m:mi:m\:m\m 3 V>— . . ^— «-■> I •— ■' It ^Vfc£i t= OS ££ -«- — 1879. BANKING HOUSE GEORGE P. BISSELL & CO., DEALERS IN SAFE EIGHT PER CENT. BONDS, GOVERNMENT SECURITIES, AND FIRST-CLASS INVESTMENTS. Established in 1854, and conducted on the Safe Principles which govern the soundest and most conservative hankers of the United States and England. HARTFORD, CONN., U. S. A. GEO. P. BISSELL & CO. P.EG LEAVE THANKFULLY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COURTESY OF MR. J. T. TROWBRIDGE IN PERMITTING THEM TO REPRINT "COUPON BONDS," FROM THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY. TRESS OF M. H. MALLORY & CO., 47 Lafayette Place, NEW YOK1C. COUPON BONDS. PART I. On a certain mild March evening, A. D. 1864, The title of t-v 1 ■ 1 • • • *h* s story sug- the Ducklow kitchen had a general air of waiting „„i,„,„„„„n,. => gests at once the for somebody. Mrs. Ducklow sat knitting by the Coupon Bonds ,. , . , , , , . sold by Geo. P. light of a kerosene lamp, but paused ever and anon, Bisse jj & Co neglecting her stocking, and knitting her brows in- Bankers, Hart- ... c ■ t rr,, ford, Conn., to stead, with an aspect of anxious listening. ihe .. . - ... r 6 which further old gray cat, coiled up on a cushion at her side, attention will be purring in her sleep, purred and slept as if she r & ' r * story progress- knew perfectly well who was coming soon to occupy es. that chair, and meant to make the most of it. The old-fashioned clock, perched upon the high mantel-piece of the low-studded room, ticked away lonesomely, as clocks only tick when somebody is waited for who does not come. Even the tea-kettle on the stove seemed to be in the secret, for it simmered and sang after the manner of a wise old tea-kettle fully conscious of the importance of its mission. The side-table, which was simply a leaf on hinges fixed in the wall, and looked like an apron when it was down, giving to that side of the kitchen a curious resemblance to Mrs. Ducklow, and rested on one arm when it was up, in which position it reminded you more of Mr. Ducklow leaning his chin on his hand — the side-table was set with a single plate, knife and fork, and cup and saucer, indicating that the person waited for was expected to partake of refreshments. Behind the stairway-door was a small boy kicking ofF a very small pair of trousers with a degree of reluctance which showed that he also wished to sit up and wait for somebody. "Say, ma, need I go to bed now!" he exclaimed rather than inquired, starting to pull on the trousers again after he had got one For Invest- ' e g free. "He'll want me to hold the lantern for ments, Bonds, him to take care of the noss /' Stocks, and Commercial Pa- " ^» T °i no > Taddy," for that was the boy's name per; Letters of ( s hort for Thaddeus), " you'll only be in the way, if Credit for for- eign Travel is- VOu set U P- Besides, I want to mend your pants." sued by Drexel, "You're always wantin' to mend my pants!" Morgan & Co., and by Brown complained the youngster, who seemed to think that Brothers & Co., j t was D y no means to do him a favor, but rather to our New York Correspondents; afford herself a gloating pleasure, that Mrs. Duck- Deposits; or for j OWj wu0 ] uu i a mania for patching, required the any other Bank- . ing Business garment to be delivered up to her. I wish there write to Geo. P. wasn't such a thing as pants in the world ! " Bissell & Co., ■ Bankers Hart- C * at wa 7> a ' ter a 'l the trouble and ford, Conn. expense we've been to clothe ye!" said the good woman, reprovingly. " Where would you be now, if it wasn't for me and yer Pa Ducklow?" "I shouldn't be going to bed when I don't want to!" he mut- tered, just loud enough to be heard. "You ungrateful child!" said Mrs. Ducklow, not without reason, for Taddy knew very well — at least he was reminded of the fact often enough — that he owed to them his home and all its com- forts. "Wouldn't be going to bed when you don't want to! You wouldn't be going to bed when you want to, more likely ; for ten to 6 * one you wouldn't have a bed to go to. Think of the sitewation you was in when we adopted ye, and then talk that way ! " As this was an unanswerable argument, Taddy contented him- self with thrusting a hand into his trousers and recklessly increasing the area of the forthcoming patch. " If she likes to mend so well, let her ! " thought he. "Taddy, are you tearing them pants?" cried Mrs. Ducklow sharply, hearing a sound alarmingly suggestive of cracking threads. ESTABLISHED 1854 BANKING HOUSE OF George P. Bissell & Co. The undersigned are associated as Bankers in Hartford, Conn., under the name and style of GEO. P. BISSELL & CO., having an office of Discount and Deposit, and General Banking Business, at 307 Main Street, Hartford, Conn. They give their attention to furnishing safe investments for large or small amounts, the discounting and negotiation of Commercial Paper and Loans, making collections in all parts of the country, and buying and selling Exchange, Coin, and Drafts on Europe. They will effect purchases and sales of Government Stocks, Bank Stocks, Railroad Shares and Bonds, and all other "I was pul 1 in* 'em off," said Taddy. " I never see such mean * cloth ! can't touch it, but it has to tear. — Say, ma, do ye think he'll bring me home a drum?" For Invest- "You'll know in the morning." ments, Bonds, .< T wam to know to _ n!ght . H e said mabbv he Stocks, and Commercial Pa- would. Say, can't I set up?" per; Letters of «. j«|] i et you ] cnow whether you can set up, Credit for for- J r> eign Travel is- after you've been told so many times ! " sued by Drexel, g sa yj n g, Mrs. Ducklow rose from her chair, Morgan & Co., and by Brown l a 'd down her knitting-work, and started for the Brothers & Co., stairway-door with great energy and a rattan. But our New York Correspondents; Taddy, who perceived retribution approaching, did Deposits; or for not see fi t to wa ; t f or j t- H e d arte d up the stairs any other Bank- ing Business an " crept into his bunk with the lightness and write to Geo. P. agility of a squirrel. Bissell & Co., Bankers Hart- "I'm a-bed ! Say, ma, I'm a-bed ! " he cried, ford, Conn. eager to save the excellent lady the trouble of ascending the stairs. " I'm 'most asleep a'ready !" " It's a good thing for you you be !" said Mrs. Ducklow, gather- ing up the garment he had left behind the door. " Why, Taddy, Stocks, Bonds, and Securities. Their facilities for buying and selling on commission at the New York Board are unsurpassed. They will also act as agents for parties abroad, in the col- lection and payment of interest and dividends, and in the transaction of any Banking or Brokerage business. They receive deposits, and allow interest from the date of the deposit. The undersigned here had a long and successful experience in 8 how you did tear it ! I've a good notion to give ye a smart trounc- ing now ! " Taddy began to snore, and Mrs. Ducklow concluded she would not wake him. "It is mean cloth, as he says !" she exclaimed, examining it by the kerosene lamp. " For mv part, I consider it a G eo - p - Bissell . , . , , , , . . ,, & Co. 's Real Es- great misfortin that shoddv was ever invented. \ e tate g cent. can't buy any sort of a ready-made garment for boys Bonds are made , , . . ,, "to order," now-days but it comes to pieces at the least wear or strong an d re ii_ strain, like so much brown paper." able - She was shaping the necessary patch, when the sound of wheels coming into the yard told her that the person so long waited for had arrived. "That you?" said she, opening the kitchen door and looking out into the darkness. " Yes," replied a man's voice. " Ye want the lantern ? " "No; jest set the lamp in the winder, and I guess I can git along. Whoa!" And the man jumped to the ground. " Had good luck? " the woman inquired in a low voice. Banking, and they intend, in conducting their business, to exercise the utmost prudence and caution, so that their house shall rank second to no Private Banking establishment, Joint Stock Bank, Trust Company, or Savings-Bank, in the country for soundness and stability. GEORGE P. BISSELL, ALBERT H. OLMSTED. VW For SPECIAL arid VALUABLE informa- tion about SAFE INVESTMENTS, see page 23, and following pages. " I'll tell you when I come in," was the evasive answer. " Has he bought me a drum ? " bawled Taddy from the chamber- stairs. For Invest- " Do you want me to come up there and 'tend to ments, Bonds, ? „ demanded Mrs . Ducklow. Stocks, and Commercial Pa- The boy was not particularly ambitious of en- per; Letters of joying that honor. Credit for for- ' J ° eign Travel is- " You be still, and go to sleep, then, or you'll sued by Drexel, g[i dnl//n!tcd ,<< Morgan & Co., and by Brown And she latched the stairway-door, greatly to Brothers & Co., ^ disma of Master Taddy, who felt that some our New York Correspondents; vast and momentous secret was being kept from eposits ; or or n ; mi Overhearing whispered conferences between any other Bank- ing Business, his adopted parents in the morning, noticing also wn e o eo. . ^ cautious glances they cast at him, and the per- Bissell & Co., 6 " * Bankers, Hart- sistency with which they repeatedly sent him away ford, Conn. out Q j- s jg nt on s ijg nt and absurd pretences, he had gathered a fact and drawn an inference, namely, that a great pur- chase was to be made by Mr. Ducklow that day in town, and that, Our Terms for Receiving Deposits. We offer the following advantages to all who open accounts with us : i st. We receive any sum, from fifty dollars upward. 2d. We PAY INTEREST from the DATE of DE- POSITS till the DATE of WITHDRAWAL. This IS A GREAT ADVANTAGE OVER THE SYSTEM OF QUARTER- DAYS ADOPTED BY SAVINGS-BANKS, BY WHICH DEPOSITORS LOSE THE INTEREST ON ALL MONEY DRAWN BETWEEN THE quarter-days. We give them the whole interest. 10 on his return, he (Taddy) was to be surprised by the presentation of what he had long coveted and teased for — a new drum. To lie quietly in bed under such circumstances was an act that required more self-control than Master Taddy possessed. Ac- cordingly he stole down stairs and listened, feeling sure that if the drum should come in, Mrs. Ducklow, and perhaps Mr. Ducklow himself, would be unable to resist the temptation of thumping it softly to try its sound. Mrs. Ducklow was busy taking her husband's supper out of the oven, where it had been keeping warm for him, pouring hot water into the teapot, and giving the last touches to the table. Then came the familiar grating noise of a boot on the scraper. Mrs. Ducklow stepped quickly to open the door for Mr. Ducklow. Taddy, well aware that he was committing an indiscretion, but inspired by the wild hope of seeing a new drum come into the kitchen, ventured to unlatch the stairway-door, open it a crack, and peep. Mr. Ducklow entered, bringing a number of parcels, containing purchases from the stores, but no drum visible to Taddy. "Did you buy?" whispered Mrs. Ducklow, Buy Real Es " tate Bonds pay- relieving him of his load. ing 8 per cent. Mr. Ducklow pointed mysteriously at the stair- ofGeo. P.Bissell 3 & Co., Hartford, way-door, lifting his eyebrows interrogatively. Conn. "Taddy?" said Mrs. Ducklow. "Oh, he's abed — though I 3d. We add the interest to the principal on the 1st days of May and November. 4th. We allow interest, at a rate which may be agreed upon, on the current accounts of Merchants, Manufacturers, Contractors, Town Officers, Administrators of Estates, and others whose funds are active, receiving the money in large never in my life had such a time to git him off out of the way ; for he'd somehow got possessed with the idee that you was to buy For Invest- something, and he wanted to set up and see what it ments, Bonds, >■ Stocks, and Commercial Pa- " Strange how children will ketch things some- per ; Letters of times best e can do to prev ent ! " said Mr. Duck- Credit for for- J ' eign Travel is- low. sued by Drexel, « But did ye buy ? " Morgan & Co., and by Brown " You better jest take them matches and put Brothers & Co., . em out Q . t | ie w fust t hi n g -fore ye forgit it. our New York ' 6 & Correspondents; Matches arc dangerous to have layin' around, and I Deposits; or for neyer feel safe jjjj ^ , fe gafe .. any other Bank- ing Business, And Mr. Ducklow hung up his hat, and laid write to Geo. P. j^g over coat across a chair in the next room, with Bissell & Co., Bankers, Hart- a carefulness and deliberation exhausting to the ford, Conn. patience of good Mrs. Ducklow, and no less trying to that of Master Taddy, who was waiting to hear the important question answered. or small sums, and paying it out on checks, without notice — just as the account would be kept at a Bank — allowing interest on daily balances. On less active accounts, where the rate of interest allowed is higher than on active accounts, we reserve the right to require three months' notice of with- drawal, just as the Savings-Banks do; but in twenty-five years' business we never, in any instance, required such notice. 5 th. We conduct our business upon the safe principles which govern the best Savings-Banks ; and at the same time we have adopted all the improvements in Banking which have been " Come ! " said she, after hastily disposing of the matches, "what's the use of keeping me in suspense? Did ye buy?" "Where did ye put 'em?" asked Mr. Ducklow, taking down the bootjack. For Invest- "In the little tin pail, where we always keep ™ eais < Bonds v ' J . r Stocks, and 'em, of course! Where should I put 'em?" Commercial Pa- "You needn't be cross! I asked 'cause I P"; Letters of Credit for For- didn't hear ye put the cover on. I don't believe eign Travel is- ye did put the cover on, either ; and I sha'n't be sued ^ Drexel, J Morgan & Co., easy till ye do!" and by Brown Mrs. Ducklow returned to the pantry ; and her Brothers & Co., our New York husband, pausing a moment, leaning over a chair, Correspondents; heard the cover go on the tin pail with a click and De P oslts ; or for any other Bank- a clatter which betrayed that, if ever there was ing Business, an angry and impatient cover, that was. wn e ° ' ° } v ' Bissell & Co., "Anybody been here to-day?" Mr. Ducklow Bankers, Hart- inquired, pressing the heel of his right boot in * Conn - the jack, and steadying the toe under a round of the chair. "No!" replied Mrs. Ducklow. " Ye been anywhere ? " adopted in the largest Banks and Banking Offices in New York and other cities ; we are thus enabled to give facilities and extend a liberality to our customers which incorporated institutions cannot do. Another great advantage which we offer lies in the fact that we have no board of directors before whom the business affairs of our customers have to pass, and no stockholders, who, with the directors, have a right to examine the accounts of our depositors and dealers. We have but two partners, to whom alone the transactions 13 "Yes!" "Where?" mildly inquired Mr. Ducklow. "No matter!" said Mrs. Ducklow, with decided ill-temper. Mr. Ducklow drew a deep sigh, as he turned and looked upon her. "Wal, you be about the most uncomftable woman ever I see!" he said, with a dark and dissatisfied countenance. All questions " ^ vou can 't answer my question, I don't relating to Real sce w hy I need take the trouble to answer yours," Estate Bonds and other In- — anc ^ Mrs. Ducklow returned with compressed vestments cheer- lip S to her patching. " Yer supper is ready; ye fully answered by letter or in can eat lt when >' e P lease - person by Geo. " I W as answerin' your question as fast as I P. Bissell & Co. , „ . ■ , could, said her husband, in a tone of excessive mildness, full of sorrow and discouragement. "I haven't seen any signs of your answering it!" And the housewife's fingers stitched away energetically at the patch. " Wal, wal ! ye don't see everything." Mr. Ducklow, having already removed one boot, gently drew on the other. As it came off, something fell out on the floor. with our house are known, and we make no reports of any kind to anybody. We consider ourselves the confidential financial agents of our customers, and their affairs are never the subject of remarks or criticism. 6th. Our customers who may desire information concern- ing Stocks and Bonds of any kind, or who may wish to be posted upon any matters in our line, may feel at liberty to write us at any time making such inquiries, and we will take great pleasure in giving all the information in our power. 