The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-09-11
An Unknown
Friend
BY JOHN N. LARNED

ing. But l had a failing-at least my
wife called it a %failing-I couldn't stand
to see any one suffer. l Endorsed a note
for a friend to save him from bank
ruptcy and loaned others money, not
counting on the fact that l would need
what l put out, and if I didn't have it
| would come to grief myself. And SO
| did.
One day l received Il letter from Il
wished for an agent in my city. My
pay would be Il salary Of $500 a year
and a commission on every machine l
sold. Who the nan was or why ne
wished me for his agent I 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 ! 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 seer my
letter. or. if he had, whether he had
found time to reply to my question. l
sold a 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 We're in
cOrpOrated. and n morning l received
a registered letter which, on opening.
found to contain a certificate for q
thousand shares of the new company
made out In my name. l was V
in my life so dumfOunded. Then it
Of the concern l 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 n of
my employers called my attention to
a newspaper item mentioning the
organization of the manufacturing
company for which l 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 12O.
| wrote at Once to ask If the stock
had been sent me as subscribed stock
and on what terms ! would be ex-
pected to pay for it. 4 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 I 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 l didn't own it. l wrote
several letters to the main Office about
1t, but they We're not answered. My
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. l resolved
to let the matter drop and await de-
velOpment>.
When the first quarterly dividends
We're declared | received a check for
$1,000. | looked at it in a~maZement,
then, showing it to my wife. remarked
that II this was ruin l wished l might
keep on being ruined in the same way
rs long as l 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 al answer My
wife still feared that ! was being used
az a 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. l didn't put any faith
In this Interpretation. Since l could
get no information ! determined to
leave my business in charge Of my
demonstration. 90 to the Office Of the
company and find out for myself what
was ut the bottom OF my good fortune.
l carried out my resolution and one
day walked into the Office OF the manu-
facturer. I was obliged to send in my
card to the president and received a re-
ply to call ut his home that evening.
When l presented myself there, after
being admitted. an elderly woman
came in to receive me and said:
"My husband has asked me to sa!
that he is under a 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
urn to your home and accept the ben
elits he has bestowed upon you and
hose he intends to bestow. asking n"
questions"
"And he will not see me?"
"He prefers not"
"May ask why"
Because you may recognize him
And If lO:"
II can answer no more questions. ,
sill say this. however, consider my
husband overtimid about the matter"
Il cannot conceive why l should in
.ure one who has SO bcfriendad me-"
She remained silent. and ! withdrew
| returned to my home n within a
week received Il certificate for another
thousand shares Of stock.
One night while lying awake mem
Try brought me a possible explanation.