The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-23
An Unknown
Friend
BY JOHN N. LARNED

wife called 1t a failingI couldn't stan,
to see any one suffer indorsed not,
for friend to save him from bank
ruptcy and loaned others money, no
counting on the fact that / would neet
what | put out, and if didn't have i
! would come to grief myself. And S,
! did.
One day I received letter from {
manufacturer of automobiles that hs
wished for an agent in my city. My
pay would be salary of 81 500 yeaI
and a commission ON every machine
sold Who the man was or why ht
wished me for his agent l didn't know
and didn't stop to inquire. ! accepted
the position at once.
Rathb0ne 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, IL he had, whether he had
found time to reply to my question.
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 one morning | received
a registered letter which, on opening,
found to contain a 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 | had
laid up some funds, I had not enough
to pay for the stock. While i was
wondering what it all meant one of
my employers called my attention to
newspaper item mentioning the
organization of the manufacturing
company for which was agent at
shares of $40 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 / 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 / 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 1t. | wrote
several letters to the main office about
1t, but they We're not answered. My
wife was fearful that II any financial
we would be in as bad fix as before
/ was offered the agency. / resolved
to let the matter drop and await de-
velopments.
When the first quarterly dividends
were declared / received a check for
81 900. I looked at 1t in amazement,
then, showing it to my wife, remarked
that IL this was ruin wished / might
keep on being ruined in the same way
as long as l lived. At this rate my
stock was paying me $4,000 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 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. / didn't put any faith
In this Interpretation. Since / could
get no information 1 determined to
leave my business in charge of my
demonstration, go to the office of the
and find out for myself what
was at the bottom of my good fortune.
I carried out my resolution and one |
lay walked into the office of the manu- |
l was obliged to send in my |
ard to the president and received re-
ply to call at his home that evening. |
When I presented myself there, after
being admitted, an elderly woman
,ame in to receive me and said:
my husband has asked me to say |
hat he is under a great obligation to
7ou, which he is endeavoring to repay. |
But it is in your power to do him
,reat injury. He suggests that you re-
urn to your home and accept the ben
fits he has bestowed upon you and
hose he intends to bestow, asking no
luestions."
And he will not see me?"
HE prefers not"
MAY ask why"
Because you may recognize him"
"And If / do?"
II can answer no more questions.
vill say this. however, consider my
usband overtimid about the matter"
II cannot conceive why should In
IRE one who has so befriended me-"
She remained silent, and withdrew.
returned to my home and within a
7eek received certificate for another
shares of stock.
One night while lying awake men,
ry brought me possible explanation.
When youngster, some fifteen years
efore. while hunting l started from
ne bushes a man wearing stripes He
egged me not to betray him. Instead
{ doing so | secured ordinary clothes
)r him, which be put on and went his
nv I never hanrd from him I do mot