MORE SEVEN PER CENT. BONDS.
When I entered the state-room where the magnates were, Colonel
Wimpleton was inviting Major Toppleton to dine with him that day. Men
are apt to go from one extreme to the other, and, from the exceeding
cordiality of the reunion, I was afraid they might overdo the
matter. Yet they had once been warm personal friends, and had chosen
this locality on the lake in order to be near each other. Long and
bitter had the quarrel been; but now, by the influence of the young
peacemakers, it was happily ended.
“Wolf, you must dine with us,” said Colonel Wimpleton, as I entered the
state-room. “We will smoke the pipe of peace to-day.”
“I thank you; I never smoke, but I will dine with you,” I replied. “At
what hour?”
“Three o’clock.”
“Then I shall be obliged to decline, for I must pilot the boat down
this afternoon.”
“We will make it six o’clock, then. Major Toppleton, you must bring all
your family with you.”
“They will all be very happy to come,” answered the magnate of
Middleport.
Then Grace would be there, which offered an additional inducement to
me. I concluded that the colonel would not say anything more about
“courting,” though I happened to know that Tommy and Miss Minnie had
met two or three times since the affair off the Horse Shoe.
“You will excuse me, gentlemen, for speaking of business at such a time
as this; but I should like to know if you have agreed upon the terms of
the union between the two lines,” I continued.
“We have not mentioned the subject,” said Major Toppleton. “Whatever
Colonel Wimpleton agrees to, I shall fully indorse.”
“I am authorized to make you an offer for the two steamers, Major
Toppleton,” I added.
“You needn’t make the offer, Wolf,” interposed the colonel. “I will
accept the terms of the arrangement in all respects, as drawn up by the
committee of conference.”
“If the arrangement is not entirely satisfactory, I will modify it in
any manner my friend Colonel Wimpleton may suggest.”
“Everything is entirely satisfactory to me,” persisted he of Centreport.
“But you did raise an objection,” insisted he of Middleport.
“Colonel Wimpleton thought it was not worth while to bother with
referees to fix the value of the two steamers,” I interposed. “Of
course nothing can be done till they have been appraised.”
“That’s an excellent suggestion of my friend. What was the offer,
Wolf?” asked the major.
“Don’t mention it, Wolf,” said the colonel.
“I accept it, whatever it was,” continued the major.
“We had not met when I authorized Wolf to make the offer. I am ashamed
of it now,” added the colonel.
“I think I can settle this matter, gentlemen, to the satisfaction of
both of you,” I ventured to say. “You shall each mark the price on a
piece of paper, and the sum to be paid shall be found by splitting the
difference between the two.”
“I agree,” said Major Toppleton, promptly.
“So do I,” as promptly replied Colonel Wimpleton.
I gave each of them a piece of paper and a pencil.
“I shall take into consideration the fact that the new arrangement
renders the old boats of less value than they are in the railroad
line,” said the major, as he wrote his valuation on the paper, and
handed it to me.
Colonel Wimpleton made his figures, and gave me his paper. One was
eight thousand,--the major’s,--the other twelve thousand. Half the
difference between them, added to the smaller, or taken from the
greater, gave the agreed price.
“Just the amount I was authorized to offer,” said I, exhibiting the two
papers.
“I am satisfied,” replied the colonel.
“So am I,” added the major.
“The question is settled, then,” I continued.
“Wolf, where is Sharp?” asked the major.
“Probably he went on shore at Ruoara,” I replied.
“I will clean him out on the first of next month.”
“Not on my account,” interposed the colonel.
“I will not permit so great a scoundrel as he is to occupy a house of
mine,” protested the major.
“His tongue may cause me some annoyance,” added the colonel, fixing his
gaze upon the floor.
“You may be sure that he will never utter a word to your disparagement.”
“I am aware that I have given him cause to--”
“My dear colonel, we are all human,” interrupted Major Toppleton. “But,
if Sharp says a word against you, I shall consider it as said against
myself. Give yourself no uneasiness about it. I will take care of him.”
“You are very kind and considerate, major. I wish to tell you what
I told Wolf the other night--that I have determined never to taste
intoxicating drinks in any form again. If there is no wine on my table
to-day,--and there will not be,--you will understand the reason. It was
absolutely necessary for me to ‘brake up.’”
Major Toppleton politely changed the topic, which was even more
embarrassing to him than to the colonel. The Ucayga was approaching the
wharf at Centreport, and the two gentlemen came out of the state-room.
“Why do you show so much bunting to-day, Wolf?” asked Colonel
Wimpleton, when, for the first time, he discovered the display of flags.
“In honor of the great event of the day,” I replied.
“It is a great event--isn’t it?” he added, with a smile.
“The greatest thing that ever happened, sir!”
The boat was made fast to the wharf, and, as the major wished to return
home at once, the colonel directed Captain Van Wolter to run the Ucayga
over to the Middleport side, and went over himself. For my own part,
I went on shore, for I was in a hurry to see Waddie, and give him the
astounding news. I hastened up to the Institute, and called him out.
