The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-16


 it became known that a mighty plant to surpass the Helmwood was to be estab- lished. MT. Thomas laughed at the idea. He smiled sareastically when land was bought. and he was worried when founda- tlons were built. He was in panic when the first story was built. Then he sued for peace. He sought an interview with Mir. Pierrepont, but that gentleman re- fused to see him. Then he went to Helm- wood. The new plant would ruin him. He had borrowed every dollar he could get to buy control of the Helmwood. and the bankers were pressing him to take up his paper. The Helmwood company was suffering severely from the competition of the combination and was losing money. MT. Helmwood was sorry, but could do | nothing. A few days later Mr. Thomas was fearful. He would sell at any prics | If he could be saved from disaster. Some l. of his notes, overdue, were about to be | used to levy on his possessions. Again | he pleaded for Helmwood to interceda for | him.
 MT. Helmwood made an offer the follow 1 ing day and MT. Thomas accepted 1t. The Helmwood plant was taken over and soon after was merged with the combina- tion on the original basis. Work on the new plant stopped at once. Mir. Helmwood was the happiest of men when the deal went through and he became president of the trust.
 1 MT Pierrepont handled 1t magnificent ly,'' he said enthusiastically to the big mans lieutenant. 'He is a wonderful man. I owe him debt never can re- pay"
 The lieutenant laughed. Don't worry yourself" he said. ''The old man wasn't thinking of you. He was thinking of something that happened long ago. I guess you've never heard of it. Long ago before I was born-when Pierrepont was a boy there was another boy who hated Tim as only boy can hate They were rivals in everything. Once when there was an auction of the goods in an old house both of the boys wanted an ancient gun that the householder possessed. It was a revolutionary musket, worth about 50 cents. Pierrepont bid on it, and be- cause he bid the other boy bid higher.
 They kept bidding until at last the | other boy got 1t for s2.50. After he got it he repented of his bargain and. as he was an artful little cuss, he began to scheme how he could get revenge on Pierrepont. It took him a month to concoct plan. but 1t was beauty. He got another lad to write a letter In disguised. hand addressed to 1 Pierrepont. It said the writer was a relative of the man whose goods were
 
 had purchased the gun. The musket was an heirloom. It had been carried by l tEe writer's grandfather at Bunker | Hlll. It was of value only as a fam fly relic but the writer would pay s15 if Pierrepont would sell it. Pierrepont might send it to him c. O. b.
 "The boy sent the letter to a dis tant city and had it mailed. When Pierrepont got that letter he saw chance to get even with his enemy and at the same time make a few dollars. So, nnocently, he went to the boy and in a roundabout way opened negotia- tions. That boy was a hard case. PIerrepont had to pay s9.75 before he got the musket Pierrepont wrapped the gun up carefully and shipped 1t to the address in the distant city c. O. D. It came back. There was no such person. Pierrepont was out his $9.75 and express charges each way He might have forgiven the S9.75 and ex- press charges, but he never could for get or forgive the joshing he got when that boy made him the laughing stock of the town by telling how he had put 1t over Pierrepont.
 That boy was Henry Altigar Thom- as. He never did like Pierrepont, so he tried to put another one over in the l rass merger. But he did not succeed. 1 think now. he wishes he hadn't put ever that first one. By the way, Pferre- pont still has that ancient heirloom It's in the museum up at his house I think he'll consider 1t a real treasore from now on"
 Copyright, 1911, by Richard spillane)