Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-11-16

s0IO VoIy uSSAIoOAo POpO0AIAO0 0UO,
after threatening to expose the com.
pany's methods in court, secured his
9O-day note, and eventually took q pol
icy in my own company
While in small country town in
Ohio, selling Yankee notions at auc-
ton, I met stylish'y dressed young
man who explained that he was col
lectins for a large Cincinnati collect
ing agency, and that he had business
in every small town in the state
The following morning, when ready
to start for my next town, this young
man asked me If I wouldn't like to
have him accompany me. assured
him that I would, and he jumped into
my wagon. found him a very inter-
esting, well posted sort Of chap.
On reaching our destination, he left
me and went on with his business,
while I attended to mine. The next
morning he asked the name of my next
town and, on hearing it, 'Well," said
he. II am going there too, so guess
I'll ride with you again, If you don't
object"
was glad OF his company, and once
more we drove together. AS on the
previous day, he went about his busi-
ness, and not until the next morning,
when he was again all ready to accom-
pany me, did begin to suspect scme-
thing wrong.
He carried only an ordinary valise,
and L had never seen him handle pa
pers or letters. and he couldn't posi-
bly, have been receiving any mail. l
began to wonder If I were travelling
with a "cross-roader" Of some sort,
and began questioning him closely.
While his answers were all right,
there was something evasive about
them, and consequently I kept quiz
zing.
He always had plenty Of money and
kept getting more collecting, as he
claimed), but it didn't seem that he
was RENTING any of it to his firm.
This made things look still more sus-
piciois.
I had noticed that he was continual
ly buying apples, candy, peanuts, pop
corn, and always had his pockets full
of cigars, and as neither he nor !
smoked, he freely gave them to hotel
clerks, landlords, porters, etc. When
I questioned him about this, he smiled
and said he bought them to give away
to men from whom ne was collecting.
The more mysterious he became, the
more anxious I was to learn something
about him, and as he always found it
just suited his convenience to travel
with me I let him do so.
He had accompanied me for fully a
week when, one day, happened to
go into a cigar store, where found
him discussing a matter Of change
with the proprietor. He had pur-
chased rs cents worth Of cigars, and
had handed the merchant a $40 bill.
The latter had placed the bill In his
money till and had laid out four one
dollar bills and rs cents in change,
and was searching for a five dollar
bill to make up the balance, when sud-
denly the young man said:
by the way, I have q quarter In
change, so just give me back the SO
BILL"
He then gathered up the four one
dollar bills and the silver pieces, and
put them in his pocket, together with
the $40 bill that the merchant had
handed back to him. In his confusion
the merchant, for the time being,
overlooked this. Still, as he afterwards
explained to me, he kept thinking
there was something queer about that
change transaction, and although, af-
ter counting his cash, he was still not
quite sure he called to the young man
as he was about to leave the store and
said:
young man, think when you and
I were making change few minutes
ago there was an error in your favor.
If you will step back here we will 60
over the matter again.
It was just when they were in the
midst of the discussion that appeared
on the scene.
The moment the merchant pointed
out the different phases of the transact
ton the young man cried, in a most
apologize way: by Jove! you are
right, but I never should have known
it, as I really don'tknow how much
money I had about me-"
Handing over $4.75 he expressed real
satisfaction in having the matter
Strengthened, after which he shook
hands with the merchant and left the
store.
This opened my eyes to a scheme
that was novel indeed. asked the
merchant If he had any idea that the
young man had Intentionally taken the
money.
"Oh, mol" he quickly answered; "he
was perfectly innocent of any inten-
tional wrongdoing; he unconsciously
picked up my money with his; that's
ALL
/ This incident set me to thinking
about the numerous cigars, and the
great amount of candy and peanuts he
had been buying every day, and the
following morning took him to task