14 lie picked it up, and with a triumphant smile handed it to Mrs. Ducklow. "Oh, indeed! Is this the " She was radiant. Her hands dropped their work and opened the package, which consisted of a large, unsealed envelope and folded papers within. These she unfolded and examined with beaming satisfaction. " But what made ye carry 'em in yer boots so ? " " To tell the truth," said Mr. Ducklow, in a suppressed voice, " 1 was afraid o' bein' robbed. I never was so Geo. P. Bissell afraid o' bein' robbed in my life ! So, iest as I s per J cent.Real Estate got clear o' the town, I took it out o' my pocket" Bonds are safe (meaning, not the town, but the envelope, contain- to carrv in y° ur pocket, or to send ing the papers), " an' tucked it down my boot-leg. by Registered Then, all the way home I was scaret when I was Ma " anywhere. ridin' alone, an' still more scaret when I heard anybody comin' after me. You see, it's jest like so much money." And he arranged the window-curtain in a manner to prevent the sharpest-eyed burglar from peeping in and catching a glimpse of the papers. 7th. Our Capital is Ample, and we have been established in Hartford, as Bankers, more than twenty- five years; and although during that time there have been seasons of great financial disaster to the country (particularly in 1857, i860, and 1873), we have conducted our business with such prudence and caution that we have met with no reverses, even in the worst panics in the money- market, and at no time have the interests of our depositors been jeopardized. (See page 20). *5 He neglected to secure the stairway-door, however. There, in his hiding-place behind it, stood Taddy, shivering in his shirt, but peeping and listening in a fever of curiosity which nothing could chill. His position was such that he could not see Mr. Ducklow or the documents, and his mind was left free to revel in the most dar- ing fancies regarding the wonderful purchase. He had not yet fully The City of Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana, is situated in the geographical centre of the State, and about equidistant — from 200 to 260 miles — from Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Chicago ; is in the centre of the finest agricultural district, and is the largest strictly inland city in America. Its population in 1850 was over 8,000, in i860 over 18,000, in 1870 over 50,000, and is to-day about 100,000. The city has twelve completed rail- roads, and one union passenger depot, in which more trains enter and depart per year than in any other depot in the world. The coal deposits in the State cover one-fifth of its territory, embracing over four million acres, and are reached from the city by four trunk lines of railroad. The commercial transactions of the city amount to over thirty millions per annum, and the manufactured products to over twenty-five millions per annum. The value of tax- able property, which was less than two millions in 1850, is now about sixty-five million dollars. The total indebtedness of the city is only about two million dollars, and the total taxation of property for city, county, school, and State pur- poses is only z\ per cent. ib given up the idea of a new drum, although the image, which vaguely shaped itself in his mind, of Mr. Ducklow Gold Coupons '•tucking it down his boot-leg," presented diffi- casned and b Bt r Bonds bought at culties. the Banking Of- "This is the bond, you see," Mr. Ducklow ex- fice of Geo - p - Bissell&Co.,307 plained ; " and all these little things that fill out the Main St., Hart- sheet are the cowpons. You have only to cut off " )rd > Conn. The city is laid off with magnificent wide avenues, the main business thoroughfare being 120 feet wide, and the other streets and the four avenues, running from the centre to the four corners of the city, being 90 feet wide, with handsome growth of forest trees on either side, which pro- vision gives the city the appearance and comfort of a mag- nificent park, and renders sweeping conflagrations next to impossible. There is not a more healthy and delightful city in the Union, and none having a better established or better endowed system of public schools. There are six National banks in the city, with a capital stock of $2,500,000 and deposits of $3,000,000, and ten private banks, with a capital stock of $1,840,000 and deposits of $3,900,000, with a clearing-house which showed a business last year of $57,000,000. As a receiving and packing point for hogs the city stands fourth in the Union, having reached as high as 350,000 head of hogs in one season ; and as a point of summer packing, only one city, Chicago, leads her. One of her packing- 17 one o' these, take it to the bank when it is due, and draw the interest on it in gold!" "But suppose you lose the bonds?" queried Mrs. Ducklow, regarding, not without awe, the destructible paper representatives of so much property. "That's what I've been thinkin' of ; that's what's made me so houses is the largest in the world, and four of them are as complete and perfect as can be found anywhere. As a receiving and shipping point for grain the city now stands fourth on the list, and must at no distant day stand next to Chicago. The receipts last year of corn were 11,745,000 bushels, of barley 327,600 bushels, of oats 2,107,800 bushels, of wheat 2,000,000, and of rye 472,000 bushels, all of which was handled by three elevators, which are well conducted and handle grain at less cost than do those of other cities. The wholesale and jobbing trade of the city last year amounted to about $15,000,000. The city being so accessi- ble to the coal fields, is one of the best points in the West for iron manufacturing, and already that branch of the trade is well established. The city being in the heart of the hard-timber district of the Ohio and Mississippi valley, is already a leading point for manufactories in that line, one carriage-wheel factory now doing a business of $450,000 per year, another of shafts, felloes, etc., $200,000 ; one sewing-machine cabinet work, $250,000; one chair company, $125,000; one of staves and 18 narvous ! I supposed 'twould be like so much railroad stock, good for nothin' to nobody but the owner, and somethin' that could be replaced if I lost it. But the man to the bank said no — 'twas like so much currency, and I must look out for it. That's what filled all the bushes with robbers as I come along the road. And I tell heading, $400,000 ; one of boxes, $150,000; and there is in all about fifty wood-working establishments furnishing employment to thousands of men, and producing manu- factured goods to the value of about ten millions of dollars, while the hard lumber shipped from the city in the rough amounts to about five millions of dollars per year. One of the most important commercial enterprises to the city is the Union Stockyards and Belt Railroad. The capital invested is about $500,000 ; the capacity is ample, and the construction of the most substantial. While they have only just been opened, the receipts and shipments of stock are now running at the rate of over 100,000 head per month. The tide of shipment from the South-west to the East has scarcely opened, but when it is known that about 200 miles in distance can be saved, and equal accommodations can be had by coming to the yards in this city instead of going to Chicago, it is believed that the yards here will be patronized by all shippers south of a line with St. Louis. These are only a few of the advantages possessed by Indianapolis, and which must furnish great recuperative power, and at no dis- tant day place her in close competition with the leading cities of the West. 19 ve, 'twas a relief to feel I'd got safe home at last ; though I don't see now how we're to keep the plaguy things so we sha'n't feel uneasy about 'em." "Nor I neither!" exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow, turning pale. If Geo. P. Bis- •• Suppose the house should take fire ! or burglars sell &Co's Bonds , , , , , . . r , , .„i,ct n rK„,„ should break in! I don t wonder you was so are lost or burn- J ed, simply notify particular about the matches! Dear me! I shall them at their of- ,. , . , , , T , . . . , , c J..I. -ii be frightened to death I d no idee twas to be fice and they will s stop payment, such dangerous property! I shall be thinking They are Bur- , , ,, . . ,,. , , , , ,, , %, r j of fires and burglars ! — O-h-h-h ! glar-Proof and ° Fire-Proof. The terrified woman uttered a wild scream ; for just then a door suddenly flew open, and there burst into the room a frightful object, making a headlong plunge at the precious papers. Mr. Ducklow sprang back against the table set for his supper with a force that made everything jar. Then he sprang forward again, instinctively reaching to grasp and save from plunder the coupon bonds. But by this time both he and his wife had become aware of the nature of the intrusion. "Thaddeus!" ejaculated the lady. "How came you here? Get up ! Give an account of yourself!" Taddy, whose abrupt appearance in the room had been alto- gether involuntary, was quite innocent of any predator)- designs. The fundamental rule of our house, and one to which we always adhere, is to steer clear of all speculation. In the twenty-five years of our history we have lived up to this mark, and the result has been not only our own steadily increasing prosperity and accumulation of capital in our business, but the growing confidence of our numerous cus- tomers and of the public at large. Leaning forward farther and farther, in the ardor of discovery, he had, when too late to save himself, experienced the phenomenon of losing his balance, and pitched from the stairway into the kitchen with a violence that threw the door back against the wall with a bang, and laid him out, a sprawling figure, in For Invest- scanty, ghostly apparel, on the floor! ments, Bonds, Stocks, and "What ye want? What ye here for?" sternly Commercial Pa- demanded Mr. Ducklow, snatching him up by one P er ' Letters of Credit for For- arm, and shaking him. e i gn Travel is- " Don't know," faltered the luckless youngster, sued b y Drexel . Morgan & Co., speaking the truth for once in his life. " Fell." ant j ^y Brown "Fell! How did you come to fall? What Brothers & Co., our New York are you out o' bed for?" Correspondents; "Don't know" — snivelling and rubbing his Deposits, or for any other Bank- eyes. "Didnt know I was. ing Business, "Got up without knowing it ! That's a likely write to Geo. P. ,, ., ., . ^„ Bissell & Co., story! How could that happen you, sir? said Bankers Hart- Mrs. Ducklow. ford, Conn. " Don't know, 'thout 'twas I got up in my sleep," said Taddy, who had on rare occasions been known to indulge in moderate somnambulism. "In your sleep!" said Mr. Ducklow, incredulously. We deal only in first-class, safe, and well-known securities, and we let all others alone. U. S. Securities a Specialty. Our facilities are such, and we have such large trans- actions with the Government, and with dealers in New York, that we are able to give as good terms to our cus- tomers at our office in Hartford as they can get in New " I guess so. I was dreamin' you brought me home a new drum — tucked down yer — boot-leg," faltered Taddy. "Strange!" said Mr. Ducklow, with a glance at his wife; " but how could I bring a drum in my boot-leg?" For Invest- " Don't know, 'thout it's a new kind, one ments, Bonds, tha f R shct up » Stocks, and Commercial Pa- Taddy looked eagerly round, but saw nothing per; Letters of ncw or interesting, except some curious-looking Credit for For- eign Travel is- Papers which Mrs. Ducklow was hastily tucking sued by Drexel, into an envelope. Morgan & Co., and by Brown " Sa )'> did 7 e > P a? " Brothers & Co., " Did I? Of course I didn't! What non- our New York Correspondents- sense! But how came ye down here? Speak the Deposits, or for truth ' " any other Bank- ing Business " ^ dreamt you was blowin' it up, and I sprung write to Geo. P. to ketch it, when, fust I knowed, I was on the Bissell & Co., Bankers Hart- fl° or > ''^ e a thousan' o' brick ! 'Mos broke my ford, Conn. knee-pans!" whimpered Taddy. "Say, didn't ye bring me home nothin'? What's them things?" "Nothin' little boys know anything about. Now run back to bed again. I forgot to buy you a drum to-day, but I'll git ye somethin' next time I go to town — if I think on't." York, in the purchase and sale of United States securities, and all other Stocks and Bonds. Coin and U. S. Coupons PURCHASED AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PREMIUM. Buying and Selling Stocks and Bonds. Our facilities for buying and selling Stocks and Bonds at 22 "So ye always say, but ye never think on't!" complained Taddv. "There, there! Somebody's comin' ! What a lookin' object you are, to be seen by visitors!" For Invest- There was a knock. Taddv disappeared. Mr. ments, Bonds, Stocks, and Ducklow turned anxiously to his wife, who was Commercial Pa- hastily hiding the bonds in her palpitating bosom. per ' e ers ° ■* r r a Credit for For- " Who can it be this time o' night?" eign Travel is- "Sakes alive!" said Mrs. Ducklow, in whose sued by Drexel . Morgan & Co., mind burglars were uppermost, " I wish, whoever and by Brown 'tis, they'd keep away ! Go to the door," she Brothers & Co -> our New York whispered, resuming her work. Correspondents; Mr. Ducklow complied ; and, as the visitor Deposits, or for any other Bank- entered, there she sat plying her needle as in- ing Business, dustriously and demurely as though neither bonds wnte to Geo - "• 1 ■ Bissell & Co., nor burglars had ever been heard of in that remote Bankers, Hart- rural district. ford - Conn - " Ah, Miss Beswick, walk in ! " said Mr. Ducklow. A tall, spare, somewhat prim-looking female of middle age, with a shawl over her head, entered, nodding a curt and precise good-evening, first to Mr. Ducklow, then to his wife. "What, that you?" said Mrs. Ducklow, with curiosity and sufr- the Brokers' Board in New York, Boston, Hartford, and other cities, are unsurpassed. Our correspondents in the large cities are of the most reliable character. INVESTMENTS. We deal largely in all kinds of first-class Stocks, Bonds, and Securities ; and persons wishing to make investments, 23 prise. "Where on 'arth did you come from? Set her a chair, why don't ye, father?" Mr. Ducklow, who was busy slipping his feet into a pair of old shoes, hastened to comply with the hospitable sugges- tion. " I've only jest got home," said he, apologetically, as if fearful lest the fact of his being caught in his stocking-feet should create suspicions; so absurdly careful of appearances some people become Call on Geo. P. when they have anything to conceal. "Jest had Bissell & Co. t j me (0 k j ck nn - boots off, vou see. Take a seat." any time be- tween 9 A. M. " Thank ye. I s'pose you'll think I'm wild, and 4 P. M. if makin > calls at this hour!" you want first- class Invest- And Miss Beswick seated herself, with an ments, or wish an cr u i ai - movement, and held herself prim and to do any busi- ness connected erect in the chair. with Banking. "Why, no, I don't," said Mrs. Ducklow civilly; while at the same time she did think it very extraordinary and unwarrantable conduct on the part of her neighbor to be walking the streets and entering the dwellings of honest people, alone, after eight o'clock, on a dark night. " You're jest in time to set up an' take a cup o' tea with my husband;" an invitation she knew would not be accepted, and cither temporarily or for a term of years, will find at our office, at all times, a large assortment from which to make a selection. We particularly recommend the EIGHT PER CENT. REAL ESTATE BONDS which we offer, based upon first mortgages on first-class property in Cities not far West. which she pressed accordingly. " Ye better, Miss Beswick, if only to keep him company. Take off yer things, wont ye?" " No, I don't go a-visitin', to take off my things and drink tea, this time o' night ! " Miss Beswick condescended, however, to throw back the shawl from her head, exposing to view a long, sinewy For Invest- neck, the strong lines of which ran up into her ™ cnts . Bonds - 6 ' Stocks, and cheeks, and ramified into wrinkles, giving severity Commercial Pa- to her features. At the same time emerged from per; Letters of Credit for For- the fold of the garment, as it were, a knob, a high, eign Travel is- bare poll, so lofty and narrow, and destitute of sued by Drexel > Morgan & Co., the usual ornament, natural or false, that you in- and by Brown voluntarily looked twice to assure yourself that it Brothers & Co., our New York was really