Middletown transcript., 1907-03-16
A POINTER IN STOCKS
IooNrINuEp FROM LAsr Week j
BY GEORGE H. sANDIsoN

his head.
Certainly, 'twasn't, continued
Siles. Now the courts have held
that news is property, and has
got to be protected, jest like other
property, and whoever takes and
uses my property, without my
permission, does so at his own
risk and peril of the law. Isn't
that so? Of course it is. And
that's jest what they did; they
took my property-our property
yours and mine,-and used it
illegally. IT'S jest as crooked as
if they had tapped the wires and
stolen private dispatches, and
traded on them.
1 am quite sure they have done
nothing wrong, with intention,
pleaded Mr.. Cherrival, weakly.
The information you speak Of
the pointer, in fact,-could not
at least, I don't seeihow it could
have been appropriated. As far
as am personally concerned, L
doubt whether, had I been so
disposed, could have enlight-
ened them, since I don't under
stand such things as well as you
do. -
Ha! ha You are dead slow,
parson, cried Silas, touching him
lightly on the shoulder, in a
familiar way. Of course, it didn't
strike you that the fact OF my
guaranteeing your purchase
would set them off on the same
track, eh ? Well, it did. But,
though you're all right, | didn't
guarantee the whole town nor
did you,-so both our consciences
are clear on that score. This
squares our little account.
AS he spoke, he handed an en-
velope to Mr.. Cherrival.
You'll find there the exact
amount you put in, with interest,
so that you don't lose anything,
and I keep the guarantee, which
wipes out the score. There's a
note there, besides, which will
explain another matter, but you
needn't read it, now. No, no; it's
all right, parson; I've simply
kept my word. to see you through,
whether the market went up or
down. It went the wrong way,
this, time-for you; that's all.
The little pastor heaved great
sigh of relief. He had been on
the brink of a gulf, and had be-
gun to slip over into the abyss,
when the enemy,-for how could
he regard Silas Meeker as other
wise ?-had drawn him back with
a astrong hand, to the solid ground.
Thrusting the envelope into his
pocket, he essayed to express his
thanks, but his lips were dry and
the words were inarticulate.
Silas accompanied him to the
doorway. AS Mr.. Cherrival
stepped out into the quiet, starlit
night, and turned down the ave-
nue. toward the little red house,
he involuntarily breathed al
prayer of thankfulness at his
escape from the disaster that had
seemed about to overwhelm him.
With the prayer was mingled an
earnest petition that he might be
forgiven if he had been the in
stfument, however unwittingly,
of leading others into temptation.
V.
It was not very late when Mr.. |
Cherrival, still faint and excited, |
entered the parlor of the parson-
age. The lights were burning |
brightly, and Will Stanwood was
chatting with Mrs. Cherrival and |
Comfort. The young man arose
and greeted the pastor, cordially. |
Presently, the older folks drew
aside, to speak by themselves.
Papa, said Mrs. Cherrival, Will |
has come up for a certain pur
pose, tonight, know. He limited
as much, before you came in.
For what purpose asked the
little pastor.
Why, to ask for Comfort what
else? I've seen it, for a year or
more,-that it was coming. Don't
stand in their way, papa. He's
a good lad, and will make Com
fort an excellent husband. Be-
sides, he is we'll to.do, and they
can afford to live in a nice way.
Pastor Cherriyal groaned in
spirit He felt more like guilty
man than delighted father; and
he looked it,-just a little.
Well, said he, at length, our
lives illustrate how joys and mis-
fortunes may visit US together.
I've just had bad news from SiIas
the worst news possible. Myl
investment-our investment,--
was unfortunate.