The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-04-29
CHAPTER III.

builders, surveyors, architects and others
who busted themselves earnestly about the
development of Llanbarlym, there were
none more keenly interested than Mr.. Paul
Pegram, a solicitor residing in n country
town some twelve miles from the budding
watering place. Mr.. Paul Pegram, al
belt sharp and a somewhat INSCRIPTIONS
practitioner, had arrived at the age of
forty without in his own opinion having
done much good for himself. He was not
n popular man: and though the Welsh
have the reputation of being a somewhat
litigious people. they at all events put
their litigation but sparsely into Mr.. Pc
grams hands He was man of very
humble extraction, his father having been
a cattle jobber. He died very proud of
having brought up his son as 'profes-
sional gentleman" and of leaving some
four thousand pounds behind him.
Paul Pegram threw himself heart and
soul into the development of Llanbarlym
This was the sort of speculation that he
had been waiting for all his life. 1t had
special attraction for him.
He was early in the field, foreseeing
what the railway would do for the place.
He determined to sink all the money he
could lay his hands upon in this specula-
ton. Llanbarlym throve and grew in a
manner that quite surpassed the expec-
tations of those interested in its extern
sion. The annually increasing throng of
visitors had brought settlers in their
wake. Lodging house keeNrs and shop
keepers 1ocked from surrounding towns
to start in business in the new watering
place The first hotel was already dwarf
ed by gigantic rival.
Not only had Paul Pegram already
made money, but he saw the land he ac-
quired increasing rapidly in value. In
short should Llanbarlym continue TO
prosper, in the course of few years he
would become rich man.
One day there arrived in Mr.. Pegram's
Office a dark. rather fashily dressed gen
tleman, with great deal of watch chain
and good deal of diamond ring about
him: a dark, we'll whiskered man of some
| five or six-and-thirty, with very glossy
hat He gave his name as Mr.. Hem
mingby, and CURLY informed the lawyer
that he had come down to see if there
was anything to be done with this new
place-Llanbarlym Mr.. Pegram natural
lily inquired what did the stranger propose
| to do for himself or Llanbarlym-
well. you see," replied the other.
''that is a thing / am not particular
about. / have had a turn at a good
| many specs one way or another In my
| time. l have managed a theater, and
run an hotel, and may do either again
some day. / have been in all sorts OF
companies. l have made my fortune. and
| bust up half a dozen times. There is
often a big stroke to be done about a
new place il a man has head on his
shoulders, and doesn't arrive too late.
It's very possible am that; but heard
a good deal about this place from a friend
| of mine last week, and said l would run
| down and look at ii as soon as / had two
or three days to spare; and here l am"
/ In due course the lawyer showed his
new acquaintance over the place, expa-
tiating on its advantages and future pros
poets. Mr.. Hemmingby ratified away with
his usual fuency, interspersing his speech
with incessant questions.
/ Mr.. Pegram admitted to his new friend
| that he had been one of the very earliest
spectators in buying up land round about
Llanbarlym. and owned that he had made
very good thing indeed on the transac-
| ton in various ways during the last
three years, and that he fully expected
to make considerably more during the
next five or six. AS for Mr.. IIemmingby,
| he told wondrous stories, and darkiy hint
ed that he guessed that there were dollars
| to be made in Frisco, only he hadn't
| quite cyphered out the hang of it as
yet. Then Mr.. Pegram told of his once
winning the Derby" lottery.
Lotteries exclaimed Mr.. Hemmi1gby.
IF you are good at lotteries, guess you'll
have to take turn at the biggest thing
of the kind that has been on hand in my
day. YOU will have to take ticket in
the Great Tontine!"
What is that:" inquired the lawyer.
II never even heard Of it."
Whereupon Mr.. Hemmingby proceeded
to explain the whole system of that elab-
crate lottery to the best Of his ability.
1t took some time before he made his
companion thoroughly understand the
scheme. 1t may be that the port wine
had something to say against lucid ex-
understanding on the other, although
either of the men showed the slightes,
mptoms of their deep potatiors; bu
hen Mr.. Pegram had thoroughly mas
tered the details of the scheme he became
deeply interested in it, and finally inquir-
ed whether Hemmingby himself had taken
shares In II.
i've get one" he replied, land I've a
great mind to take another: but 1t amt
so easy to find a life of sixty that you
know and can do bit with IL he gets
rickety. Why, if 1 found myself In it
at last, and my man bit ailing. I'd cart
him round the world until he got the eli
| mate he wanted
All" replied Pegram, II Ike that
capital idea-life you can watch over,
keep your eye on, that's the thing. l sup