that lovely and adorable object, a female Correspondents; head. Deposits, or for any other Bank- " I've jest run over to tell you the news," said j n g Business, Miss Beswick. write to Geo. P. Bissell & Co., "Nothing bad, I hope?" said Mrs. Ducklow. Hankers, Hart- "No robbers in town? for mass}- sake!" And ford > Conn- Mrs. Ducklow r laid her hand on her bosom, to make sure that the bonds were still there. " No, good news — good for Sophrony, at any rate ! " They are in the form of handsomely-printed Coupon Bonds, having ten years to run, Interest Coupons, payable semi-annually, Bonds and interest secured by trust deeds of first-class property, generally blocks of fine stores in such cities as Indianapolis, Forte Wayne, Terre Haute, Grand Rapids, Evansville, Des Moines, and other first-rate growing railroad centres. Loans in all cases are for less than the "Ah ! she has heard from Reuben?" "No!" The severity of the features was modified by a grim smile. "No!" and the little high knob of a head was shaken expressively. "What then?" Ducklow inquired. For Invest- "Reuben has come home!" The words were ments, Bonds, spo j cen triumphantly, and the keen gray eyes of Stocks, and r ' Commercial Pa- the elderly maiden twinkled. per; Letters of "Come home! home!" echoed both Duck- Credit for For- eign Travel is- lows at once, in great astonishment. sued by Drexel, Miss Beswick assure d them of the fact. Morgan & Co., and by Brown " My ! how you talk !" exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow. Brothers & Co., „ T never dreame(1 of such a When did he come ?" our New York Correspondents; " About an hour 'n' a half ago. I happened to Deposits, or for ^ e j Q tQ Sophrony's. I had jest gone over to set any other Bank- ing Business, a little while with her and keep her company — as write to Geo. P. T > ve f ten done, she seemed so lonely, livin' there Bissell & Co., Bankers, Hart- with her two children alone in the house, her ford, Conn. husband away so. Her friends ha'n't been none too attentive to her in his absence, she thinks — and so I think." "I — 1 hope vou don't mean that as a hint to us, Miss Beswick? - ' said Mrs. Ducklow. land alone is worth, and the buildings must be good blocks or tasteful dwellings, renting well, and well insured in solid companies. We have the property appraised, not by the friends and neighbors of the borrower, hut by our own agents and by Bankers, gentlemen of large experience, who are personal friends of ours and who have a reputation at stake which they will not jeopardize by over appraisement. 26 " You can take it as such, or not. jest as you please ! I leave it to your own consciences. You know best whether you have done your duty to Sophrony and her family whilst her husband has been off to the war; and I sha'n't set myself up for a judge. You never had any boys of your own, and so you adopted p or in vest- Reuben, jest as vou have latelv adopted Thaddeus; ments > Bonds, Stocks, and and I s'pose you think you've done well by him, Commercial Pa- jest as vou think vou will do bv Thaddeus, if he's P er • Letters of Credit for For- a good boy, and stays with you till he s twenty-one." e j Kn Travel is- " I hope no one thinks or says the contrary, sued by Drexel, Morgan & Co., Miss Beswick ! said Mr. Ducklow, gravely, with and by Brown flushed face. Brothers & Co., our New York " There may be two opinions on that subject !" correspondents- said Miss Beswick, with a slight toss of the head, Deposits, or for any other Bank- setting that small and irregular spheroid at a still in Business loftier and more imposing altitude. " Reuben came write to Geo. P. , . ' ,, , , , Bissell & Co., to you when he was jest old enough to be of use Bankers Hart- about the house and on the farm ; and if I recollect ford, Conn. right, you didn't encourage idleness in him long. You didn't give his hands much chance to do 'some mischief still'! No, indeed; nobody can accuse you of that weakness!" And the skin of the wrinkled features tightened with a terrible grin. There is no safer investment than a Bond and Mortgage ; and a Bond and Mortgage, well selected, in any of the cities previously named, is as good as one in Boston or Hartford, besides paying better interest. We have sold this class of Bonds for the past twenty- three years. They have stood the test of panics, fires, and disasters, and we venture to say that the interest and prin- 27 " Nobody can say we ever overworked the boy, or ill used him in any way ! " exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow excitedly "No! /"don't say it ! Hut this I'll say, for I've had it in my mind ever since Sophrony was left alone — I couldn't help seein' and For Invest- feelin", and now you've set me a-talkin', I may as ments, Bonds, we jj S peak ou t. Reuben was always a good bov, Stocks, and Commercial Pa- anQ< a will in boy, as you yourselves must allow; per; Letters of aQ( j ]le p. lit j his way f rom t } ie fi rst /' Credit for For- eign Travel is- "I don't know about that!" interposed .Mr. sued by Drexel, Ducklow, taking up his knife and fork, and Morgan & Co., and by Brown dropping them again, in no little agitation. " He Brothers & Co., was a good and willin' bov, as you say ; but our New York " . . Correspondents; tae expense of clothin him and keepin him to Deposits, or for school " any other Bank- ing Business "He paid his way from the first! repeated write to Geo. P. Miss Beswick, sternlv. " You kept him to school Bissell & Co., . Bankers Hart- wmtcrs ' when he did more work fore and after ford, Conn. school than an\' other bov in town. He worked all the time summers ; and soon he was as good as a hired man to you. He never went to school a da}- after he was fifteen ; and from that time he was better 'n any hired man, for he was faithful, and took an interest, and looked after and took care of things, as cipal have been more promptly paid than on the same amount of Eastern mortgages held by any Savings-Banks in New England. They are confidently recommended as a solid, tried security to all who desire an absolutely safe investment. As we are receiving letters from all parts of the country and from abroad, inquiring about these Bonds, we give 28 no hired man ever would or could do, as I've heard you your- self say, Mr. Ducklow!" " Reuben was a good, faithful boy ; I never denied that ! I never denied that ! " " Well, he stayed with you till he was twenty-one — did ye a man's service for the last five or six years; then Always "set you giv' him what you called a settin' out — a new out" your boys, ) r ■ . an d g' r l s t00 > suit o clothes, a yoke of oxen, some farmin -tools, with some of and a hundred dollars in money ! You, with yer Geo. P. Bissell i , nr r% i , ■ . 1 • i Tiiii & Co.'s 8 per thousands, Mr. Ducklow, giv him a hundred dollars . Real Estate in money ! " Bonds. Nothing ,,~, , .... , , better can be had ihat was only a beginnin , only a begin- . ,. . „ J ■ ° to set up on nin', I've always said !" declared the red-flushed or to "go to , sleep on." farmer. " I know it ; and I s'pose you'll continner to say so till the day of yer death ! Then may-be you'll remember Reuben in yer will. That's the way ! Keep puttin' him off as long as you can possibly hold on to your property yourself — then, when you see you've got to go and leave it, give him what you ought to Ve gi'n him years before. There a'n't no merit in that kind o' justice, did ye know it, Mr. Ducklow ! I tell ye, what belongs to Reuben belongs to him now — not ten or twenty year hence, when you've done with it, and below such information, in a concise form, as occurs to us will be of value in deciding upon the merits of this security. ist. The Property. We never lend on farm-lands, or what is called "out property," of any kind. We take good central improved property, which in most cases is renting for more than the interest on the loan. -9 he most likely wont need it. A few hundred dollars now 11 be more useful to him than all your thousands will be by-and-by. After he left you he took the Moseley farm ; everybody respected him, everybody trusted him ; he was doin' well, everybody said ; For Invest- then he married Sophrony, and a good and faithful merits, Bonds, .,-,., , . , ,- ,, , , , , „.. , , wife she s been to him ; and finallv he concluded to Stocks, and Commercial Pa- buv the farm, which you yourself said was a good per ; Letters of . , . ....... !,..., „ idee, and encouraged him in t. Credit for For- ° eign Travel is- "So it was; Reuben used judgment in that, _ _ ' and he'd have got along well enough if 't hadn't Morgan & Co., ° and by Brown been for the war," said Mr. Ducklow ; while his Brothers & Co., . r . . _, . , . . .., „ , wife sat dumb, not daring to measure tongues with our New York Correspondents; their vigorous-minded and plain-speaking neighbor. Deposits, or for ., T , ,, . , -. r . t, . , .. Tr . , , .. r . ' , lest so ! said Miss Beswick. It it hadn t any other Bank- ing Business, been for the war! He had made his first pay- write to Geo. P. 1111. . ., .i_ _. ,, „ „ ments, and would have met the rest as thev came Bissell & Co., ' Bankers, Hart- due, no doubt of it. But the war broke out, and or ' onn- he left all to sarve his country. Says he, 'I'm an able-bodied man, and I ought to go,' says he. His business was as important, and his wife and children was as dear to him, as anybody's ; but he felt it his duty to go, and he went. They didn't give no such big bounties to volunteers then as they do 2d. How is it Appraised ? It is appraised by our own agents and attorneys, gentle- men of rare ability and extreme caution, who are resident in each city where we make loans, who are in our interest, and who are bound to value it as low as possible, so as to be on the safe side. Then we have their valuations reviewed by bank officers and others, who are our friends now, and it was a sacrifice to him every way when he enlisted. But says he, 'I'll jest do my duty,' says he, 'and trust to Provi- dence for the rest.' You didn't ^//Vcourage his goin' — and you didn't /^courage him, neither, the way you'd ought to." "My! what on 'arth, Miss Beswick ! Seems For Invest- to me you're takin' it upon yourself to say things ments > Bonds, Stocks, and that are uncalled for, to say the least ! I can't Commercial Pa- understand what should have sent you here, to tell P er ' Letters of Credit for For- me what's my business, and what a'n't, this fashion ! e j gn Travel is- As if I didn't know my own duty and intentions!" sued bv Drexel, Morgan & Co., And Mr. Ducklow poured his tea into his plate, and and by Brown buttered his bread with a teaspoon. Brothers & Co., our New York "I s'pose she's been talking with Sophrony, correspondents; and she has sent her to interfere." Deposits, or for any other Bank- "Mrs. Ducklow, you don't s'pose no such i nK Business thing ! You know Sophrony wouldn't send anybody write to Geo. P. _ , Bissell & Co., on such an arrant ; and you know I a n t a person Bankers Hart- to do such arrants, or be made a cat's-paw of by ford, Conn. anybody. I a'n't handsome, not partic'larly ; and I a'n't wuth my thousands, like some folks I know ; and I never got married, for the best reason in the world — them that offered themselves I wouldn't have, and them I would have had didn't offer themselves ; and and who must fully confirm the valuation of our agents, or we will not take the loan. Further, if desired at the time of purchasing the Bond, we give the purchaser a memorandum allowing him two months to make inquiries; and if in that time he finds that the property is over-valued, we will take back the Bond at par and accrued interest. We have given this privilege in very many cases, and never 31 I a'n't so good a Christian as I might be, I'm aware. I know my lacks as well as anybody ; but bein' a spy and a cat's-paw a'n't one of 'em. I don't do things sly and underhand ! If I've anything to say to anybody, I go right to 'em, and say it to their face — Don't wait to sometimes pcrty blunt, I allow. But I don't wait be sent, but come to be j*«/ by other folks. I've a mind u' my own, of your own ac. cord and exam- an d m . v own u ' av ° doin' things: that you know ine Geo. P. Bis- as we {[ as anvbodv. So, when you say vou s'pose sell & Co.'s Bonds. If you Sophrony or anybody else sent me here to mter- haven't a thou- f erc> j sav vou s 'p se what a'n't true, and what sand dollars they sometimes take }' ou know an ' 1 truc - Mrs - DucklOW ! partial pay- }[ rs Ducklow was annihilated ; and the visitor ments, or will pay you interest went on • on deposit. •• \s for you, Mr. Ducklow, I haven't said you don't know your own duty and intentions. I've no doubt you think you do, at any rate." " Very well ! then whv can't you leave me to do what I think 's my duty" Everybody ought to have that privi- lege." " You think so? " " Sartin, Miss Beswick ; don't you ? " " Why, then, /ought to have the same.'' yet had a Bond returned ;' and where inquiries have been made, the invariable report has been that the property was worth more than we stated it to be. 3d. Amount Loaned on Property. We lend an amount less than the land alone is worth. We require that fine buildings shall be upon the property, well insured in the best companies, thus (while we have "Of course; nobody in this house '11 prevent your doin' what you're satisfied 's your duty." "Thank ye ! much obleeged ! " said Miss Beswick, with gleam- ing, gristly features. "That's all I ask. Now I'm satisfied it's my duty to tell ye what I've been tellin' ye, and what I'm goin' to tell ye : that's my duty. And then it'll be your duty to do what you think's right. That's plain, a'n't it?" " Wal, wal !" said Mr. Ducklow, discomfited ; " I can't hender yer talkin' I s'pose ; though it seems a man ought to have a right to peace and quiet in his own house." "Yes, and in his own conscience too!" said Miss Beswick. "And if you'll hearken to me now, I promise you'll have peace and quiet in your conscience, and in your house too, such as you never have had yit. I s'pose you know your great fault, don't ye? Graspin' — that's your fault, that's your besettin' sin, Mr. Ducklow! You used to give it as an excuse for not helpin' Rich and poor Reuben more, that you had your daughter to pro- both profit by vide for. Well, your daughter has got married; investin S their savings in Geo. she married a rich man — you looked out for that, — p. Bissell&Co.'s and she's provided for, fur as property can provide per cent - eal v v ■ * Estate Bonds, for any one. Now, without a child in the world to feel anxious about, you keep layin' up and layin' up, and '11 good buildings well insured) we rely upon the value of the land at a low appraisement. 4th. Titles. We require in all cases full abstracts of titles, tracing the property back to the United States or State title, and con- tinuing down in unbroken succession. This abstract we have certified to by the clerks of courts and recorders 33 continner to lay up, I s'pose, till ye die, and leave a great fortin' to your daughter, that already has enough, and jest a pittance to Reuben and Thaddeus." " No, no, Miss Beswick ! you're wrong, you're wrong, Miss For Invest- Beswick! I mean to do the handsome thing by merits, Bonds, bmh Qn , em ,., Stocks, and Commercial Pa- " Mean to ! ye mean to ! That's the way ye per, etters o fl atter ver conscience, and cheat ver own soul. Credit for For- J eign Travel is- Why don't ye do what ye mean to do to once, and sued by Drexel, ^ , , That - S the way to gU the good Morgan & Co., ) & & and by Brown of your property. I tell ye, the time's comin' when ro ers & Co., ^e recollection of havin' done a good action will our New York Correspondents; be a greater comfort to ye than all the property in Deposits, or for the world Then you ^] ]ook back) and sa _ . W hv any other Bank- ing Business, didn't I do this and do that with my money, when write to Geo. P. » twas m my power, 'stead of hoardin' up and Bissell & Co., ' i v Bankers, Hart- hoardin' up for others to spend after rne?' Now, ord, Conn. as j wag g () j n ' to saV) ve didn't Bonds, Stocks, and the reason he got along so sudden and unex- Commercial Pa- pected, even to Sophronv. Oh, if you could seen per; Letters of ' J Credit for For- their meetin', as I did ! then you wouldn't sneer eign Travel is- at my takin' an interest ! " And Miss Beswick, ^" ed by ° re * e1 ' J Morgan & Co., strong-minded as she was, found it necessary to and by Brown make use of her handkerchief. I didn't stop Brothers & Co -> our New York Only to help put him to bed, and fix things a Correspondents; little ; then I left 'em alone, and run over to tell De P° sits . or for any other Bank- ye. It's a pity you didn't know he was in town ing Business, when you was there to-dav, so as to bring him wri e ° e0 ' " Bissell & Co., home with ye. But I s'pose )'OU had your invest- Bankers, Hart- ments to look after. Come, now, Mr. Ducklow, ford ' Conn - how many thousan' dollars have you invested, since Reuben 's been off to the war, and his folks have been sufferin' to home? You may have been layin' up hundreds, or even thousands, that way, this very day, for aught I know. But let me tell ye, you more Bondholder has any rights or preference over another. All share alike. 