Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1902-05-01
ASSAY OFFICE VALUES PAID
FOR GOLD DUST AND MUG

..........
But the public had become curious,
and the newspapers were worried
into doubling their efforts at solv-
ing the puzzle; to no purpose, how
ever, as Mr.. Ballaine frankly told the
reporters to go to blazes, and Mr..
Penny was the most silent man on
Puget sound. There matters rested
for time, but when certain society
leaders began giving pink teas and
linen showers for Miss Penny, the
Society Girl on, the Times added sus-
picion to- speculation and arrived
safely at the facts.
The story, as told in the Times,
was widely read, for therein lay both
romance and solid business success.
The story related the coming of
Mr.. Ballaine to Seattle, where he
opened an Office as an attorney and
proceeded to get acquainted. With
out waiting for business to come to
him, he went about making business,
and with the small capital given him
by his father on which to begin life
he bought and sold, and at the same
time made friends and studied men.
Then he met. the charming Miss
Penny, only child of Penny, the pi-
oneer, Penny the owner of docks, of
street car line, of untitled acres of
tide fats, of bonds, of bank stocks,
of bad temper and delight in q
business encounter with strong
mind. With Miss Penny the young
attorney prospered; but with Mr..
Penny the sign never seemed to be
right.
In the quiet of his Office the young
attorney planned. assaults on the
father, having already won the
daughters blushing permission to do
SO. He knew that the battle must be
commercial one, but as the weapons
were all on his adversary's side he
figured that he must capture Mr..
Penny with Mr.. Penny's own ammuni-
ton. That took nerve, but nerve
dwelt within. the Ballaine tents and
prospered there.
The scene between Mr.. Penny and
the young Ballaine, when the latter
asked for Miss Penny, was one of
the most delightful conflicts of the
formers business career. Mr.. Penny
heaped up conditions which he felt
sure the young man could not sat-
isfy, and as Ballaine met them one
by one the elder man warmed to the
contest. He rather enjoyed being
bested in the preliminaries as he felt
sure of the main issue.
Character? The young man named
the best men in town, as his associ-
ates. Family? The Ballaine's were
known in Vermont before Pennys
were coined. Prospects? The young
man had his profession, some real
estate, mining stocks enough to pa
per boarding house, $4,000 in the
bank, and nerve that was worth
100 cents on the dollar. Out Of the
question? Not at all; the girl loved
him, and he was merely scalhng on
her father to arrange matters.
':No young man can marry my
daughter till he has $4,000 Of his
own in the bank
That's easy. What will you take
for your tide lands, Mr.. Penny?"
Tide lands were Mr.. Penny's proud
distinction. He held the bulk Of the
best acres in Seattle. Ballaine was
striking at the very pearl Of the
elder mans possessions. No one had
1 ever succeeded in getting him to put
a price on them.
i ''No joking" said the young man
GLOW mnch?"
| Mr.. Penny's soul expanded in an
ecstasy as he named a price.
\ Il told you not to joke said the
y young man. severely. y want . 80