Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-24
your road more than half"

If she were not on your string, IA
make a dead set for her. A wife like
that would make man complete.
She's in love with you, or thinks she
Is. hut she hasn't that will-o'-the-wisp
glamour. She's business from her toes
to her finger tips. BY George, be-
lieve she makes business OF her love
affair. She seems to think she'll settle
it by sum in algebra. But TO get
back to the railroad, for I've got lots
to tell you. What do you reckon I
found that day? You couldn't guess in
n thousand years. 1t was prelimi-
nary survey of a railroad once planned
from barley right through your IA
theirs purchase to Morganton, N. G..
1t was made just before the war by
old Colonel Wade, who, in his day, was
one of the most noted surveyors in the
state This end of the line was all
cared about, and that was almost as
level as floor along the river and
down the valley into the north end Of
town. It's n bonanza. my boy! Why
that big bottle of timber land has new
er been busted is wonder TO me. If
as many Yankees had been nosing
about here as there have been in other
southern sections, it would have been
snatchcd up long ago"
I'm awfully glad to hear you say all
this" said Alan, for it is the only
way out Of our difficulty, and some
thing has to be done"
at may cost you few years Of the
hardest work you ever buckcd down
to-" said Miller, land some sleepless
nights, but | really believe you have
fallen on TO better thing than any
ever struck. could make it whiz.
I've already done something that will
astonish you. happen to know slight
ly Tillman Wilson, the president of the
Southern Land and Timber company.
Their offices are in Atlanta. ! knew
he was my man to tackle, so when l
got to Atlanta yesterday I ran upon
him Just as if 1t were accidental.
invited him to lunch with me ut the
Capitol City club; you know I'm a
nonresident member You see. l knew
| if | put myself in the light of n man
with something to sell. he'd hurry
away from me. but l didn't. AS a
pretext | told him | had some clients
up here who wanted to raise consid-
cradle amount of money and that the
security offered was fine timber land.
You see that caught him; he was on
his own ground. | saw hat he was
interested, and | doomed The property
to the skies.
1.-THE more I talked the more he was
interested, till it was bubbling out all
over him. He's New Inglander. who
thinks a country lawyer without a
Harvard education belongs to an effete
civilization, and l let him think he
was pumping me- l even left off my
g's and ignored my RS. I let him think
he mad struck the softest thing of his
life. Pretty soon he begun to want to
know II you cared to sell, but l skirted
! that indiffcrcntly. as if had no inter
est whatever in 1t. told him your ia
Their had bought the property to hold
| for an advance: that he had spent
| years Of his life picking ont the rich
est timber spots and buying them up.
Then he came right out, as | hoped he
would. and asked me the amount you
wanted to borrow on the property. l
had to speak quick. and, remembering
that you had said the old gentleman
/ had put in about $4,000 first and last,
| put the amount at $4,000. | was
taking n liberty. but | can easily get
you out of it if you decide not to do it,"
'Twenty-five thousand, On that
/ land?' Alan cried. 1T would tickle
my father to death to sell 1t for that"
II can arrange the papers so that you
are not liable for any security outside
of the land and it would practically
amount to n sale If you wished il. but
you don't wish 1t, | finally told him
that had an idea that YOU would sell
out for an even hundred thousand"
"A hundred thousand repeated AL.
an, with CHEEKY laugh. Eyes, we'd
let go at that"
well, the figures didn't scare him n
bit for he finally came right out and
asked me If it was my opinion that in
case his company made the loan you
would agree to give him the refusal of
the land at 100000. | told him
didn't know, that l thought it possible
but that just then had no interest in
the matter beyond borrowing a little
money on It, He asked me how long
| was going to stay in Atlanta. | told
him | was going to a bank and take
the night train back. The banks will
stick you for high rate of interest.
he said jealousy. They don't do bust
ness for fun, while really our concern
happens just now to have some idle
capital on hand. Do you think you
could beat 3 per cent? ! admitted that
it was low enough, but ! got up as II
was suddenly reminded that the banks
close early in the afternoon. L think
we can make the loan' he said, but
must first see two or three of the d.
rectors. Can't you give me two hoursT
| finally gave In and promised to meet
him at the Kimball House at 4. went
to matinee saw it half over and went
| in at the ladies' entrance of the hotel.
| saw him looking about for me and
! lodged him."
"Dodgcd him. echoed Alan. "Why"-
Miller laughed. "You don't suppose
I'd let big fish like that see me flrt,
ing my hook and pole about in open
sunlight, do you? ! saw by his man
ner that he was anxious to meet me,
and that was enough. Besides, you
can't close "A deal like that in a minute,
and there are many slips. | went back
! N a In n