7th. For what can they be Foreclosed? The Bonds, or deed, can be foreclosed for non-payment of interest promptly, or if the borrower neglects to keep his property insured in companies satisfactory to the trustee, who acts for the Bondholder, or if he allows anything to be 37 wont git no good of such property, — it'll only be a cuss to ye, — till you do the right thing by Reuben. Mark my word!" There was another long silence. "You a'n't going, be ye, Miss Beswick?" said Mrs. Ducklow, — for the visitor had arisen. " What's yer hurry ? " For Invest- "No hurry at all ; but I've done my arrant and merits, Bonds. -j i *« « •_» /-i % • ■ . - . ' ! said mv sav, and mav as well be goin . Good-night. Stocks, and ' - s Commercial Pa- Good-night, Mr. Ducklow.'' per, e ers o And Miss Beswick, pulling her shawl over her Credit for For- v a eign Travel is- head, stalked out of the house like some tall, gaunt sue y rexe , S p ectre leaving the Ducklows to recover as best Morgan & Co., * ° and by Brown they could from the consternation into which they Brothers & Co., ha( j bgcn thrown by her com ing. our New York Correspondents; "Did you ever!" said Mrs. Ducklow. gaining Deposits, or for coura g e to sp eak after the visitor was out of hear- any other Bank- ing Business, mg. write to Geo. P. .. She - S t tongue j •' said Mr Ducklow. Bissell & Co., 6 Bankers, Hart- " Strange she should speak of your investing ford, Conn. money to-day ! D'ye s'pose she knows?" " I don't see how she can know." And Mr. Ducklow paced the room in deep trouble. " I've been careful not to give a hint on't to anybody, for I knew jest what folks would say: 'If Ducklow lias got so much money to dispose of, he'd better give Reuben a lift.' I know how folks talk." done on the premises calculated to lessen its value (for example, if he pulls down a building, or lets it go to decay, or changes it from a store to a concert-saloon, or anything of that kind) ; for any of these causes foreclosure and sale can at once take place. And our agents are instructed to "Coming here to browbeat us !" exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow. " I wonder ye didn't be a little more plain with her, father ! I wouldn't have sot and been dictated to as tamely as you did !" " You wouldn't ? Then why did }*e? She dictated to you as much as she did to me; and you scurce opened your head ; you didn't dars' to say yer soul was yer own ! " p or invest- " Yes I did I " ments, Bonds, Stocks, and " You ventur'd to speak once, and she shet commercial Pa- ve up quicker *n lightnin' ! Now tell about vou P er ! Letters of Credit for For- wouldn't have sot and been dictated to like a tame e i gn Travel is- noodle, as I did !" sued b V Drexel, Morgan & Co., " I didn't say a tame noodle." and by Brown " Yes, ye did. I might have answered back Brothers & Co., our New York sharp enough, but I was expectin' you to speak. Correspondents; Men don't like to dispute with women." Deposits, or for any other Bank- " That s your git-off! said Mrs. Ducklow, ing . Business, trembling with vexation. " You was jest as much write to Geo. P. f ., f , , T , . Bissell & Co., afraid of her as I was. 1 never see ye so cowed in B an k ers Hart- all my life ! " ford, Conn. " Cowed ! I wasn't cowed, neither. How unreasonable, now, for you to cast all the blame on to me ! " And Mr. Ducklow, his features contracted into a black scowl, took his boots from the corner. "Ye ha'n't got to go out, have ye?" said Mrs. Ducklow. "I make it a part of their business to see that the properties on which we have Loans are kept in first-class order, and report to us any neglect on the part of the owner ; and should this report be made, the Trustee would at once insist upon the fulfilment of the agreement in the deed. (See page 43.) 39 shouldn't think you'd put on yer boots jest to step to the barn and see to the hoss." " I'm goin' over to Reuben's." " To Reuben's ! Not to-night, father ! " "Yes, I think I better. He and Sophrony '11 know we heard of his gittin' home, and they're enough inclined a'ready to feel we neglect 'em. Haven't ye got somethin' ye can send?" " I don't know," — curtly. " I've scurce ever been over to Sophrony's but I've carried her a pie or cake or something ; and mighty little thanks I got for it, as it turns out ! " Grand Rapids, Michigan. The city of Grand Rapids was incorporated in 1850, with a population of 2,600. Its present population is over 32,000. It is located on both sides of Grand River (the largest stream in the State), 28 miles from Grand Haven, 90 miles east from Milwaukee, 140 miles north-east of Chicago, and 165 miles west of Detroit. The city derives its name from the rapids of the river — which is 900 feet wide at this point — and through the corporation has a fall of 20 feet over a bed of rock of limestone foundation. An immense power is thus provided, which is being rapidly utilized by the two canals on either side of the river, the water being diverted into the canals by means of dams. Its manufacturing interests are very great, and rapidly increasing. The more noted enter- prises in this direction are several extensive manufactories of cabinet furniture of all kinds and most elaborate designs; machine shops, where steam-engines of the largest class are 40 "Why didn't ye say that to Miss Beswick, when she was runnin' us so hard about our never doin' anything for 'em?" " 'T wouldn't have done no good ; I knew jest what she'd say. 'What's a pie or a cake now and then?' — that's jest the reply she'd have made. — Dear me! what have I been doing?*' Mrs. Duck- low, rising, had but just discovered that she had stitched the patch and the trousers to her apron. "So much for Miss Bes- wick !" she exclaimed, untying the apron-strings, and flinging the united garments spitefully down upon a chair. " I do wish such folks would mind their own business and stay to home!" made ; furnaces, boiler shops, fiouring-mills ; saw-mills, some cutting 120 thousand feet of lumber daily; sash, door, and blind factories; also, tub, bucket, pail, sieve, hub, clothes- pin, axe, saw, faucet, stave, wagon, carriage, edge tool ; agri- cultural implements, barrel, packing and salt box manufacto- ries, many of them the largest kind in the West. There are also chemical works, tanneries, breweries, and soap and candle factories. An extensive wholesale trade is done in hardware, groceries, provisions, and clothing, with the immense pineries and timber country north of the city. Five distinct railroads enter the city, over which thirty- five trains daily come and go. There are two street rail- ways, and three public and two railroad bridges span the river. Just out of the corporation are four extensive plaster or gypsum quarries, with mills that furnish a large business annually in ground plaster and stucco. Building stone, lime, and sand are found within the cor- 41 "You've got the bonds safe?" said Mr. Ducklow, putting on his waistcoat. " Yes ; but I wont engage to keep 'em safe. They make me as narvous as can be. I'm afraid to be left alone in the house with 'em! Here, you take 'em." " Don't be foolish. What harm can possibly happen to them or you while I'm away? You don't s'pose I want to lug them around with me wherever I go, do ye?" " I'm sure it's no great lug. I s'pose you're afraid to go acrost the fields alone with 'em in yer pocket. What in the world we're porate limits, and the handsome cream-colored brick, known as Milwaukee brick, are also manufactured in the city, 22 million made in 1873. Grand Rapids is noted for its elegant stores, churches, private residences, good hotels, and schools. There are three daily, six weekly, and two monthly newspapers pub- lished here, one in the Holland language. The city is gas lighted, has an efficient uniformed police, a paid fire depart- ment, a large free circulating library, a Board of Education and of Public Works, three regular banks, and several private bankers. A free postal delivery is in successful operation ; in fact, Grand Rapids is a live, active, busy city, and is sit- uated at the base of a splendid farming, fruit, and timber region, and is rapidly improving in wealth and prosperity. All of the U. S. District and Circuit Courts for the Western District of Michigan are held here, where there is also a U. S. Pension Agency and a Government Depository. 42 going to do with 'em I don't see. If we go out, we can't take 'em with us, for fear of losing 'cm, or of being robbed ; Safe - Deposit i \ > ». a . i ' i_ t- ., Vaults forUnited and we sha n t dare to leave em to home, fear the ei . „ . . ' StatesBonds and house '11 burn up or git broke into." other securities ,.,„ ,., 5 , , , - . at Geo. P. Bis- VVe can hide em where no burglar can find ,, „ „ , „ , & sell&Co. s,Hart- 'em," said Mr. Ducklow. ford, Conn. " Yes, and where nobody else can find 'em, neither, provided the house burns and neighbors come in to save You can al- T ,., , • .,, ^ , -«*■ ways find 8 per things. I don t know but it 11 be about as Miss cen t Real Estate Beswick said: we sha'n't take no comfort with Bonds at Geo. P. i i r-, , ii Bissell & Co.'s; property we ought to make over to Reuben." a)so other first _ "Do you think it ought to be made over to class Invest- _ , „ r . , . , , „ ments in Local Reuben ? If you do, it s new to me ! »*-«»._ «„ji J stocks and "No, I don't!" replied Mrs. Ducklow, decid- Bonds. edly. " I guess we better put 'em in the clock-case for to-night, hadn't we?" "Jest where they'd be discovered, if the house is robbed ! No: I've an idee. Slip 'em under the settin'-room carpet. Let me take 'em : I can fix a place right here by the side of the door." With great care and secrecy the bonds were If they had , , . . been Geo. P. Bis- deposited between the carpet and the floor, and a „ & Co . 8 Der chair set over them. cent. Bonds, no such care would "What noise was that?" said the farmer, start- have been neces- ing. sary. "Thaddeus," cried Mrs. Ducklow, "is that you?" It was Thaddeus, indeed, who, awaking from a real dream of 8th. The Deeds. The deeds are Deeds of Trust drawn in the strongest manner. In twenty years' experience we have noticed and incorporated into our deeds all the strong points known to 43 the drum this time, and, hearing conversation in the room below, had once more descended the stairs to listen. What were the old people hiding there under the carpet? It must be those curious things in the envelope. And what were those tilings, about which so much mystery seemed necessary? Taddy was peeping and con- sidering, when he heard his name called. He would have glided For Invest- back to bed again, but Mrs. Ducklow, who sprang ments, Bonds, tQ the sta irwav-door, was too quick for him. Stocks, and Commercial Pa- " What do you want now?"' she demanded. per; Letters of " I— I want you to scratch my back," said Taddy. Credit for For- eign Travel is- As he had often come to her with this innocent sue y rexe , re q uest after undressing for bed, he did not see Morgan & Co., and by Brown why the excuse would not pass as readily as the Brothers & Co., p rev j ous one of somnambulism. But Mrs. Ducklow our New York Correspondents; was in no mood to be trifled with. Deposits, or for <. j »j, scratch vour back f or ye i •• And se izing any other Bank- ing Business, her rattan, she laid it smartly on the troublesome write to Geo. P. part to t ] ie terror and pain of poor Taddv, who Bissell & Co., * r r . > Bankers, Hart- concluded that too much of a good thing was de- ford, Conn. cidedly worse than nothing. "There you sir, that's a scratching that'll last ye for one while!" And giving him two or three parting cuts, not confined to the region of the back, but falling upon the lower latitudes, which they marked like so many geographical parallels, she dismissed him with a sharp injunction not to let himself be seen or heard again that night. the law, and such documents have well been styled at the West "scalp mortgages." The borrower must pay. If he does not, no mercy is shown him. He is allowed thirty days' notice, and if at the end of that time he is delinquent, 44 Taddy obeyed, and, crying himself to sleep, dreamed that he was himself a drum, and that Mrs. Ducklow beat him. "Father!" called Mrs. Ducklow to her husband, who was at the barn, "do you know what time it is? It's Geo. P. Bissell nine o clock ! I wouldn't think of going over & Co ,«. office there to-night; they'll be all locked up, and abed open at 9 o'clock , . ... „ A.M. and asleep, like as not. "Wal, I s'pose I must do as you say," replied Mr. Ducklow, glad of an excuse not to go — Miss Beswick's visit having left him in extremely low spirits. Accordingly, after bedding down the horse and fastening the barn, he returned to the kitchen ; and soon the prosperous couple retired to rest. " Why, how res'less you be ! " exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow, in the middle of the night. "What's the reason ye can't sleep?" " I don't know," groaned Mr. Ducklow. " I can't help thinkin' o' Miss Beswick. I never was so worked at any little thing."' "Well, well ! forget it, father; and do go to sleep!" " I feel I ought to have gone over to Reuben's ! And I should have gone, if 't hadn't been for you !" " Now how unreasonable to blame me ! " said Mrs. Ducklow. "Ye might have gone; I only reminded ye how late it was." Mr. Ducklow groaned, and turned over. He tried to forget Miss Beswick, Reuben, and the bonds, and at last he fell asleep. "Father!" whispered Mrs. Ducklow, awaking him. the property is foreclosed and must pay all expenses, even to the lawyer's fees, of the Bondholder. There is no stay, valuation, or appraisement law ; and a right of redemption of only one year, during which time the interest rises to ten 45 "What's the matter?" " I think — I'm pretty sure — hark ! I heard something sounded like somebody gitting into the kitchen winder ! " "It's your narvousness." Yet Mr. Ducklow listened for further indications of burglary. "Why can't ye be quiet and go to sleep, as you said to me?" " I'm sure I heard something ! Anybody might have looked through the blinds and seen us putting — you know — under the carpet." "Nonsense ! .'t a'n't at all likely." But Mr. Ducklow was more alarmed than he was willing to confess. He succeeded in quieting his wife's apprehensions, but at the same time the burden of solicitude and wakefulness seemed to pass from her mind only to rest upon his own. She Geo. P. Bissell soon after fell asleep; but he lay awake, hearing & Co.'s 8 per burglars in all parts of the house for an hour longer, cent. Real Estate , ^ Bonds cannot be " What now? suddenly exclaimed Mrs. Duck- used if stolen, low, starting up in bed. Should Burglars . break into your l thought I might as well git up and house, hand satisfy myself," replied her husband, in a low, them your Real Estate Bonds agitated voice. with "the com- He had risen, and was groping his way to the plements of the season," then kitchen. notify Geo. P. " \ s there anything?" she inquired, after list- Bissell & Co. by . . telegraph, and enin g ' on g Wlt h chilling blood, expecting each you are all right, moment to hear him knocked down or throttled. He made no reply, but presently came gliding softly back again. "I can't find nothin'. But I never in all my life heard the floors creak so ! I could have sworn there was somebody walkin' over 'em ! " "I guess you're a little excited, a'n't ye?" 46 "No — I got over that ; but I did hear noises ! " Mr. Ducklow, returning to his pillow, dismissed his fears, and once more composed his mind for slumber. But the burden of which he had temporarily relieved his wife now returned with redoubled force to the bosom of that virtuous lady. It seemed as if there was only a certain amount of available sleep in the house, and that when one had it the other For