Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-25

The Daily Story
Silas of Hebron Valley

/ appearances an actor He might have
been mistaken for a popular preacher or
| a professional baseball player His age
| was, apparently, anywhere between 80
| and 80 years
He had the air of good living and pros
perity which the man Of the world is
! supposed to wear.
J All guesses as to his profession. how
ever, would probably have gone wide of
the mark He was senior member of the
| firm OF Davidson & Cole of Wall street.
| firm which bore n rather shady reputa-
tion. Even now he was hurrying home
from n hunting trip In Maine. which had
been cut short by the tip, irregularly re-
celved, of big killing" to be made the
next day on the stock exchange.
Despite the suspicion which attached to
| him on Wall Street Davidson's face was
one people instinctively liked and trusted.
! When at a remote junction point, Silas
Ashlar entered the smoker of the train,
! shaking the snowflakes from his ulster
II was midwinter and storming-he took
the seat beside the broker.
Ashlar was %, and his good-natured
face. unchiseled by the stress of city life,
| was round and mmatured, yet withal
there was native shrewdness in IT and
frank honesty
Davidson was man to inspire not only
/ confidence, but confdences; besides he
was In the mood for conversation In the
! course Of half an hour the country youth
was unburdeninE himself to this agree
| able stranger as he had never talked to
! his closest friend.
| II live over in Hebron Valley, in Ner-
mont" he said. I'm clerk in old man
| Briggs general store. Been worltin' there
| since | was Il. The old man wants to re-
| tire now, and I'd like to buy his business"
| II see," rejoined Davidson, politely.
| Silas beat tattoo with clumsy fingers
on the window sill and smiled with en-
| barrassment before he proceeded
| There s-there's a girl, you know"
Indeed Briggs daughter, l suppose?"
! mo; Jennie Gardner. We're-we're en-
gagged, you see That's why want the
| store"
Davidson's interest quickened "why
don't YOU run away with the girl?" he
asked.
"she won't do 1t; she's afraid of her
! father. So is her mother, for that mat
! ter. He's a hard man."
He'd be satisfied to let you marry K
you owned the store?'
Yes, and that's just some more O. his
meanness,' returned Silas. He thinks
it's impossible for me to buy it or he
wouldn't say so. All | got's five hun
/ dred dollars. Briggs wants two thou
sand. I'm goin' down to New York to
see If I can't raise It. I've heard of
money being made pretty quick on Wall
! Street"
They'd get your hay in about 20
minutes on Wall Street" responded Dav-
idson decisively; ~ know because that's
where | hang out. But sec here, Ashlar,
! I've got "A little sporting blood in my
veins, and I've been under dog myself.
| Suppose | help you down this tu'-penny
| banker"
Say, If you only would?"
Very well, Let's have your FIVE hun
] droI fn.
! row, and maybe can clean up your little
/ pile for you during the excitement, Are
| you willing to trust me and take the
| chance?"
Ashlar's answer was to draw with
! trembling fingers, bulky envelope from
/ an inner pocket and pass it over to the
! broker who. tore II open and counted
! the contents dexterously. There was five
hundred dollars in the package in we'll
| thumbed tens and twenties.
| The broker slowed the money away and
! produced Il bit of pasteboard. There's
my address," he said, handing the card
to Ashlar. You come to that number
day after tomorrow at TO- and I'll have
| some news for you"
When at dusk Ashlar, bewildered by
the appalling noise and confusion of the
| big city, adventured from the railway
station into the street, he suddenly felt
that he had done foolish thing in in
trusting all his money to perfect
stranger. But the remembrance of David
sons face with its definable attraction
reassured him. 81 was a darn fool for
ever thinkin' of this thing" he NUT
tered They'd surely beat me If / tried
speculatin' by myself. l guess Davidson
is square"
The New York & Western episode on
the stock exchange next day was merely
skirmish in the great industrial war
fare which goes on ceaselessy in that
9lNk Nl,a @,V,sN IIa.sl NF.Vf
few profited. scores were ruined. Before
Davidson e. Cole had loaded up ire
trievably with the stock. Davidson
smelled danger, and had begun to let 60
His suspicious proved justified. The
story OF the fight for control was a clever
fake which had already caught many
small firms. II developed that the Silvers
and the Hillmans had long since come to
an amicable agreement in regard to the
road.
Then we're out about 65 thou
sand" said Lucius Cole, the morning
after the skirmish, as he sat with his
partner in their private office
about S. thousand" agreed David |
son. "and II I hadn't got wise until
half hour later, we'd been down and out
today"
A clerk ushered in siIas Ashlar. The
country youth was haggard with anx-
iety THE morning paper says you were
hit hard" he began. my money"
your moneys all right" interrupted
Davidson ~ had your little old two
thousand salted before the balloon ascen-
sion. Here's your check" He handed
Ashlar slip of paper
Silas for a few moments, was dazed
by the good news Then he began to
stammer his thanks, but Davidson waved |
them aside. mot word now. Silas. |
want just two promises of you: That |
you'll never monkey with the stock ex-
change again; and that you will go home |
and fix up a wedding within two weeks |
Do you agTee?"
There were tears in the young mans |
eyes. IF Jennie says the word, Wen |
be married inside "a hours This money |
shuts her father up. l don't want any |
more stock exchange business either, you |
bet I've been too worried the last two |
days. God bless you, Mr.. Davidson. II |
you ever come to Hebron Valley, I'll try |
TO show how much you've done for us"
A dark flush mounted Coles thick neck /
and oyerspread his face as the grateful |
Ashiar left the office. Are you crazy, |
Davidson?" he demanded angrily. What |
the devil did you give up that money /
for? The fool hayseed would have he !
lieved anything you told him." Although /
meant as sarcasm, a note of anxiety |
crept into his high, excited voice at the |
next question. You amt turning hon /
est. are yOu?"