The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-02-13
BUYING A
CLAIM
BY TIMOTHY W. BARLOW

~
perienced In business knows that some
; body about the premises must stan
with club to keep back all sorts o
inroads upon the treasury. Everybod
that has anything to sell the concern
invents all sorts OF stories as to why !
should be bought. Everybody employ
ed has a reason for increase of salary
And so ii goes, II there isn't some on
TO turn deaf ear TO such talk bank
ruptcy is sure to come.
Billy paid me big salary to be
buffer between him and persons wht
wanted something. But in spite OF al
could do they would get past me t
Billy himself. and the concern wal
sure to be 'out' some more. Jones,
Billy would say to me. has sickness
In his family and needs an advance Of
$780," or, THAT drummer who was II
here this morning showed some beauti
full goods. Besides, he's been having
hard luck lately. I'm sure his wares
will go of like hot cakes" The result
would be that Jones would quit us In
debt. and the goods would remain In
stock unsold
OF course the inevitable red fas
| came In time. After we were sold out
loaned Billy 5000 for present ex-
penses. When | loaned 1t | never ex'
pected to ask for it Billy said that
when he got on his feet again he
would pay it. and knew he would
IL he ever got on his feet. But was
taken Ill soon after | left his service
and was obliged to submit to an Inn
portant operation. The consequence
was that the great specialist who oper-
ated on me. hospital board bills and
loss of time took all had.
applied for a payment of my loan,
but Billy had given so much In sym
pathy that he hadn't anything with
which to pay bis just debts He sold
some heirlooms for n matter of $40.
which be gave me, and when | was
obliged to apply to him again sold his
overcoat and sent me the proceeds.
didn't know of either of these sales
or | wouldn't have accepted the sacri-
fee. The sale of his overcoat brought
on cold which was followed by pneu-
monia. and Billy came out of a hos.
pital more deeply in debt than before.
Not being able to work after my
operation and not knowing OF Biliy's
real financial condition, ! applied to
him several times in succession, get
ting less and less amounts each time,
till at last | received silver dollar
After that didn't try to squeeze any
more blood out of a turnip.
One day a very nice looking lady
called on me and asked for Billy. |
fancied he owed her money. so | was
chary about giving her his address.
"Mr. Watkins can't pay any bills"
said. Hes awfully hard up"
Does he owe you anything?" she
asked
about hundred and fifty dollars"
what will you take for your claimY
Anything you like to Offer"
How would $50 suit your"
MAKE 1t $T5 and it's CO." said.
more to follow the thing up from Gu
riosity than In the expectation that she
would take me up.
"rli split the difference and give
you S62.50."
All right" agreed, wondering |
what 1t all meant. She pulled little |
checkbook out of reticuie and wrote
me a check for the amount. and /
assigned my claim on Billy to her. Be
Ing woman didn't suppose that she
would do anything mean In the prem
Ises. though after | had made the
transaction | was sorry for it, fearing
she might want the claim to get re-
renge for something
didn't see Billy after that for some
lime. Indeed. didn't care TO meet
him. for the more ! thought about the
buying claim against him
he more / believed she had done it to
secure some revenge | feared to hear
# his being prosecuted In some way.
One day | saw Billy coming on the
treet. | was about to dodge into an
lIley when a second glance showed {
ne that he was much changed. He
vas dressed handsomely, with chrys e
millennium in his buttonhoie and
wung smart cane. As soon as he
aught sight of me he made dive for
ne. I waited as a man will stand for
n automobile he expects to run him
own. not knowing whether or not |
you'd receive a shower of reproaches
When coming up to me he put his
rms about me, giving me a bears .
ug.
Where the deuce have you been I
eeping yourself?" he said. I've been
FISHING to see you to tell you of the
lck I've had. Not long ago an old
anne of mine who once refused me
ent me check for $3.50. saying that
claim against me had been transfer.
ed TO her for less than II was worth. /
nat was welcome to the difference
Or as long time as | liked Well,
BOX this for him to ask again. ana
did. with the desired result We're
, be married next month. and | wish
on TO be my best man"
what are you going to live onY" j.
"oh. my girls rich | would like TO =
D into business. but she says she has
1ough for me to do to take care OF her
roperty." n
Whose claim did the lady buyT" v
sI don't kn0u Sha xroutf fnll r1a~