In vest- must go without ; while at the same time a swarm ____«._ B , ° ments, Bonds, of fears perpetually buzzed in and out of the Stocks, and . . , . , . , . , , Commercial Pa- mind, whose windows wakefulness left open. r , , r per ; Letters of " Father ! " said Mrs. Ducklow, giving him a Credit for For- . , t ii eign Travel is- violent shake. & , . _ , sued by Drexel, "Hey? what?"' — arousing from his first sound Morgan & Co., , and by Brown ep * Brothers & Co., "Don't you smell something burning?" our New York Ducklow snuffed ; Mrs. Ducklow snuffed ; they orres P on ens » J Deposits, or for sat up in bed, and snuffed vivaciously in concert, any other Bank- " No-I can't say I do. Did you?" ing Business, ' J write to Geo. P. "Jest as plain as ever I smelt anything in Bissell & Co., my life ! But I don't so "—snuff, snuff—" not Bankers - Hart " ford, Conn, quite so distinct now." " Seems to me I do smell somethin'," said Mr. Ducklow, imagination coming to his aid. "It can't be the matches,- can it?" " I thought of the matches, but I certainly covered 'em up tight." They snuffed again — first one, then the other — now a series of per cent, as a penalty for delinquency ; and a Receiver is appointed by the Court to collect the rents for the benefit of the Bondholders. Our deeds are the most perfect documents for strength and swiftness of execution that we have ever seen, and in twenty- 47 quick, short snuffs, then one long, deep snuff then a snuff by both together, as if by uniting their energies, like two persons pulling at a rope, they might accomplish what neither was equal to singly. "Good heavens!" exclaimed Mr. Ducklow. "Why, what, father?" " It's Thaddeus ! He's been walkin' in his sleep. That's what we heard. And now he's got the matches and set the house afire !" He bounded out of bed ; he went stumbling over the chairs in the kitchen, and clattering among the tins in the pantry, and _ rushing blindly and wildly up the kitchen-stairs, Geo. P. Bissell 5 J J i & Co. are Bank- only to find the matches all right, Taddy fast ers having the as i ee p | anc j no indications anywhere, either to eye experience of a quarter of a cen- or nostril, of anything burning. tury, during " 'Twas all your imagination, mother!" which time they have never met "My imagination ! You was jest as fright- wit h any re- cnc( j as J was j' m sure J can 't tell what it was verse, but have always stood I smelt ; I can't smell it now. Did you feel for " rm> the — you know what ? '' Mrs. Ducklow seemed to think there were evil ones listening, and it was dangerous to mention by name what was uppermost in the minds of both. " I wish you would jest put your hand and see if they're all right ; for I've thought several times I heard somebody taking on 'em out." Mr. Ducklow had been troubled by similar fancies ; so, get- ting down on his knees, he felt in the dark for the bonds. "Good gracious!" he ejaculated. . "What now?" cried Mrs. Ducklow. "They a'n't gone, be they? You don't say they're gone!" " Sure's the world ! — No, here they be ! I didn't feel in the right place." 4 S "How you did frighten me ! Mv heart almost hopped out of my mouth!" Indeed the shock was sufficient to keep the good woman awake the rest of the night. Buy our Real Daylight the next morning dissipated their Estate Bonds doubts, and made both feel that they had been the and h a v e no doubts or fears, victims of unnecessary and foolish alarms. " I hope ye wont git so worked up another night," said Mr. Ducklow. " It's no use. We might live in the house a hundred years and never hear of a robber or a fire. Ye only excite yer- self, and keep me awake." " I should like to know if you didn't git excited, and rob me of my sleep jest as much as I did you !" retorted the indignant housewife. " You began it ; you fust put it into my head. But never mind ; it can't be helped now. Le' 's have breakfast as soon as ye can ; then I'll run over and see Reuben ' "Why not harness up, and let me ride over with ye?" "Very well; mabby that'll be the best way. — Come, Taddy ! ye must wake up ! Fly round ! You '11 have lots o' chores to do this mornin' ! " "What's the matter 'th my breeches?" snarled Taddy. " Some plaguy thing 's stuck to 'em ! " It was Mrs. Ducklow's apron, trailing behind him at half-mast, — at sight of which, and of Taddy turning round and round to look at it, like a kitten in pursuit of her own tail, Ducklow burst into a loud laugh. five years' experience we never had a point disputed nor an hour's argument in court. 9th. In Case of Fire. The Insurance, being payable to the Trustee for the benefit of the Bondholders, is applied directly to the pay- 49 "Wal, wal, mother! you've done it! You're dressed for meetin' now, Taddy ! " " I do declare ! " said Mrs. Ducklow, mortified. " I can't for the life of me see what there is so very funny about it!" And she hastened to cut short Taddy's trail and her husband's laughter with a pair of scissors. After breakfast the Ducklows set off in the one-horse wagon, leaving Taddy to take care of the house during their absence. That each felt secretly uneasy about the coupon bonds cannot be denied ; but, after the experiences of the night and the re- criminations of the morning, they were unwilling to acknowledge their fears even to themselves, and much less to each other; so the precious papers were left hidden under This was un- doubtedly writ- t he carpet. ten with refer- "Safe enough, in all conscience!" said Mr. ence to Geo. P. Bissell & Co.'s Ducklow. Real Estate "Taddy! Taddy! now mind!" Mrs. Duck- Bonds. low repeated for the twentieth time. " Don't you leave the house, and don't you touch the matches nor the fire, and don't go to ransacking the rooms neither. You wont, will ye?" "No'm," answered Taddy, also for the twentieth time, — secretly resolved, all the while, to take advantage of their absence, and discover, if possible, what Mr. Ducklow brought home last night in his boot-leg. The Ducklows had intended to show their zeal and affec- ment of the Bonds, or is used to rebuild on the property ; payments being made through our agents upon architect's certificates of work actually finished. ioth. The Bonds. The Bonds are printed under our direction, on Bond paper 50 tion by making Reuben an early visit. They were somewhat chagrined, therefore, to find several neighbors already arrived to pay their respects to the returned soldier. The fact that Miss Beswick was among the number did not serve greatly to heighten their spirits. " I've as good a notion to turn round and go straight home again as ever I had to eat!" muttered Mrs. Ducklow. " It's too late now," said her husband, advancing with a show of confidence and cordiality he did not feel. " Wal, Reuben! glad to see ye! glad to see ye! This is a joyful day I scurce ever expected to see ! Why, ye don't look so sick as I thought ye would ! Does he, mother ? " " Dear me ! " said Mrs. Ducklow, her woman's nature, and perhaps her old motherly feelings for their adopted son deeply moved by the sight of his changed and wasted Geo. P. Bissell aspect. " I'd no idee he could be so very, so °" ^ ave _ r J twenty-five very pale and thin ! Had you, Sophrony ? " years managed ..t j '.i T...T.U ~-u»" 'j »i.„ their business I don t know what I thought, said the . , with such pru- young wife, standing by, watching her returned dence and cau- , VL , , v j .., .. tion that no pan- volunteer with features surcharged with emotion, — . . -. . ics have affected deep suffering and sympathy, suffused and lighted them. up by love and joy. "I only know I have him now! He has come home! He shall never leave me again, — never!" " But wasn't it terrible to see him brought home so ? " whispered Mrs. Ducklow. furnished by ourselves, in sums of $1,000 each, having coupons attached, which are payable semi-annually at our office. We remit for the coupons when paid, and also for the Bond at maturity when paid, by New York check, with- out charge to persons who reside out of Hartford, or in 5i " Yes, it was ! But, oh, I was so thankful ! I felt the worst was over ; and I had him again ! I can nurse him now. He is no longer hundreds of miles away, among strangers, where I cannot go to him, — though I should have gone long ago, as you know, if I could have raised the means, and if it hadn't been for the children." " I — I — Mr. Ducklow would have tried to help you to the means, and I would have taken the children, if we had thought it best for you to go," said Mrs. Ducklow. " But you see now it wasn't best, don't you?" It is a good rule to invest "Whether it was or not, I don't complain. money through j am too happy to-day to complain of anything. old established, experienced, and To see him home again! But I have dreamt so conservative often that he came home, and woke up to find Bankers. The firm of Geo. P. ^ was on b r a dream, I m half afraid now to be Bissell & Co. is as happy as I might be." such a house. " Be as happy as you please, Sophrony ! spoke up Reuben, who had seemed to be listening to Mr. Duck- low's apologies for not coming over the night before, while he was in reality straining his ear to catch every word his wife was saying. He was dressed in his uniform and lying on a lounge, supported by pillows. " I'm just where I want to be, of all places in this world — or the next world either, I may say ; for I can't conceive of any greater heaven than I'm in now. I'm going to get well, too, spite of the doctors. Coming home sterling exchange if the Bonds are owned in Europe. The name of the owner of the Bond can be stamped on the Bond by a stamp kept at our office, thus making it a regis- tered security, good only to the owner, and perfectly safe to keep in the house. If the name of the owner is not stamped is the best medicine for a fellow in my condition. Not bad to take, either ! Stand here, Ruby, my boy, and let your daddy look at yc again ! To think that's my Ruby, Pa Ducklow ! Why, he was a mere baby when I went away ! " " Reuben ! Reuben ! " entreated the young wife, leaning over him, "you are talking too much. You promised me you wouldn't, j'ou know." " Well, well, I wont. But when a fellow's heart is chock- full, it's hard to shut down on it sometimes. G eo< p. Bissell Don't look so, friends, as if ye pitied me ! I a'n't & Co - never speculate and to be pitied. I'll bet there isn't one of ye half never take spec- as happy as I am at this minute!" ulative orders for stocks " on a " Here s Miss Beswick, Mother Ducklow, margin." They said Sophronia. " Haven't you noticed her?" do a steady, old- fashioned, safe "Oh ! how do you do, Miss Beswick? ' said Banking busi- Mrs. Ducklow, appearing surprised. ness. " Tryin' to keep out o' the way, and make myself useful," said Miss Beswick, stiffly. " I don't know what I should do without her," said Sophronia, as the tall spinster disappeared. " She took right hold and help- ed me last night; then she came in again the first thing this morning. 'Go to your husband,' says she to me ; 'don't leave him a minute. I know he don't want ye out of his sight, — and you don't want to be out of his sight, either ; so you 'tend right to him, and I'll do the work. There'll be enough folks comin' on, then the title passes by delivery like a Railroad or Gov- ernment Bond. nth. Mortgages are Safe. These are in all cases first mortgages, and an experience of twenty-five years has convinced us that there is no 53 in to hender, but I've come in to help,' says she. And here she's been ever since, hard at work ; for when Miss Beswick says a thing, there's no use opposing her, — that you know, Mother Ducklow." "Yes, she likes to have her own way," said Mrs. Ducklow, with a peculiar pucker. Geo. P. Bissell " It seems she called at the door last night & Co. invite to te ii you Reuben had come." correspondence from investors "Called at the door! Didn't she tell you with small s h e came in and made us a visit?" means, as well as from those "No, indeed! Did she?" having large M rs . Ducklow concluded that if nothing had sums. A person having only one been said on that subject, she might as well remain thousand dollars silent ; so she merely remarked : will receive the same attention " Oh, yes, a visit,— for her. She a'n't no great that is given hand to make long stops, ye know." to one having t ten times that ' Only when she s needed, said Sophronia ; amount. " then she never thinks of going as long as she sees anything to do. Reuben, you mustn't talk, Reuben ! " " I was saying," remarked Neighbor Jepworth, " it'll be too bad now, if you have to give up this place ; but he " Sophronia, unseen by her husband, made anxious signs to the speaker to avoid so distressing a topic in the invalid's presence. " We are not going to worry about that," she hastened to investment so safe as a good first mortgage on good city property, valuing the land moderately and lending a less amount than the land alone is worth. No mismanagement can affect such a loan. Railroad Bonds may be injured by the mismanagement of the Directors of the Road. Town, 54 say. " After we have been favored by Providence so far, and in such extraordinary ways, we think we can afford to trust still further. We have all we can think of and attend to to- day ; and the future will take care of itself." " That's right ; that's the way to talk ! " said Mr. Ducklow. " Providence '11 take care of ye, you may be sure i ■• Another proof of the sound " I should think you might get Ditson to common sense of renew the mortgage," observed Neighbor Ferring. e aut or ° this story. Geo. "He can't be hard on you, under such circum- p. Bissell&Co.'s stances. And he can't be so foolish as to want 8 P er cent " Real Estate Bonds the money. There's no security like real are based on first estate. If I had money to invest, I wouldn't class > carefully selected, im- put it into anything else." proved City Real "Nor I," said Mr. Ducklow; " nothin' like Estate : the best security on real estate ! " — with an expression of profound which to lend. conviction. "What do you think of Gov'ment bonds?" asked Neighbor Jepworth. " I don't know." Mr. Ducklow scratched his cheek and wrinkled his brow with an expression of thoughtfulness and candor. " I haven't given much attention to the subject. It may be a patriotic duty to lend to Gov'ment, if one has the funds to spare." "Yes," said Jepworth, warming. "When we consider that county, and city Bonds may be repudiated by a vote of the people, as has often been done when the people get tired of paying taxes to keep up the interest. The goodness of Bank Stocks and manufacturing Stocks, and all other Stocks, in most cases depends upon the management of one or more 55 every dollar we lend to Government goes to carry on the war, and put down this cursed Rebellion " " And to pay off the soldiers," put in Reuben, raising him- self on his elbow. " Nobody knows the sufferings of soldiers and soldiers' families on account of the Government's inability to pay them off. If that subject was felt and understood as some I know feel and understand it, I'm sure every right- minded man with fifty dollars to spare would make haste to lend it to Uncle Sam. I tell ye, I got a little excited on this subject, coming on in the cars. I heard a gentleman complain- ing of the Government for not paying off its crcd- He might have deposited it with it° rs ', he didn't say so much about the sol- Geo. P. Bissell dj erSi but he thought contractors ought to have & Co., on call, and have drawn their claims settled at once. At the same time some interest on he said he had had twenty thousand dollars lving it. idle for two months, not knowing what to do with it, but had finally concluded to invest it in railroad stock. ' Have ye any Government stock ? ' said his friend. ' Not a dollar's worth,' said he ; ' I'm afraid of it.' Sick as I was, I couldn't lie and hear that. ' And do you know the reason,' said I, ' why Government cannot pay off its creditors? I'll tell ye,' said I. 