Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-12-22

Business suspended. Cancel unshippet
/ orders Draw Larri-a-a Il Co. balance 4
date. sZlc LANTINl- s. COMPANY"
l remember as If it happened bu
/ yesterday the queer feeling whici
came over me wher read the forego
ing cable. II had been an unusall.
warm day for March, and was trying
to keep cool in the lounging-room o
the European club. on the river bank
d short distance from the city. Ny
business in Manila WAS practically fin
ished, and 7 was anticipating a few
DAYS of recreation before the Hong
Kong steamer left, upon the following
Tuesday, when the message was hand
ed me BY one # the native boys EN-
ployed by the club.
1t was such thorough surprise tina
for several moments ! did not realize
the position in which ii placed me.
rad oeen the eastern representative Of
Lantine d Company foT over two oyears
and, although my savings had disap
! peared through d series Of il-advised
| investments, nv position seemed such
. secure one that money matters sell
dom troubled me. Now. however
| after drawing from the Manila bank
| ing and shippihg house the amount
mentioned e. tae dispatch. my entire
capital consisted Of something less
| than three hundIcG dollars. and had
no idea which way 10 look for employ
meHi
Two ofthe leading Manila merchants
! happened 20 be in the club al the time,
and after can9oling the purchases ]
| had made from them on behalf Of my
house. 7 cabicd 10 oHg-Kong and
| Shanghai in the hope Of heading off
| shipments ordered there during the
previous month. Then, driving to my
hotel in Binondo-thc Oriente-T set
tied matters a. far as lay in my power,
and was ready for dinner before eight
o'clock.
The Oriente. being new and pro-
greSsive, sets one Of the best tables in
the east. and, as experience with oricn-
tai life brings the conviction that
neither hurry nor worry is con
ducive TO good health, took my time
over the meal. Then, lighting che
root, ! walked down the Escolta az
far as the Puentc d'Espana, which CON
meets Binondo With the old walled cit
adel Of Manila, and, leaning against
the hand-rail under solitary electric
light, watched the canoes and bancos
On the Pasig while / tried TODD little
figuring as TO my immediate prospects.
Three hundred dollars would land me
in New York by careful management,
httf .4..;. r
mcnt when / reached there; and the
rcEpntru -Derwpcn TokondIna ana
Singapore that an immediate opening
in the east seemed unlikely.
At first ! could think Of nothing but
my uncomfortable predicament. But
after awhile the influence Of good
dinner and the soothing qualities OF
the climate began 10 make Themselves
felt. found myself watching the
motley crowd Of all nationalities
which passed and rcpassed across the
bridge, the crowds Of laughing Mestiza
and Visnya girls strollinP along
through the PaBco 10 hear the military
band at Luncta, groups Of Cinnamon
aauntering about after the days busi-
ness, end Spanish officers driving In
carromataE with the ladies Of their
families. Down the river were rows OF
email coasting steamers and briggs,
each spar and funnel outlined distinct
~ by electric lights on the quays; be-
yond them, red spark from the light
house upon the northern mole, and
Gcattered lights from larger vessels
which lay at anchor two or three miles
out in the bay.
While watching these, ! noticed n
government launch coming up the
river. The landing steps of the quay
were but "a fcw Iacca below The bridge,
and ! could easily gee tho faces Of two
men rs they stepped ashore from her.
They were both strange 20 me, but
there was something about the walk
of one which seemed familiar. pre-
sumo my own face must have been diB-
tinct, ns I leaned over the rail. for the
man glanced EcarchinRly at me as he
climbed 20 the street level. AT first he
turned and walled away several steps,
evidently under the impression that he
had made n mistake. then came back,
aa II 10 cross the bridge IN front of me.
We looked each other In the eye for
second; then he stopped, and said:
"If you're not Harry Stevens. OF New
York. I've made the biggest mistake Of
my lifc."
Rraspcd the outstretched hand and
began 10 see something familiar be
hind the brown beard.
ayes, I'm Harry Stevens, but--hold
| on minute. weren't you with the
| Oceanic Steamship company, several
years nRo? ByJovc! # can't bc Dick
IIalstcnd? what? Wei I'm blessed! (!
Where on earth did you drop from?
| You have changed. and no mistake"
possibly. But you haven't, old
chap; I'd know you anywhere. Say,
look here, we've got heap 10 talk
about; come mp 10 thc club. No, never
mind the carromata; It's cooler on the
river. Wen 70 mp IN the launch"
"But-how the deuce? / thought
she belonged 10 the Poycrnmcnt?'
THAT right So do !. for he pres
cnt." We had taken our seats In the
stern. and were gliding up the motion
less stream. "ryc been in command oi
that tramp, the Counties Of Devon, for
over ycar-you see her lights out
there, two miles from the mole-ant
the biQRcst stockholdcr In the com
pauy that owns her is old Leon
Ramirez, Of Liverpool aud this place
So when the Isla DE- Pouapc, that used
TO carry mail 20 the Carolincs unt
Ladroues. ran ashore On Etpiritr
5nntO. Ramirez chartered the Countess
70 the government here until the com
pania could spare another Of their owf
boats with big enough coal capacity T.,
make ths "trip. That was last Septcm
bcr. and they manage thing 30 slowly
tbst I'm still running supplies out &c
those islanders, once iu three months
with Scotch engineer md Spanish
crew. connecting with The MessaRcrie-
boats at Saigon the rest Of the time
Now tell me under what the CANOPY
brings you out here"
"Busincss, ~ course; you didn'
tLink / was travelling on my money
did your I've been buying Ehins
goods. assorted devils, aud Manila mat
ting for Lautine q Go. about two years
Up TO three O'Clock this afternoon
expected 10 keep on buying them until
my liver refused 10 stand the climate
! but about that q his cable changed