Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-23

had sought an interview with the late sec
retary Of the defunct company.
A few days later, for ! might as well
| finish with this matter ut once. the astonish-
| ing object OF these Inquiries was made clear
to me one morning / found upon my
| table a whole pile Of correspondence, at the
| sight Of which | groaned, feeling sure that
| it must come from duns and be connected
with that Internal mine. Curiosity and a
desire TO face the worst, however led me 10
| open the first letter, which as 1t happened
! proved to be from that very shareholder
who had proposed a vote Of confidence IN
me at the winding-up meeting BY the time
| that IL was finished my eyes were swimming
and really / felt quite faint. II ran;
"IIonored Sir--G knew that | was putting
my money on the right horse when | said
the other day that YOU We're one OF the
strightest that ever ran. Well ] have got
the check sent me by the lawyer on your
account being payment In fun for every
farthng | invested in the Bona Eide COD
Mine, and | can only say JHat II is uncom-
monty useful for that business had pretty
we'll cleaned me out God bless YOU Mr.
Quaterman"
opened another letter. and another and
another They were all TO the same effect
Bewildcred I went on TO the stoep, where ]
found Hans with an epistle in his hand
which he requested me to be good enough to
read. I read It, II was from well-known
firm OF local lawyers and said
"On behalf Of Allan Quatcrmain. ESQ,
we beg to inclose YOU draft for the sum Of
1850. being the value Of the interest in the
Bona Eide cold Company, Limited Gin
iduidation) which stands In your name on
the books Of the company Please sign en-
closed receipt and return same to US
Yes and there was the draft for 1850
sterling
| explained the matter to Hans. or rather
I translated the document, adding
You see you nave got your money back
again. But Hans, | never sent II; l don't
know where 1t comes from
rs II money. Baas?" asked Hans, survey
ing the draft with suspicion 1T looks very
much like the other bit Of paper for which
[ paid money
Again I explained. relterating that knew
nothing Of the transaction
We'll Baas' lie said, III you ala not
send 1t some one did-perhaps your father,
the Rev Predikant who sees that you
are in trouble and wishes to wash your
name white again Meanwhile, Baas, please
put that bit of paper In your pocketbook
and keep 1t for me, for otherwise | might
be tempted TO buy squareface with IT
NO" answered you can now buy your
Land back or some other land, and there
will be no need FOR you to come with me
to the country Of the Kendall"
Hans thought moment and then very
| deliberately began to tear up the draft in
! deed | was only just in time to save 1t from
| destruction.
"If the Baas is going to turn me or be
cause of this paper" he said, 81 Will make
! II small and eat it
| You silly old fool" ! said as ! possessed
myself Of the check
Then the conversation was interrupted
| for who should appear but sammy my old
| cook who began in his pOmporfs language:
THE perfect rccttudc OF your conduct.
| Mr.. Quatcrmain. moves me to the deepest
| gratitude. though indeed | wish that had
| put something into the food of the knaye
| Jacob who beguiled MS all, that would have
| caused him internal Dangs of severe II not
| Of a dangerous order. My holding in the
| gold mine was not extensive, but the unpaid
! bill of the said Jacob and his friends"
| Hero | cut him short and fed, since
| saw yet another shareholder gallopng to
| the gate. and behind him two more in a
| spider First | took refuge in my room, my
! idea being to put away that pile Of letters,
! In so doing / observed that there was one
| still unopened. Half mechanically | took
it from the envelope and glanced at it's
! contents. They were word for word identi-
! cal with those Of that addressed TO Mr..
| Hans, Hottcntot." only my name was at
| the bottom OF II instead of that of Hans
! and the check was for 1880, the amount l
| had paid for the shares | held in the
| venture.
Feeling as though my brain were in a
melting pot. | departed from the house into
| patch of native bush that in those days
! still grew upon the slope of the hill behind
Ii ,o+ r,,,,s,If ,I,,,,,, no I Lad ofte, dona
t,,,,r ,,,,,or tbar, y,os ,, l,rott,, nnint ~ ~,
,o,sid,raI air,Isssl,, yyatrhiny loy.Iy
o,,'oroId I,,crSnn aagLlrf, n iayyaI Of Ilohf
| fro,,, tr,e 10 tros ,yhiin turned All fbia
! fajr,,. godn,otbar nusInass ovo, in NV mind
/ os oourse II soon bsr,rna clear to me
Il ard PornolI in tbis case was the 1.-THE old
! I,d, Win tbc wand the touch of which
| couId convart worthless share cartiacotee
into honitnotes of their face value re-
membered now that his wealth was said To
ho nbenomenaI and oftar All the cash can.
! itaI of tbr connony was uuite small Rut
the question was-could accent his
hountv2
I returned to the house ,yhere the first
person whom | met was Lord RagnaIl him
self iust arrived from some interview about
the fifty Snider rifles which were still in
bond | told him sOlemny that wished to
speak to him, whereon he remarked in IA
cheerful voice:
Advance, friend and airs we'll
don't Know that ! need set out the de-
oa.'S pr tmI ne wa.teu t' nnI