'It is because it hasn't the money. And it hasn't the money because such men as you, who have your thousands lying idle, refuse to lend to your country, because you are afraid. That's the extent of your patriotism : you are afraid ! What do you think of us who have gone into the war, and been willing to risk every- men who control them ; but if you have a first mortgage on a man's store or dwelling-house for an amount less than the land is worth under the hammer, he may fail and go to wreck generally, but the property remains, and somebody 56 thing, — not only our business and our property, but life and limb? I've ruined myself personally,' said I, 'lost my property and my health, to be of service to my country. I don't regret it ; though I should never recover, I shall not regret it. I'm a tolerably patient, philosophical sort of fellow ; but I haven't patience nor philosophy enough to hear such men as you abuse the Government for not doing what it's your duty to assist it in doing." " Good for you, Reuben ! " exclaimed Mr. Ducklow, who really felt obliged to the young soldier for placing the previous day's investment in such a strong patriotic light. (" I've only done my duty to Gov'ment, let Miss The Eight per J y J cent. Bonds, Beswick say what she will," thought he.) " You heretofore men- wound him up, I truess. Fact, you state the tioned - and sold r ' by Geo. P. Bis- case so well, Reuben, I believe if I had any se l & Co., of funds to spare, I shouldn't hesitate a minute, Hartford, Conn., cannot be repu- but go right off and invest in Gov'ment bonds." diated,likeCoun- " That might be well enough, if you did it ty or s * a l e Bonds, being se- from a sense of duty," said Neighbor Ferring, CU red by First who was something of a croaker, and not much Mortgage on im- proved City of a patriot. " But as an investment, 't would be pr0 perty worth the wust ye could make." double or treble the amount "Ye think so?" said Mr. Ducklow, with quick loaned. alarm. " Certainly," said Ferring. " Gov'ment '11 repudiate. It '11 will take it and keep the interest and principal good. In these days of mismanagement it is well to have money invested where its safety does not depend upon any man's ability or integrity, or upon a vote of disaffected, irresponsi- ble citizens. We claim this entire safety for our eight per cent, first mortgage Bonds. 57 have to repudiate. This enormous debt never can be paid ! Your interest in gold is a temptation, just now ; but that wont be paid much longer, and then yer bonds wont be wuth any more 'n so much brown paper." " I — I don't think so," said Mr. Ducklow, who nevertheless turned pale, — Ferring gave his opinion in such a positive oracular way. " I don't believe I should be frightened, even if I had Gov'ment securities in my hands. I wish I had ; I really wish I had a good lot o' them bonds! Don't you, Jepworth?" " They're mighty resky things to have in the Bring your , , ... , ,, , . . T r* _ house, that s one obiection to em, replied lep- Government J r •> r Bonds to Geo. worth, thus adding breath to Ducklow's already P. Bissell & Co., , . ,, , , . , kindled alarm, and exchange them for 8 per "That's so!" said Ferring, emphatically. "I cent. Real Es- , . . , . . _, . read in the papers almost everv dav about some- tate Bonds. ^ i : Theyare"handy body's having his cowpon bonds stole." to have in the <■ t 1 u i r-jrc >• «_ j , ,, I should be more afraid of fires, observed house. Jepworth. " But there's this to be considered in favor of fires," said Reuben : " if the bonds burn up, they wont have to be paid. The Bonds to ^° wnat is your loss is the country's gain." which attention " But isn't there any — isn't there any remedy?'' has been called . ...... in the above im l lurc d Ducklow, scarcely able to sit in his chair. notes are Regis- "There's no risk at all, if a man subscribes tered Coupon . Bonds safe to registered bonds, said Reuben. ' 1 hey re hold, and easy like railroad stock. Rut if you have the cou- to collect. pons, you must look out for them. "Why didn't I buy registered bonds?" said Ducklow to himself. His chair was becoming like a keg of gunpowder with a lighted fuse inserted. The familiar style of expression — " Your bonds," "your loss," "you must look out," — used by Ferring and Reuben, was not calculated to relieve his embar- 5S rassment. He fancied that he was suspected of owning Government securities, and that these careless phrases were based upon that surmise. He could keep his scat no longer. " Wal, Reuben! I must be drivin' home, I s'pose. Left everything at loose ends. I was in such a hurry to see ye, and find out if there's anything I can do for ye." "As for that," said Reuben, "I've got a trunk over in town which couldn't be brought last night. If you will have that sent for, I'll be obliged to ye." " Sartin ! sartin!" And Mr. Ducklow drove away, greatly to the relief of Mrs. Ducklow, who, listening to the alarming con- versation, and remembering the bonds under the carpet, and the matches in the pantry, and Taddy's propensity to mischief, felt herself (as she afterwards confessed) "jest ready to fly." Before looking at Part II. read what Geo. P. Bissell & Co. have stated about their Coupon Bonds, at the foot of each page of this capital story by J. T. Trowbridge, for your benefit and for the very purpose of showing how to avoid the trouble experienced by the Ducklow family and at the same time to safely and profitably invest. 59 PART II. Mr. Ducklow had scarcely turned the corner of the street, when, looking anxiously in the direction of his homestead, he Grammatically saw a column of smoke. It was directly over the it would have been better for s P ot where he knew his house to be situated. Mr. Ducklow to He guessed at a glance what had happened. The have said"Those Bonds! Those frightful catastrophe he foreboded had befallen. Bonds!" Finan- Taddy had set the house afire ! cially it is better to receive 8 per " Them bonds ! them bonds ! he exclaimed, cent, than 6 per distractedly. He did not think so much of the cent, or 4 per . cent on your in- house: house and furniture were insured; it vestments. they were burned, the inconvenience would be great indeed, and at any other time the thought cf such an event would have been a sufficient cause for trepidation, — but now his chief, his only anxiety was the bonds. They were not insured. As everybody The}' would be a dead loss. And what added insures in t h e sharpness to his pangs, they would be a loss solid, reliable Hartford Com- which he must keep a secret, as he had kept pames, so every- their existence a secret, — a loss which he could body should in- vest in the solid not confess, and of which he could not complain. reliable eight per H at i he not just given his neighbors to under- cent.Real Estate Bonds gotten up stand that he held no such property? And his expressly for and w jf e — was s h e no t a t that very moment, if not sold only by Geo. P. Bissell & Co. serving up a lie on the subject, at least paring Bankers, Hart- t he truth very thin indeed? ford, Conn. " A man would think," observed Ferring, " that Ducklow had some o' them bonds on his hands, and got 6o scaret, he took such a sudden start. .He has, hasn't he, Mrs. Ducklow? " "Has what?" said Mrs. Ducklow, pretending ignorance. " Some o' them cowpon bonds. I ruther guess he's got some." "You mean Gov'ment bonds? Ducklow got some? 'Ta'n't at all likely he'd spec'late in them without saying something to me about it ! No, he couldn't have any without „ „ „. : Geo. P. Bissell my knowing it, I'm sure ! " & Co. are Bank- Hi , . 11,11 ers having the ow demure, how innocent she looked, ply- . , experience of a ing her knitting-needles, and stopping to take up quarter of a cen- a stitch! How little at that moment she knew of U .T', . ur ' ng which time they Ducklow's trouble, and its terrible cause ! have never met Ducklow's first impulse was to drive on and W1 , any L verses, but have endeavor at all hazards to snatch the bonds always stood from the flames. His next was to return and rm " alarm his neighbors, and obtain their assistance. But a minute's delay might be fatal; so he drove on, screaming "Fire! fire!" at the top of his voice. But the old mare was a slow-footed animal, and Ducklow had no whip. He reached forward and struck her with the reins. "Get up! get up! — Fire! fire!" screamed Ducklow. "Oh, them bonds ! them bonds ! Why didn't I give the* money to Reuben ? Fire ! fire ! fire ! " 12th. We take these Bonds Ourselves. We do not sell these Bonds on Commission. In all cases, as soon as the papers are made out and approved, we give our check for the Bonds, and they become our property. We are willing to put our own money into them, and we never sell a Bond which we would not willingly hold ourselves. 61 By dint of screaming and slapping, he urged her from a trot into a gallop, which was scarcely an improvement as to speed, and certainly not as to grace. It was like the gallop of an old cow. "Why don't ye go 'long!" he cried despairingly. Slap, slap ! He knocked his own hat off with the loose ends of the reins. It fell under the wheels. He cast one look behind, to satisfy himself that it had been very thoroughly run over and crushed into the dirt, and left it to its fate. Slap, slap ! " Fire ! fire ! " Canter, canter, canter ! Neighbors looked out of their windows, and, recognizing Ducklow's wagon and old mare in such an astonishing plight, and Ducklow himself, without his hat, rising from his seat, and reaching forward in wild attitudes, brandishing the reins, at the same time rending the air with yells, thought he must be insane. Never stop He drove to the top of the hill, and look- short of or go j n g beyond, in expectation of seeing his house beyond the office of Geo. P. Bis- wrapped in flames, discovered that the smoke sell & Co. for proceeded from a brush-heap which his neighbor investments. If they have not on Atkins was burning in a field near by. hand what you fhe revulsion of feeling that ensued was al- want, they can get it for you at most to ° much for the excitable Ducklow. His short notice. strength went out of him. For a little while there seemed to be nothing left of him but tremor and cold sweat. 13th. Who Invest in these Bonds? We sell them to our most cautious business men and capitalists. Of course in a public circular like this we can- not give the names of buyers, but we can say in general terms that there is hardly a man of means in Hartford who does not own more or less of them. Many of our largest capitalists and shrewdest men have sold their Governments 62 Difficult as it had been to get the old mare in motion, it was now even more difficult to stop her. "Why ! what has got into Ducklow's old mare? She's running away with him ! Who ever heard of such a thing ! " And Atkins, watching the ludicrous spectacle from his field, became almost as weak from laughter as Ducklow was from the effects of fear. At length Ducklow succeeded in checking the old mare's speed, and in turning her about. It was neces- Geo. P. Bissell ,. uir i-i t -o »i • *• & Co. have for sarv to drive back for his hat. By this time twenty-five he could hear a chorus of shouts, " Fire ! fire ! years managed fire!" over the hill. He had aroused the neigh- their business with such pru- bors as he passed, and now they were flock- dence and cau- ing to extinguish the flames. tion that no pan- ics have affected "A false alarm! a false alarm!" said Duck- them. low, looking marvellously sheepish as he met them. " Nothing but Atkins's brush-heap ! " " Seems to me you ought to have found that out 'fore you raised all creation with your yells! "said one hyperbolical fellow. " You looked like the Flying Dutchman ! This your hat ? I thought 'twas a dead cat in the road. No fire! no fire!" — turning back to his comrades, — " only one of Ducklow's jokes." Nevertheless, two or three boys there were who would not and bought these eight per cent. Bonds Our most cautious and sagacious business men are our best customers, and we sell them in large amounts all through New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and as far west as Louisville, Kentucky. A list of the buyers taken from our books would be a list of the most prudent and cautious business men in this city, New England, and New York State. (See page 66.) 63 be convinced, but continued to leap up, swing their caps, and scream "Fire!" against all remonstrance. Ducklow did not wait to enter into explanations, but, turning the old mare about again, drove home amid the laughter of the bystanders and the screams of the misguided youngsters. As he approached the house, he met Taddy rushing wildly up the street. It is a good " Thaddeus ! Thaddeus ! where ye goin', Thad- r u le to invest . -, ». deus? money through old-established, "Goin' to the fire!" cried Taddy. experienced, and "There isn't any fire, boy!" conservative Bankers. The " Yes, there is! Didn't ye hear 'em? They've firm of Geo. P. b(?en mn , Hke f „ Bissell & Co. is ' ' such a house. "It's nothin' but Atkins's brush." "That all?" And Taddy appeared very much disappointed. " I thought there was goin' to be some fun. I wonder who was such a fool as to yell fire jest for a darned old brush heap!" Ducklow did not inform him. "I've got to drive over to town and git Reuben's trunk. You stand by the mare while I step in and brush my hat." Evansville, Ind., though comparatively a young city (the first house having been built in 1812), is a well founded one, the site having been selected with reference to its availability for commerce, and as being one well adapted as a centre of trade for the surrounding country. It lies on the north bank of the Ohio river, with a river frontage of more than two miles, and is the supply depot for a large section of very fertile country. It is a " Port of Entry," having a United States Custom 64 Instead of applying himself at once to the restoration of his beaver, he hastened to the sitting-room, to sec that the bonds were safe. "Heavens and 'arth ! " exclaimed Ducklow. The chair, which had been carefully planted in the spot where they were concealed, had been removed. Three or four tacks had been taken out, and the carpet pushed q 60- p. Bissell from the wall. There was straw scattered about. & Co. never speculate and Evidently Taddy had been interrupted, in the never take spec- midst of his ransacking, by the alarm of fire, ulative orders for stocks " on a Indeed, he was even now creeping into the margin." They house to see what notice Ducklow would take do a steady, old- fashioned, safe of these evidences of his mischief. banking busi- In great trepidation the farmer thrust in his ness. hand here and there, and groped, until he found the envelope precisely where it had been placed the night before, with the tape tied around it, which his wife had put on to prevent its contents from slipping out and losing themselves. Great was the joy of Ducklow. Great also was the wrath of him when he turned and discovered Taddy. House, and occupies the same position toward Indiana that Cincinnati does to Ohio, being the river town of the State ; and controlling as it does the trade on both sides of the river, it must always be a bright, active, and busy city. Besides being a centre for a great amount of trade the city is largely interested in iron manufacture, blast furnaces, rolling-mills, store works, etc., etc., and also has become a centre for cotton manufacture, and does a large business in leaf tobacco. Population about 37,000. 65 "Didn't I tell you to stand by the old mare?" " She wont stir," said Taddy, shrinking away again. "Come here!" And Ducklow grasped him by the collar. "What have you been doin' ? Look at that!" "'Twa'n't me!" — beginning to whimper and ram his fists into his eyes. "Don't tell me 'twa'n't you!" Ducklow shook him till his teeth chattered. "What was vou pullin' up Geo. P. Bissell & Co. invite the carpet for?" correspondence "Lost a marble!" snivelled Taddv. from investors with small "Lost a marble! Ye didn't lose it under means as well as t h e carpet, did ye? Look at all that straw pulled from those hav- ing large sums, out !"