MI oof hixr, tl,t,,ly
ing 1t read as follows:
THE POOR MANS FRIEND.
The Tension Real Estate Investment COM
pany sell choice city lots, improved and unim-
proved, on the installment plan. West Side
property q 81 ecialty.
Amund cut this out, read it at least
90 times a day and carried it in his
pocket for weeks before he summoned
courage to call at the address designat-
ed. Eut his hoard kept increasing weel
by week, and his anxiety grew apace
Why should he not call upon the Fen
ston Real Estate Investment company
1t was the poor mans friend, the adver
tisement said, and might offer him some
good advice as to the best way of ac
quiring home i'll the shortest possible
time, for he was growing eagerer evory
day for the sight of the Littlo Chap.
Finally one day i'll the early spring,
he called upon the Pension Real Estate
Investment company, He had fancied
from the advertisement something very
complicated and magnificent and was
somewhat disappointed at being con.
fronted with sandy haired and very
pimpled young man, who sat in his
shirt sleeves IN u scantily furnished back
office, chewing toothpick.
SIS Observation-Disclosures of the Fen.
ston Real Estate Investment company?"
queried Amund respectfully.
Eyes, the young man replied, TAX
ing his feet down from the table.
"What can do for you?'
'T-I-should like to see the--the-
president of the company, if-if-you
would be so very kind as to call him."
Amund remarked apologetically.
II regret to say the president is out of
town at present." said the plausible
youth, "but won't you sit down, please?
think perhaps can give you all the
information you require, and 1 need not
say shall be very happy if can be 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 man-Farley
was his name-dropped in. 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 a 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 81, 900,
possession to be granted when 81, 900 |
had been paid, and mortgage to be |
given for the remaining amount. 1t |
seemed all SO perfectly fair and square |
that Amund, after having got the price |
down to 81, 800 and the furniture thrown
in, had no hesitation in closing the bar
gain, He paid 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 of $4QQ more.
Then he picked out the room which
was to belong to the Little Chap (the
girls might take what was left, and all
day long during his work he hnmmed
to himself or broke into snatches Of I'M
melodious song at the thought Of the
Little Chaps pleasure in that room and
the furniture which he would make
with his own bands for the Little
Chaps comfort. He worked with a will
now and would scarcely grant himself
time for sleep, for, every blow with his
hammer and every Whit Of his saw
brought the Little Chap nearer.
Then another year passed. Month by
month Amund handed over his savings
to Farley, who pocketed them in cool.
businesslike manner. and at last when
the 81, 200 had been paid, he kept his
word and Oava "a dped ~ tha fr0ne,-fv |