Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1909 — What Paulding Collected. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

What Paulding Collected.

By LULU JOHNSON.

Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated Literary Press. y

"Want to go into business, do you?” repeated Peter Paulding as be regarded the erect form before him. “I had begun to think that you were trying to qualify as a salesman In a sporting goods store.” Dick Paulding smiled grimly at this allusion to his athletic prowess. "In ahy event,” he reminded his father, "my medal winning should assure you that you will get a sound mind in a sound body.” "I wish I could be as certain of the mind as I am of the body,” was the sharp retort as the older man regarded with frank admiration his boy's physique. “You know what I told you.

boy. If you want to come after me in the bank you'll have to start at the bottom.” “And sweep out the floor,” asked Dick quietly. ”1 guess I can do that, sir.” "We’re not educating you to be a janitor,” explained the elder hastily. "I mean at the bottom of the financial You will have to start as a runner.” “Is that one of those chaps who go to the other banks to collect drafts and things and carry wallets attached to chains?” asked Dick, with Interest. “Just that,” said the father dryly. “It will be a novel experience for you to have about you any money that Is chained. I trust the sensation will Inculcate lessons of Industry and prudence. There Is some collecting to be done that Is not from banks—from Hiram Pettis, for Instance. He owes $200,000 that he won't pay. See what you can do with that” "Why, I thought that old Pettis was good for millions,” cried Dick wonderingly. “So he Is—when he wants to pay. The trouble Is that in this instance he thinks that he has been badly treated by the bank, and he says we can wait his pleasure. We don’t want to sue, so I guess that you bad better go after him. That will keep you busy for awhile.” “I’ll run over to his office right away!” cried Dick alertly. “I guess It won’t take long to get that out of him.” "Wait and see before you brag,” warned Peter. “Anyway, don’t go to Us office. This is a personal matter, and you want to go to his bouse. Pettis is a crank about keeping bis personal affairs out of the office of Pettis, Pinkerton & Permain. You might run up this evening.” Dick nodded, and, after some talk about other business matters, he left the bank firmly convinced that his new life was not going to be so bad after all. - On leaving college he had asked that he might have a couple of years in which to travel, but Instead be swung to athletics. Thus four years had passed while he was acquiring a case of trophies, and he was now content to begin his business training. He had rather dreaded that beginning, for his father, though just, was strict, and his son knew that it meant starting at the bottom. It was rather good fun to be sent after Hiram Petals. Dick bad never met the eccentric old milllanaire, for he had mixed little with society while in training, and, on the other hand. Pettis was breaking into society on his daughter’s account Dick had heard many odd tales of the old man, and he thought it would be more or less of a lark to camp on his trail for awhile. He was even better content after his first visit, and he rather hoped that the collection would not be made quickly, for on that occasion he met Eleanor Pettis. She was Indeed good to look upon - ,■ a : He had not seen much of the women of his mother’s set. He had made athletics his hobby, and he had noticed women only at the track events. Then they formed merely a mass of brilliant •olor In the stands, and he thought of diem only In the plural. For the first time he now thought of

but one woman, and he mentally decld- , ed that Eleanor Pettis was the one woman worth while thinking of at aIL For her sake he took up his social duties. Hypocritically he pretended to himself that ft was merely for the sake of being able to meet Pettis without seeming to seek him. So it came about that be held only brief conversations with the old man about the collection and extended chats with Eleanor about themselves. She had become interested in the matter of the loan, and with most unfllial but feminine prejudice she sided with the younger man. It was she who told him of the projected trip abroad and suggested that perhaps the interests of the bank required that he follow. Dick was delighted with the suggestion, and to his greater delight his father approved. .“Keep ufter that old swindler until he pays up,” Peter Paulding growled. “I have made good to the bank myself, and I’ll keep after him and get it if I have to sue his executors. Follow him to the norths pole if he wants to go there.” Dick nodded and withdrew, and when the ocean liner carried Hiram Pettis to Europe Dick was a fellow passenger. As in duty bound, he reminded Pettis every morning of his Just debt. The rest of the day he spent on deck with Eleanor, and each day he grew more firmly convinced that breaking into business was an entirely delightful process. , During the return trip some three months later he mustered up courage to propose to Eleanor. “I suppose that It will be hard to persuade our fathers to be friends,” she said when they came back to earth again. “I don’t know bow we ever shall be able to do it, Dick.” “Leave that to me,” he said confidently. “You forget that I am a bus! ness man now, and these little problems in diplomacy are the things 1 have to meet. Do you think that we want a house or an apartment in some hotel? We may have to take to a flat, for that matter, in case dad proves nasty.” “As long as it is with you, dear,” was the tender reply, and again earth faded Into visions of paradise. A week later Dick came into his father’s bank and laid upon the desk a package of thousand dollar bills. “Why didn't Pettis give you a check?” demauded the elder Paulding. “You said that I might make some slight concessions and left the amount to my Judgment,” reminded Dick. “I told him that if he would pay you would not gloat over the fact and that you would not even mention the matter again. He is paying in specie so that the check will not remind him of his surrender.” “1 see,” was the grim comment “Anything else?” “Only that 1 am to be married next month,” was the calm response. “You see, Eleanor—Miss Pettis—and 1 cams to know each other very well and—well, you can't know Eleanor without loving her. I want you to meet her.” Apparently the prediction was a truthful one, for Peter Paulding regarded his daughter-in-law elect with approval, and the marriage was quickly arranged. Dick wondered when among the pres ents he saw a sealed envelope on which was written the injunction that it was not to be opened until after the wedding. Not until they were comfortably installed in Pettis’ private car on their wedding journey did Dick think of the letter. As he unfolded the sheet three slips of colored paper fluttered to the floor of the car, and Eleanor gave a little cry as she picked them up. Dick was too deep in the letter to realize that he had dropped anything, for he found it interesting reading. “Dear Dick.” it ran, “I am inclosing you your own check for the money that Pettis owed. Pettis and I are each adding a like amount to get you young people started. We feel rather proud of our matchmaking. If we had been a couple of ambitious mothers we might have made the error of trying to force you two to marry. “Instead we invented this debt of $200,000 and gave It to you to collect. That brought you and Eleanor together, and the trip abroad was for the purpose of bringing things to a bead I guess that we are able to bent out any of the matchmaking hens that ever mussed things up. It was all I could do to keep from laughing in your face when you gave me your own money and told me it was from Pettis, so that I would consent to your marriage. I’m telling you this so you’ll have something to laugh over on your honeymoon.” “And we thought that we were fooling them all the time—the mean things!” cried Eleanor. “Mean!” cried Dick reproachfully. “When they brought us together?” “But we thought our plan was so tactful,” she pouted. “It was to show that you had been broken into business.” “I guess I haven’t even commenced,* admitted Dick. “But I’ve some one to work for now. You watch me!” The tender leaves of a harmless lung-healing mountainous shrub, give Dr. Shoop’s Cough Remedy its marvelous curative properties. Tight, tickling, or distressing coughs, quickly yield to the healing, soothing action of this splendid prescription—Dr. Shoop’s Cough Remedy. And it is so safe and good for children, as well. Containing no opium, chloroform, or other harmful drugs, mothers should in safety always demand Dr. Shoop’s. If other remedies are offered, tell them No! Be your own judge! Sold by All Dealers. The Princess 5-Cent Theater is drawing good crowds, and puts up a nice entertainment.

HE REMINDED PETTIS EVERY MORNING OF BIS JUST DEBT.