— shaking him again. A person having "Didn't know but it might 'a' got under the only one thou- sand dollars will carpet, marbles roll so," explained Taddy, as receive the same soon as ] ie CO uld get his breath, attention that is ,, given to one " Wal, sir! Ducklow administered a re- having ten times sounding box on his ear; "don't you do such a that amount. thing again, if you lose a million marbles ! " Ha'n't got a million!" Taddy wept, rubbing his cheek. " Ha'n't got but four! Wont ye buy me some to-day?" " Go to that marc, and don't you leave her again till I come, or I'll marble ye in a way you wont like !" Understanding by this somewhat equivocal form of expression 14th. Loans are in Several Cities. We make these loans in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Evansville, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, and several other Western cities, selecting only thriving, prosperous places, and taking only the best property. As we generally have an assortment of from one hundred thousand to two 66 that flagellation was threatened, Taddy obeyed, still feeling his smarting and burning ear. Ducklow was in trouble. What should he do with the bonds? The floor was no place for them, after what had Take them to happened ; and he remembered too well the ex- Geo - p - Bisse11 & Co., of course, perience of yesterday to think for a moment of a n d exchange carrying them about his person. With unreasonable them for 8 P er cent. Real Estate impatience, his mind reverted to Mrs. Ducklow. Bonds, which "Why a'n't she to home? These women are would P a ^ him better and give forever a-gaddin'! I wish Reuben's trunk was in n j m no trouble Jericho ! " in lookin & after. Thinking of the trunk reminded him of one in "the garret, filled with old papers of all sorts — newspapers, letters, bills of sale, children's writing-books, — accumulations of the past quarter of a century. Neither fire nor burglar nor ransacking youngster had ever molested those ancient records during all those five-and- twenty years. A bright thought struck him. " I'll slip the bonds down into that wuthless heap o' rubbish, where no one 'u'd ever think o' lookin' for 'em, and resk 'em." Having assured himself that Taddy was standing by the wagon, he paid a hasty visit to the trunk in the garret, and con- cealed the envelope, still bound in its band of tape, among the papers. He then drove away, giving Taddy a final charge to beware of setting anything afire. He had driven about half a mile when he met a pedler. hundred and fifty thousand dollars of Bonds actually on hand and paid for, and applications for as much more dis- tributed through various localities, we can divide any sum which may seek investment so that it may not all be in one place. 67 There was nothing unusual or alarming in such a circumstance, surely; but as Ducklow kept on it troubled him. "He'll stop to the house now, most likely, and want to trade. Findin' nobody but Taddy, there's no knowin' what he'll be tempted to do. But I a'n't a-goin' to worry. I'll defy anybody to find them bonds. Besides, she may be home by this time. I guess she'll hear of the fire alarm, and hurry home ; it'll be jest „ „. . like her. She'll be there, and — trade with the Geo. P. Bissell & Co. are Bank- pedler?" thought Ducklow, uneasily. Then a ers having the frightful fancy possessed him. " She has threatened experience of a quarter of a cen- two or three times to sell that old trunkful of ury ' unng papers. He'll offer a big price for 'em, and ten which time they r r ° v have never met to one she'll let him have 'em. Why didn't I with any re- think Qn - t? What g stupid blunderbuss I be!" verses, but have always stood As Ducklow thought of it, he felt almost rm * certain that Mrs. Ducklow had returned home, and that she was bargaining with the pedler at that moment. He fancied her smilingly receiving bright tin-ware for the old papers ; and he could see the tape-tied envelope going into the bag with the rest ! The result was that he turned about and whipped the old mare home again in terrific haste, to catch the departing pedler. Arriving, he found the house as he had left it, and Taddy occupied in making a kite-frame. 15th. Loans Carefully Attended to. We keep all the papers, deeds, etc., in our vault ; and during the continuance of the loan we look after its various details thoroughly. We keep the policies renewed in good companies. We attend to the payment of the coupons, and we have active correspondents in each of the cities, who at 6S "Did that pedler stop here?" "I ha'n't seen no pedler." "And ha'n't yer Ma Ducklow been home, neither?" "No." And with a guilty look, Taddy put the kite-frame behind him. Ducklow considered. The pedler had turned up a cross- street ; he would probably turn down again and stop at the house, after all ; Mrs. Ducklow might by that time ° Geo. P. Bissell be at home ; then the sale of old papers would be & Co. have for very likely to take place. Ducklow thought of twenty-five years managed leaving word that he did not wish any old their business papers in the house to be sold, but feared lest Wlth sucn pru " dence and cau- the request might excite Taddy's suspicions. tion that no pan- " I don't see no way but for me to take the ics have affected them, bonds with me," thought he, with an inward groan. He accordingly went to the garret, took the envelope out of the trunk, and placed it in the breast-pocket of his over- coat, to which he pinned it, to prevent it by an)' chance from getting out. He used six large, strong pins for the purpose, and was afterwards sorry he did not use seven. "There's suthin' losin' out of yer pocket!" bawled Taddy, as he was once more mounting the wagon. Quick as lightning, Ducklow clapped his hand to his breast. once inform us if any change is made adversely affecting the property. This part of our business is admirably sys- tematized. We save the Bondholder from all care, thought, or anxiety, and holders of our eight per cent. Bonds may be assured that their interests will never suffer through any neglect of ours. 60 In doing so, he loosed his hold of the wagon-box and fell, raking his shin badly on the wheel. " Vcr side-pocket! it's one o' yer mittens!" said Taddy. "You rescal ! how you scared me!" Seating himself in the wagon, Ducklow gently pulled up his trousers-leg to look at the bruised part. "Got anything in yer boot-leg to-day, Pa Ducklow?" asked Taddy, innocently. It is a good " Yes, a barked shin ! — all on your account, rule to invest money through to ° ! ^° an " P ut tnat straw back, and fix the old-established, carpet; and don't ye let me hear ye speak of experienced, and conservative m >' boot-leg again, or 111 boot-leg ye! Bankers. The So saying, Ducklow departed. firm of Geo. P. . . .,.-,,,, Bissell & Co is Instead of repairing the mischief he had done such a house. i n the sitting-room, Taddy devoted his time and talents to the more interesting occupation of constructing his kite-frame. He worked at that until Mr. Grantly, the minister, driving by, stopped to inquire how the folks were. " A'n't to home; may I ride?" cried Taddy, all in a breath. Mr. Grantly was an indulgent old gentleman, fond of chil- dren; so he said, "Jump in;" and in a minute Taddy had scrambled to a seat by his side. And now occurred a circumstance which Ducklow had fore- seen. The alarm of fire had reached Reuben's, and although 16th. Are these Loans readily Convertible into Cash ? Of course a Bond or mortgage is never quite so quickly convertible into money as a Government Bond or a leading Railroad Bond ; but while on Government and Railroad Bonds one gets a low rate of interest, on these mortgages he 7° the report of its falseness followed immediately, Mrs. Ducklow's inflammable fancy was so kindled by it that she could find no comfort in prolonging her visit. "Mr. Ducklow '11 be going for the trunk, and I must go home and sec to things, Taddy's such a fellow for mischief! I can foot it ; I sha'n't mind it." And off she started, walking herself out of breath in her anxiety. Geo. P. Bissell She reached the brow of the hill just in & Co - neve ' speculate and time to see a chaise drive away from her own never take spec- j ulative orders for stocks "on a " Who can that be ? I wonder if Taddy's margin." They there to guard the house! If anything should do a steady, old- fashioned, safe happen to them bonds!" banking busi- Out of breath as she was she quickened ness - her pace and trudged on, flushed, perspiring, panting, until she reached the house. " Thaddeus ! " she called. No Taddy answered. She went in. The house was deserted. And lo ! the carpet torn up and the bonds abstracted ! Mr. Ducklow never would have made such work removing the bonds. Then somebody else must have taken them, she reasoned. " The man in the chaise ! " she exclaimed, or rather made gets a very high rate, and the difference more than pays for any slight difficulty in convertibility. We have found in our business that investors have often preferred Bonds which have run some little time and which have thus proved them- selves good ; and this demand for old Bonds has always been so great that we have been able to buy back all which 7i an effort to exclaim, succeeding only in bringing forth a hoarse, gasping sound. Fear dried up articulation. Fox faucibus hccsit. And Taddy ? He had disappeared — been murdered, perhaps, or gagged and carried away by the man in the chaise. Mrs. Ducklow flew hither and thither (to use a favorite phrase of her own), "like a hen with her head cut off;" then rushed out of the house and up the street, screaming after the chaise : Geo. P. Bissell & Co. invite "Murder! murder! Stop thief! stop thief!" correspondence She waved her hands aloft in the air frantic- from investors with small a ^. v - *' sne ' ia " trudged before, now she trotted, means as well as now she cantered; but if the cantering of the from those hav- .... ing large sums. °^ mare was fitly likened to that of a cow, A person having to what thing, to what manner of motion under only one thou- sand dollars will the sun sha11 we llken the cantering of Mrs. receive the same Ducklow? It was original; it was unique; it attention that is . . . given to one was prodigious ! Mow, with her frantically waving having ten times hands, and all her undulating and napping skirts, that amount. . she seemed a species of huge, unwieldy bird, attempting to fly. Then she sank down into a heavy, drag- ging walk, — breath and strength all gone, — no voice left even to scream murder. Then, the awful realization of the loss of the bonds once more rushing over her, she started up again. "Half running, half flying, what progress she made ! " Then Atkins's have ever been presented at only a commission off; and thus investors who have desired to realize have found these Bonds readily convertible into cash, without any of the fluctuations and losses which are common to Stocks and other Bonds. For example, after the Chicago fire one of our Insurance Companies, which held a large amount of dog saw her, and, naturally mistaking her for a prodigy, came out at her, bristling up and bounding and barking terrifically. "Come here!" cried Atkins, following the dog. "What's the matter? What's to pay, Mrs. Ducklow?" Attempting to speak, the good woman could only pant and wheeze. "Robbed!" she at last managed to whisper, amid the yelp- ings of the cur that refused to be silenced. „ _ _, ° Qeo. P. Bissell " Robbed ? How? Who ?" & Co. are Bank- " The chaise. Ketch it." era having the experience of a Her gestures expressed more than her words; quarter of a cen- and Atkins's horse and wagon, with which he had tury ' durin S which time they been drawing out brush, being in the yard near have never met by, he ran to them, leaped to the seat, drove into Wlth any re ~ verses, but have the road, took Mrs. Ducklow aboard, and set out in always stood vigorous pursuit of the slow two-wheeled vehicle. m * " Stop, you, sir ! Stop, you, sir ! " shrieked Mrs. Ducklow, having recovered her breath by the time they came up with the chaise. It stopped, and Mr. Grantly, the minister, put out his good- natured, surprised face. " You've robbed my house ! You've took " Mrs. Ducklow was going on in wild, accusatory accents, when she recognized the benign countenance. them, came to us, and we bought the lot at once, and the President remarked that " they were the most readily con- vertible security in their whole list of solid investments." But while we consider the Bonds as easy to realize on as Bank Stock or any other first-class security, besides not being subject to fluctuations in price, we prefer to sell to 73 "What do you say? I have robbed you?" he exclaimed, very much astonished. " No, no ! not you ! You wouldn't do such a thing ! " she stammered forth, while Atkins, who had laughed himself weak at Mr. Ducklow's plight earlier in the morning, now laughed himself into a side-ache at Mrs. Ducklow's ludicrous mistake. "But did you — did you stop at my house? Have you seen our Thaddeus ? " Geo. P. Bissell "Here I be, Ma Ducklow ! " piped a small & Co. have for twenty-live voice; and Taddy, who had till then remained years managed hidden, fearing punishment, peeped out of the their business . , , ' . , , with such oru- c ' iaise from behind the broad back of the min- dence and cau- ister. tion that no pan- ics have affected Taddy! 1 addy ! how came the carpet them. " I pulled it up, huntin' for a marble," said Taddy, as she paused, overmastered by her emotions. "And the — the thing tied up in a brown wrapper?" " Pa Ducklow took it." " Ye sure ? " " Yes, I seen him ! " "Oh, dear!" said Mrs. Ducklow, "I never was so beat! Mr. Grantly, I hope — excuse me — I didn't know what I was about ! Taddy, you notty boy, what did you leave the house for? Be ye quite sure yer Pa Ducklow " such persons only as wish an investment of a safe, permanent character. Our Twenty-five Years' Experience of Great Value. In speaking of the security of mortgages, it cannot be assumed that all mortgages offered by parties of little or no 74 Taddy repeated that he was quite sure, as he climbed from the chaise into Atkins's wagon. The minister smilingly remarked that he hoped she would find no robbery had been committed, and went his way. Atkins, driving back, and setting her and Taddy down at the Ducklow gate, answered her embarrassed "Much obleeged to ye," with a sincere "Not at all," considering the fun he had had .a sufficient compensation for his trouble. And thus ended the morning's adventures, with the exception of an unimportant episode, in which Taddy, Mrs. Ducklow, and Mrs. Ducklow's rattan were the principal actors. At noon Mr. Ducklow returned. "Did ye take the bonds?" was his wife's first question. " Of course I did ! Ye don't suppose I'd go away and leave 'em in the house, not knowin' when you'd be comin' home?" " Wal, I didn't know. And I didn't know whuther to believe Taddy or not. Oh, I've had such a fright!" Trades made And she related the storv of her pursuit of with Geo. P.Bis- sell & Co. do not the minister. "git all over "How could ye make such a fool of yerself? own • e y consider all busi- It'll git all over town, and I shall be mortified ness transacted to death. Jest like a woman, to git frightened ! " with them as private and con- " If you hadn't got frightened, and made a fidential. fool of yourself, yelling fire, 'twouldn't have happened !" retorted Mrs. Ducklow. experience afford a safe investment. Judgment is required in the first selection of the property upon which the loan shall be made ; a nice discrimination as to the character of the man who receives the money ; disinterested appraisers, of experience, who are not neighbors and friends of the applicant, and who will set a valuation that will stand the 75 " Wal ! wal ! say no more about it! The bonds are safe." " I was in hopes you'd change 'em for them registered bonds Reuben spoke of." " I did try to, but they told me to the bank it couldn't be did. Then I asked 'em if they would keep 'em for me, and Geo. P. Bissell they said they wouldn't object to lockin' on & Co. invite* .1 ■ c , , ., 1 1 •, em up in their safe ; but thev wouldn t give correspondence J from- investors me no receipt, nor hold themselves responsible with small for >em j di(Jn>t know what else tQ do SQ T means as well as from those hav- handed 'em the bonds to keep." ing large sums. „ j wam tQ knQW if did nQW , „ exclaim . A person having only one thou- ed Mrs. Ducklow, disapprovingly. sand dollars will „ w , nQt ? what e]se CQuld j do ? j didn . t receive the same attention that is want to lug 'em around with me forever. And as given to one |- Qr jjeepin' 'em hid in the house, we've tried that ! " having ten times that amount. and Ducklow unfolded his weekly newspaper. Mrs. Ducklow was placing the dinner on the table, with a look which seemed to say, " / wouldn't have left the bonds in the bankj'wy judgment would have been better than all that. If they are lost, I sha'n't be to blame ! " when suddenly Ducklow started and uttered a cry of consternation over his newspa- per. " Why, what have ye found ? " " Bank robbery ! " test — if need be — of a sale under the hammer ; and, finally, a lawyer versed in real estate law, who will not take an abstract as satisfactory proof of clear title, but will investi- gate fully the record books, and look out for flaws which cannot be discovered in a hurried examination by one who has no other interest than simply to