Morris tribune., 1914-04-24
An Unknown
Friend
BY JOHN N. LARNED

was pretty Well nXeQ When | was
married, and the future looked invit-
ing. But had failing at least my
wife called it falling couldn't stand
to see any one suffer. Endorsed note
for a friend to save him from bank
ruptcy and loaned others money, not
counting on the fact that would need
what put out, and if didn't have it
1 would come to grief myself And so
1 did.
One day received letter from
manufacturer of automobiles that he
wished for an agent in my city. Ny
pay would be a salary of 81, 800 a year
and a commission on every machine l
sold. Who the man was or why he
wished me for his agent didn't know
and didn't stop to inquire. [ accepted
the position at once.
Rathbone was the name Of the head
of the automobile company. Soon after
being settled in the business l wrote
him, asking how he came to choose me
as an agent, but received no reply. The
letter that came from the factory was
dictated by the superintendent of the
sales department, and / was not sure
that Mr. Rathbone had ever seen my
letter, or, if he had, whether he had
found time to reply to my question. /
sold good many of his autos and was
making money when another windfall
came to me that surprised me more
than the first.
Mr.. RathbOne's auto works were in
corporated, and one morning received
registered letter which, on opening,
found to contain certificate for a
thousand shares of the new company
made out in my name. | was never
in my life so dumfounded Then it
occurred to me that as an employee
of the concern / was expected to sub
scribe for the stock. Though l had
laid up some funds, l had not enough
to pay for the stock While l was
wondering what it all meant one Of
my employers called my attention to
a newspaper item mentioning the
organization of the manufacturing
company for which / was agent at
shares of 500 each The par value Of
| my stock was $4,000, and the item
further stated that there had been
sales at 100.
wrote at once to ask If the stock
had been sent me as subscribed stock
and on what terms 1 would be ex-
pected to pay for it. A formal reply
from the treasurer of the company
came to me that the thousand shares
stood in my name on the company's
books full paid
When 1 told my wife about the mat
ter she said that the stock had been
placed in my name to serve some pur-
| pose connected with the organization
of the company and would find out
in time that / didn't own it, / wrote
several letters to the main Office about
it, but they were not answered. Ny
wife was fearful that if any financial
breakdown occurred to the company
we would be in as bad a fix as before
l was offered the agency. / resolved
to let the matter drop and await de-
velopments.
When the first quarterly dividends
were declared received check for
$1,000. looked at it in amazement,
then, showing it to my wife, remarked
that If this was ruin wished might
keep on being ruined in the same way
as long as / lived. At this rate my
stock was paying me $4,000 a year.
1t didn't seem worth while to write
for an explanation, for no such letters
had been accorded an answer. My
wife still feared that was being used
as dummy to put through some
financial scheme, but dummies don't
usually receive checks for hard money.
They are not the basket Of the balloon,
but the gas bag. didn't put any faith
in this Interpretation. Since could
get no information determined to.
leave my business in charge of my
demonstrators, go to the Office of the
company and find out for myself what
was at the bottom of my good fortune.
! | carried out my resolution and one
day walked into the Office of the manu-
facturer. | was obliged to send in, my
card to the president and received re-
ply to call at his home that evening.
When | presented myself there, after
being admitted, an elderly woman
came in to receive me and said:
My husband has asked me to say
that he is under great obligation to
you, which he is endeavoring to repay.
But it is in your power to do him a
great injury. He suggests that you re-
turn to your home and accept the ben
efits he has bestowed upon you and
those he intends to bestow, asking no
/ questions
'And he will not see me?''
"He prefers not"
MAY I ask why?"
Because you may recognize him.
And if dog'
Il can answer no more questions. I
will say this, however, consider my
husband overtimid about the matter"
Il cannot conceive why should in
jure one who has so befriended me-"
She remained silent, and I withdrew.
/ returned to my home and within a