"Who, in particular, is poorer?"
"Judge Hammond, for one."
"Indeed! I thought the advance in his property, in consequence of the
building of this tavern, was so great, that he was reaping a rich
pecuniary harvest."
"There was a slight advance in property along the street after the
'Sickle and Sheaf' was opened, and Judge Hammond was benefited thereby.
Interested parties made a good deal of noise about it; but it didn't
amount to much, I believe."
"What has caused the judge to grow poorer?"
"The opening of this tavern, as I just said."
"In what way did it affect him?"
"He was among Slade's warmest supporters, as soon as he felt the
advance in the price of building lots, called him one of the most
enterprising men in Cedarville--a real benefactor to the place--and all
that stuff. To set a good example of patronage, he came over every day
and took his glass of brandy, and encouraged everybody else that he
could influence to do the same. Among those who followed his example
was his son Willy. There was not, let me tell you, in all the country
for twenty miles around, a finer young man than Willy, nor one of so
much promise, when this man-trap"--he let his voice fall, and glanced
around, as he thus designated Slade's tavern--"was opened; and now,
there is not one dashing more recklessly along the road to ruin. When
too late, his father saw that his son was corrupted, and that the
company he kept was of a dangerous character. Two reasons led him to
purchase Slade's old mill, and turn it into a factory and a distillery.
Of course, he had to make a heavy outlay for additional buildings,
machinery, and distilling apparatus. The reasons influencing him were
the prospect of realizing a large amount of money, especially in
distilling, and the hope of saving Willy, by getting him closely
engaged and interested in business. To accomplish, more certainly, the
latter end, he unwisely transferred to his son, as his own capital,
twenty thousand dollars, and then formed with him a regular
copartnership--giving Willy an active business control.
"But the experiment, sir," added the man, emphatically, "has proved a
failure. I heard yesterday, that both mill and distillery were to be
shut up, and offered for sale."
"They did not prove as money-making as was anticipated?"
"No, not under Willy Hammond's management. He had made too many bad
acquaintances--men who clung to him because he had plenty of money at
his command, and spent it as freely as water. One-half of his time he
was away from the mill, and while there, didn't half attend to
business. I've heard it said--and I don't much doubt its truth--that
he's squandered his twenty thousand dollars, and a great deal more
besides."
"How is that possible?"
"Well; people talk, and not always at random. There's been a man
staying here, most of his time, for the last four or five years, named
Green. He does not do anything, and don't seem to have any friends in
the neighborhood. Nobody knows where he came from, and he is not at all
communicative on that head himself. Well, this man became acquainted
with young Hammond after Willy got to visiting the bar here, and
attached himself to him at once. They have, to all appearance, been
fast friends ever since; riding about, or going off on gunning or
fishing excursions almost every day, and secluding themselves somewhere
nearly every evening. That man, Green, sir, it is whispered, is a
gambler; and I believe it. Granted, and there is no longer a mystery as
to what Willy does with his own and his father's money."