“What’s up, Wolf?” asked he, anxiously, as he met me in the principal’s
office. “I hope nothing has gone wrong with the union.”
“No; that’s all settled as square as a brick; but the biggest thing
that ever occurred on the Western Continent, since the landing of
Columbus, took place to-day,” I continued in high excitement.
“What’s that, Wolf?”
“What do you guess, Waddie?”
“I can’t guess. Why don’t you tell me?”
“Your father and Major Toppleton shook hands to-day, and the war is
ended.”
“No! You don’t mean so!” exclaimed Waddie, his eyes opening at the news.
“It’s a fact.”
“By the great horn spoon!”
“O, it’s so! Do you see the Ucayga there, making a landing at
Middleport?” I asked, pointing out the window.
“I see her.”
“Your father sent her over to land the major, and he has gone with him
himself.”
“It’s too good news to be true.”
I sat down and told him all about it--how they happened to be on board
of the Ucayga, and how Sharp had brought about the reconciliation.
I was careful, however, not to expose the colonel’s secret to his
son, and there was something wanting to complete the narrative, which
troubled Waddie.
“Wolf, there is something about that visit to Grass Springs which
I don’t understand,” said he. “Tell me honestly; was not my
father--wasn’t he--”
Waddie blushed, and hung his head.
“I know what you mean, Waddie,” I interposed. “It is all right now.
Your father has not drank a drop since, and he never will again.
Everything has turned out for the best, and we won’t say a word about
what is past and gone. Your father has invited Major Toppleton and all
his family to dine with him at six o’clock to-day.”
“By the great horn spoon, we must turn out the regiment this afternoon,
and escort the major up to the house,” said Waddie. “Where is Tommy
Toppleton?”
“At home, I suppose.”
“I must see him. Our battalion shall turn out, at any rate. We’ll have
a time over this.”
Waddie was as enthusiastic as I supposed he would be. I left him, and
went on board of the Ucayga on her arrival from the other side. I
worked for an hour on the programme for the new line, which had now
become a fixed fact, and then went over to Middleport to dinner. My
father was at home, and the good news had preceded me, though I had to
answer a great many questions.
“When does the new arrangement go into effect, Wolf?” asked my father.
“Next Monday, I think, if we can get the bills out in season.”
“The Ucayga will not go down the lake then.”
“No, sir. She will make two trips each way between Hitaca and
Middleport.”
“We shall have to hurry up, I suppose.”
“No, not much. The boat will have to land at Hitaca, and return without
any delay. At this end of the route she will wait two hours between
trips.”
“Do you mean to leave me in Hitaca over night?”
“No, sir; Christy will run the boat down in the morning, and return in
her at night; you will leave Middleport at eleven, and be back again at
three. You will be on duty from ten till four.”
“That will not make a very hard day’s work,” laughed my father. “What
are you going to do, Wolf? Van Wolter is to command the boat.”
“I am to go and come, and draw my salary of fifteen hundred a year.”
“Fifteen hundred!” exclaimed my father.
“Fifteen hundred dollars, Wolf!” repeated my mother.
“My total income will be about twenty-two hundred dollars a year,” I
added, as seriously as I could speak.
“Where is the rest of it to come from?” asked my father.
“From the income of my property.”
“What property?”
“I declare I believe I have forgotten to mention that I am worth ten
thousand dollars, besides what I have saved up from my salary. But it
is true. I have the amount in bonds, which pay seven per cent.”
“You don’t mean so, Wolf,” said my father.
“I would show them to you, but I deposited them in the vault of the
Centreport bank for safe keeping.”
“Where did you get so much money, Wolf?”
As Colonel Wimpleton allowed me to inform my parents, I told them the
whole story about the check, and our trip to Hitaca.
“Well, Wolf, you are a richer man than I am; but I suppose you will
help me out when I am short.”
“O, certainly! Can I do anything for you now?”
“No; I’m doing very well myself, Wolf. This place is paid for, and I
have something laid up for a rainy day.”
“There’s somebody at the front door,” said my mother, as the door bell
rang.
To my surprise Major Toppleton followed my sister, who had opened the
door, into the kitchen, where we were at dinner.
“Wolf, here is a package for you,” said the magnate, dropping it on the
table, as I was rising to show him proper respect.
“What is it, sir?” I inquired, picking up the parcel, which had a
marvellous resemblance to the one the other magnate had presented to me.
“It contains ten thousand dollars in seven per cent. bonds.”
“Really, sir, I don’t--”
“Yes, you do,” laughed the major. “You are in a hurry; so am I, and
we will make a short story of it. My friend Colonel Wimpleton”--the
major’s eyes twinkled--“told me what he had done for you in this
way. My conscience would not let me do less than he has done. I am
determined to be even with him. Good morning, Wolf!”
He turned on his heel, and fled from the house as though an enemy were
after him. My father laughed, my mother cried, and I endeavored to keep
cool. But it was time to return to the steamer, and we hastened to our
duties.