St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-06-15
0PINION regarding Philip Bently
II Il ho,f Holf -, 4,

W. was 0DOul CNCn1y ulslQSu. ldl1 lAlC
community said he was the smartest
young man in the town, and that he
distinctly took after" the Greens,
his maternal progenitors, who had
enjoyed local reput alton for clev-
erness. The other half held that
Philip was a wooden head"-who
concealed his identity by taking care
never to say anything that involved
thought.
Looks wise and throws that hand
some but empty head back and says
never a word until it is certain which
way the cat has jumped; then smiles
one of them I-knew-it-all-the-tim
smiles, and looks kind of plying like
at the fellows who had guessed
wrought out with your idee that
he takes after the Greens; no, stree;
he takes after them shiftless Bent
lys."
The particular spokesman re-
sponsible for the above philosophy
was old Tom Boggs, who had lived in
the vicinity since the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary, which
fact, combined with ample leisure
and the ability to handle efficiently
stupendous mouthfuls of tobacco,
had given him the position of ''vil-
lage oracle"
Such talk about Philip Bently had
been going on for some years-ever
since he got big enough to be no.
ticed at all, and it kept up until an
event, or rather a series of events,
happened which served to put an end
to all controversy and to squelch his
detractors. But while Philip tri-
umphed, in one quick, fierce joust
with the world, and won a fortune
and wife in one sudden dash into
the great city, there are those still
in town who refuse to accept the
verdict that he is possessed of good
sense.
The fact is nobody in town knows
exactly how Bently did make his
money. All that is known is he
went to Chicago, and that about two
months later he returned, deposited
in Summers bank certified checks and
drafts for some $4,000, bought fine
house, married Summers daughter
Grace, and then began the life Of
gentleman. He never vouchsafed an
iota Of information regarding the
manner of his sudden enrichment.
What silenced all questions as to
his real ability, and which dissipated
the suspicion that the strike was
wholly q matter Of luck, was the fact
that Bently went to the city after q
frigid interview with Gilbert Sumner
regarding the hand of his daughter,
whereupon "Old Sumner" animad-
verted severely upon his general lack
of ability, energy and industry and
before he departed had announced de-
cisively that he was going to
make his fortune and return to
marry Grace Sumner. Gossip had all
the details even to the amount 'sOld
Sumnerrequiredh imto possess before
he would consenttot the marriage. That
was $4,000. Gossip knew. also, the
exact sum of money he had when he
started-$20o, given him by his uncle,
Phineas Green, who babe him stake
it, and for Providence sake, go to
work in some honest business, save
money and make something of your
self; and don't expect another cent
from me, because this is all you get,
and I give it to you now instead of in
my win, to encourage you to do
something"
Now ] know the history of Bent
Tvs fortune, and I am going to tell
it. and settle the controversy, be-
cause I am tired Of hearing untruths
about it.
After Bently had his interview with
Mr.. Gilbert he secured the 5000 from
his uncle, resigned his position with
the railroad company where he was
making $50 q month and went to Chi
cago. He found, of course, as all as
piring youths who go to the great
cities find, that there were no golden
nuggets to be picked up in the streets
and that he could not secure a position
OF any kind that would pay him much
more than the one did which he had
left. He had been drifting about more
or less aimlessly for three weeks and
was becoming somewhat discouraged
when . fire broke out at his boarding
place, and he went to q hotel for the
night. He selected moderate-priced
one in the center Of the business dis
trict, patronized largely by country
merchants. Before retiring he took
q bath, and while in the bathroom
w..s surprised to hear the door of his
room open and some one enter. The
mirror in the bathroom gave him the
reflection Of the person who entered.
He was somewhat startled when the
man threw back the collar of his great
coat to note that it was Amos Judson,
one of the best known fnanciers in the
city-a man whose name was in every
body's mouth because of his promi-
nence in the affairs of certain corpo-
ration and well known the country
over as . promoter and plunger on
Change. Bently recognized him be-
cause he had been pointed out to him
on the street one day by an accuaint-
ance. He was at a loss what to do, and,
as was his habit of mind and action,
ended by doing nothing. Judson
locked the outside door and closed the
one to the bathroom. The transom
was open and in a moment Bently
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