Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-15
cepyrIsht. 1918. by Doubleday, Page & Co.

eagerly. I'LL bet heard his name
fifty times today"
"He is thickset, jolly looking, curly
headed fellow, with a thick neck, a
bulldog jaw and big voice." replied
Talbot "Of course he tried to bully
me, but when that didn't work he
came down to business. We entered
into an agreement.
"Brannan was to furnish the money
and take half the profits, provided he
liked the idea. When we had settled
E. it all told him my scheme. He
thought It over awhile and came in.
Then we rowed off and paid the cap
tains of the ships. 1t was necessary
now to get them warped In at high
/ tide, of course, but Sam Brannan said
! he'd see to that. He has some sort or
pull with the natives, enough to get
a days labor, anyway"
| "WSrp them in?' I echoed.
"Certainly. You couldn't expect the
merchants to lighter their stuff Off In
boats always. Well beach these ships
Mt high tide and then run some sort OF
light causeway out to them. There's
no surf, and the bottom is soft. It'll
cost us something, of course, but Sam
and l figure we ought to divide three
thousand clear"
"I'd like to ask a question or so,'
said I. whats to prevent the mer-
chants doing this same hiring of ships
/ for themselves?'
Nothing" said Talbot, "after the
first month"
"And what prevented Brannan, after
he had heard your scheme, from going
out on his own hook and pocketing all
the proceeds?"
"You don't understand, Frank" said
Talbot impatiently. Men Of our stamp
don't do those things"
"Ohr' said I.
"This." said Johnny, "made it about
. o'clock, as I figure your story. Did
you then take n needed rest"
Quarter of ." corrected Talbot. 81
was going back to the hotel when
passed that brick building-you know,
on Montgomery street. l remembered
then that lawyer and his $3.50 for a
hole in the ground. 1t seemed to me
there was q terrible waste somewhere.
Here was a big brick building filed
up with nothing but goods. 1t might
much better be filed with people.
There is plenty of room for goods in
those ships, but you can't very well
put people on the ships. So just
dropped In to see them about it L
offered to hire the entire upper part
of the building and pointed out that
the lower part was all they could pos
sibly use as a store. They said they
needed the upper part as storehouse.
I offered to store the goods in an ac-
cessible safe place. OF course they
wanted to see the place, but wouldn't
let on, naturally, but left 1t subject to
their approval after the lease was
signed. The joke Of it Is they were
way overstocked anyway. Finally L
made my grand offer.
"Look here,' said I, you rent me
that upper story for decent length OF
time-say a year-and I'll buy out the
surplus stock you've got up there at a
decent valuation They jumped at
that. OF course they pretended not to,
but Just the same they jumped. I'LL
either sell the stun by auction, even
at q slight loss, or else I'll stick it
aboard n ship. Depends a good deal
on what is there, of course. It's most
ly bale and box goods of some sort or
another. I've got an inventory in my
pocket Haven't looked at 1t yet. Then
I'll partition off that wareroom and
rent It out for Offices and so forth.
There are lot of lawyers and things
in this town just honing for something
dignified and stable. I only pay three
thousand month for It,"
Johnny groaned deeply.
"Well," persisted Talbot, ~ figure on
getting at least eight thousand month
out of It. That'l take care of little
loss on the goods, If necessary. I'm
not sure loss is necessary"
"And how much, about, are the
goods?' 1 inquired softly.
"Oh. I don't know! Somewhere be-
tween ten and twenty thousand, sup
pose"
"Paid for how and whenT
"One-third cash and the rest in notes.
The interest out here is rather high"
said Talbot regretfully.
where do you expect to get the
money!" insisted.
"Oh, money, money! cried Talbot,
throwing out his arms with a gesture
of impatience. "The place is full OF
money. It's pouring in from the mines.
from the world outside. Moneys no
troublev'
He fell into an intent reverie, biting
at his short mustache. arose softly
to my feet.