secure his fee. It is just 76 "Not your bank? Not the bank where your bonds -'" "Of course not; but in the very next, town ! The safe blown open with gunpowder! Five thousand Geo. P. Bissell dollars in Gov'ment bonds stole!" & Co. have new, extra strong.and "How strange!" said Mrs. Ducklow. "Now fire-proof Safe what did I tell ye?" De P osit Vaults - with the latest "I believe you're right!" cried Ducklow, and best i in- starting to his feet. "They'll be safer in my Pavements, guarded by own house, or even in my own pocket!" double chronom- " If you was going to put 'em in any safe, eter locks ' and 1 e> & r /i thus offer every why not put 'em in Josiah's? He's got a safe, security against ve know." robbery and theft. Boxes to " So he has ! We might drive over there and rent. make a visit Monday, and ask him to lock up yes, we might tell him and Laury all about it, and leave 'em in their charge." " So we might," said Mrs. Ducklow. Laura was their daughter, and Josiah her husband, in whose honor and sagacity they placed unlimited confidence. The plan was resolved upon at once. "To-morrow's Sunday," said Ducklow, pacing the floor- " If we leave the bonds in the bank over night, they must stay there till Monday." " And Sunday is jest the day for burglars to operate ! " added Mrs. Ducklow. here that we make our strongest claim. For twenty-five years we have given these points our closest study. Our agents, appraisers, and lawyers stand unrivalled in their respective departments ; our transactions are so large that we are able to secure their entire services, and their inter- ests in making no mistakes are identical with ours. Such 77 "I've a good notion — let me see!" said Ducklow, looking at the clock. " Twenty minutes after twelve ! Bank closes at Geo. P. Bissell two! An hour and a half, — I believe I could & Co.'s office, - t (here in an hour and a half j win |. u 307 Main street, Hartford, Conn., take a bite and drive right back." open for busi- Which he accordingly did, and brought the ness until 4 o'clock P. M. tape-tied envelope home with him again. That night he slept with it under his pillow. The next day was Sundav ; and although Mr. Ducklow did not like to have the bonds on his mind during sermon-time, and Mrs. Ducklow "dreaded dreadfully," as she said, "to look the minister in the face," they concluded that it was best, on the whole, to go to meeting and carry the bonds. With the envelope once more in his breast-pocket (stitched in this time by Mrs. Ducklow*s own hand), the farmer sat under the droppings " Min isters " never " except" of the sanctuary, and stared up at the good min- the 8 per cenj. j ster) hut without hearing a word of the discourse, Real Estate Bondsof Geo. P. his mind was so engrossed by worldly cares, Bissell & Co., un til t he preacher exclaimed vehementlv, look- but always glad- ly accept them i n g straight at Ducklow' s pew: either as dona- ■• what said Paul ? ' I would to God that not tions from their parishioners or only thou, but also all that hear me this day, as investments we re both almost and altogether such as I am, for themselves. except these bonis.' ' Except these bonds ! he repeated, striking the Bible. "Can you, my hearers, — can you experience as ours, and such a trained corps of assistants as we have, cannot be obtained in a day nor in a year ; and we claim that our Bonds, gotten up under such auspices, cannot be equalled by those of any other Banking House or Loan Association in the country. 78 say, with Paul, 'Would that all were as I am, except these bonds' ?" A point which seemed for a moment so personal to himself that Ducklow was filled with confusion, and would certainly have stammered out some foolish answer, had not the preacher passed on to other themes. As it was, Ducklow contented himself with glancing around to see if the congregation were looking at him, and carelessly passing his hand across his breast-pocket to make sure the bonds were still there. Early the next morning the old mare was harnessed, and Taddv's adopted parents set out to visit their It is a good daughter, — Mrs. Ducklow having postponed her rule to invest washing for the purpose. It was afternoon when mone y through ° * ! old-established, they arrived at their journey's end. Laura receiv- experienced, and ed them joyfully, but Tosiah was not expected C0Ilservatlve ■ Bankers. The home until evening. Mr. Ducklow put the old firm of Geo. P. mare in the barn, and fed her, and then went in Bisse & Co - IS such a house, to dinner, feeling very comfortable indeed. " Josiah's got a nice place here. That's about as slick a little barn as ever I see. Always does me good to come over here and see you gittin' along so nicely, Laury." " I wish you'd come oftener, then," said Laura. "Wal, it's hard leavin' home, ye know. Have to get one of the Atkins boys to come and sleep with Taddy the night we're away." We have thus given all the points which occur to us; but we will be happy to answer any questions concerning these securities which may suggest themselves to those who wish to buy. In summing up we can only say, that if these Bonds ARE NOT GOOD, THEN WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS. We HAVE 79 " We shouldn't have come to-day, if 't hadn't been for me," remarked Mrs. Ducklow. " Says I to your father, says I, 'I feel as if I wanted to go over and see Laury; it seems an age since I've seen her,' says I. ' Wal,' says he, ' s'pos'n' we go!' says he. That was only last Saturday; and this morning we started." " And it's no fool of a job to make the journey with the old mare ! " said Ducklow. "Why don't vou drive a better horse?" said Incomes in- ' J creased by in- Laura, whose pride was always touched when vesting in the her parents came to v j s ; t ) ier w i t h. the old mare above mention- ed 8 per cent, and the one-horse wagon. on s ' "Oh, she answers my purpose. Hossflesh is high, Laury. Have to economize, these times." "I'm sure there's no need of your economizing!" exclaimed Laura, leading the way to the dining-room. " Why don't you use your money, and have the good of it ? " "So I tell him," said Mrs. Ducklow, faintly. "Why, Laury! I didn't want you to be to so much trouble to git dinner jest for us ! A bite would have answered. Do see, father ! " At evening Josiah came home, and it was not till then that Ducklow mentioned the subject which was foremost in his thoughts. "What do ye think o' Gov'ment bonds, Josiah?" he inci- dentally inquired, after supper. " First-rate ! " said Josiah. SOLD IMMENSE AMOUNTS DURING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, GIVING GREAT SATISFACTION TO OUR CUSTOMERS, AND CON- STANTLY INCREASING OUR BUSINESS. We SHALL TAKE AS much care in the future as in the past, and we ask, What can be better, as an investment, than these Eight Per Cent. Bonds? So "About as safe as anything, a'n't they?" asked Ducklovv, encouraged. "Safe?" cried Josiah. "Just look at the resources of this country ! Nobody has yet begun to appreciate the power and un- developed wealth of these United States. It's a big rebellion, I know ; but we're going to put it down. It'll leave us a big debt, ver)' sure ; but we handle it now easy as that child lifts that stool. It makes him grunt and stagger a „,. „ ° °° The 8 per cent. little, not because he isn't strong enough for it, Bonds sold by but because he don't understand his own strength, _ " ° & Co. cannot be or how to use it; he'll have twice the strength, repudiated by and know iust how to apply it, in a little while. a v0 e ° e J J people, as they Just so with this country. It makes me laugh to are Individual hear folks talk about repudiation and bankruptcy." Bonds > secured v v J by First Mort- " But s'pos'n' we do put down the rebellion, gage on improv- and the States come back ; then what's to hender ed clt yP r0 P ert y- the South, and Secesh sympathizers in the North, from j'ining together and votin' that the debt sha'n't be paid?" We refer to Hartford National Bank Hartford. Exchange National Bank Hon. Calvin Day Hon. Joseph R. Hawley Hon. Marshall Jewell " Bank of New York New York. Vermilye & Co Drexel, Morgan & Co Not that these parties know about each set of Bonds which we sell, but they know our standing, and can vouch for the trustworthiness of our statements. Si " Don't you worry about that ! Do ye suppose we're going to be such fools as to give the Rebels, after we've whipped em, the same political power they had before the war? Not bv a long chalk ! Sooner than that, we'll put the ballot into the hands of the freedmen. They're our friends. They've fought on the right side, and they'll vote on the right side. I tell ye, spite of all the prejudice there is against black skins, we a'n't such a nation of ninnies as to give up all we're fighting for, and leave our best friends and allies, not to speak of our own interests, in the hands of our enemies." " You consider Gov'ments a good investment, then, do ye ? " said Ducklow, growing radiant. Josiah should "* do, decidedly, — the very best. Besides, have added (and VO u help the Government ; and that's no small probably did in t,:= „.„,, m ;*,A\ consideration, nis own mind), "Except the 8 "So I thought. But how is it about the per cent. Bonds , ,,„,,, , . , ,. , sold by Geo P cowpon bonds? Ant they rather ticklish prop- Bissell & Co., of erty to have in the house?" Hartford, Conn." , Well, 1 don t know, ihink how many years you'll keep old bills and documents and never dream of such a thing as losing them ! There's not a bit more danger with the bonds. I shouldn't want to carry 'em around with me, to any great amount, — though I did once carry three thousand- dollar bonds in my pocket for a week. I didn't mind it." "Curi's!" said Ducklow. "I've got three thousand-dollar bonds in my pocket this minute!" "Well, it's so much good property," said Josiah, appearing not at all surprised at the circumstance. " Seems to me, though, if I had a safe, as you have, I should lock 'em up in it." " I was travelling that week. I locked 'em up pretty soon after I got home, though." 82 "Suppose," said Ducklow, as if the thought had but just oc- curred to him, "suppose you put my bonds into your safe. I shall feel easier." " Of course," replied Josiah; "I'll keep 'em for you, if you like." "It will be an accommodation. They'll be safe, will they?" " Safe as mine are ; safe as anybody's. I'll insure 'em for twenty-five cents." Ducklow was happy. Mrs. Ducklow was happy. She took her husband's coat, and with a pair of scissors cut the threads that stitched the envelope to the pocket. Geo p B; sse n " Have you torn off the May coupons? " asked & Co. are Bank- T . ers having the -' experience of a "No." quarter of a cen- . , , Fnif.ii tury, during Well, youd better. They 11 be payable now which time they soon ; and if you take them, you wont have to have never met 1111 ..,,,. .with any re- touch the bonds again tdl the interest on the verseS) but have November coupons is due." always stood " A good idea ! " said Ducklow. He took the envelope, untied the tape, and removed its con- tents. Suddenly the glow of comfort, the gleam of satisfaction, faded from his countenance. " Hello ! What ye got there ? " cried Josiah. "Why, father! massy sakes ! " exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow. As for Ducklow himself, he could not utter a word ; but, dumb with consternation, he looked again in the envelope, and opened and turned inside out, and shook, with trembling hands, its astonishing contents. The bonds were not there ; they had been stolen, and three copies of the " Sunday Visitor " had been inserted in their place. Very early on the following morning a dismal-faced middle- aged couple might have been seen riding away from Josiah's 83 house. It was the Ducklows returning home, after their fruitless, their worse than fruitless, journey. No entreaties could prevail upon them to prolong their visit. It was with difficult)' even that they had been prevented from setting off immediately on the discover}- of their loss, and travelling all night, in their impatience to get upon the track of the missing bonds. " There'll be not the least use in going to-night," Josiah had said. " If they were stolen at the bank, you can't do anything about it till to-morrow. And even if they were taken from your own house, I don't see Avhat's to be gained now by hurrying back. It isn't probable you'll ever see 'em again, and you may just as well take it easy, — go to bed and sleep on it, and get a fresh start in the morning." „ So, much against their inclination, the unfor- Geo. P. Bissell ° & Co. have for tunate owners of the abstracted bonds retired to twenty-five t ^ e i uxurious chamber Laura gave them, and lav years managed their business awake all night, gioaning and sighing, wondering with such pru- anc j surm ; s i n g ) anc i (j; regret to add) blaming each dence and cau- tion that no pan- other. So true it is that "modern conveniences," ics have affected hot anc j co i d water a u over the house, a pier- them. glass, and the most magnificently canopied couch, avail nothing to give tranquillity to the harrassed mind. Hitherto the Ducklows had felt great satisfaction in the style their daughter, by her marriage, was enabled to support. To brag of her nice house and furniture and two servants was almost as good as possessing them. Remembering her rich dining-room and silver service and porcelain, they were proud. Such things were enough for the honor of the family ; and, asking nothing for themselves, they slept well in their humblest of bed-chambers, and sipped their tea contentedly out of clumsy earthen. But that night the boasted style in which their "darter" lived was less appreciated than formerly ; fashion and splendor were no longer a consolation. 84 "If we had only given the three thousan' dollars (<> Reuben!" said Ducklow, driving homeward with a countenance as long as his whip-lash; "'twould have just set him up, and been some compensation for his sufferin's and losses goin' to the war." "Wal, I had no objections," replied Mrs. Ducklow. "I al- ways thought he ought to have the money eventooally. And, as Miss Beswick said, no doubt it would 'a' been ten times the comfort to him now it would be a number o' years from now. But you didn't seem willing." "I don't know! 'twas you that wasn't willin' ! " And the)' expatiated on Reuben's merits, and their benevo- lent intentions towards him, and, in imagination, endowed him with the price of the bonds over and over again ; It is a good so easy is it to be generous with lost money! rule to invest "But it's no use talkin'!" said Ducklow. mon ey through old-established, "I've not the least idee we shall ever see the experienced, and color o' them bonds again. If they was stole to conservatlve Bankers. The the bank, I can't prove anything." firm D f Geo. P. "It does seem strange to me," Mrs. Ducklow Bisse11 & Co - 1S such a house, replied, " that you should have had no more gumption than to trust the bonds with strangers, when they told you in so many words they wouldn't be responsible." " If you have flung that in my teeth once, you have fifty times!" And Ducklow lashed the old mare, as if she, and not Mrs. Ducklow, had exasperated him. "Wal," said the lady, " I don't see how we're going to work to find 'em, now they're lost, without making inquiries; and we can't make inquiries without letting it be known we had bought." "I been thinkin' about that," said her husband. "Oh, dear!" with a groan ; " I wish the pesky cowpon bonds had never been invented ! " 35 They drove first to the bank, where they were of course told that the envelope had not been untied there. " Besides, it was sealed, wasn't it?" said the cashier. "Indeed!" He expressed great surprise, when informed that it was not. " It should have been ; I supposed any child would know enough to look out for that !" And this was all the consolation Ducklow could obtain. "Just as I expected," said Mrs. Ducklow, as they resumed their journey. " I just as much believe that man stole your bonds as that you trusted 'em in his hands in an unsealed wrapper! Beats all, how you could be so careless!" "Wal, wal ! I s'pose I never shall hear the last on't ! " And again the poor old mare had to suffer for Mrs. Duck- Geo. P. Bissell low's offences. They had but one hope now — that perhaps speculate and never take spec- Taddy had tampered with the envelope, and that ulative orders tlie Donc j s might be found somewhere about the for stocks " on a margin." They house. But this hope was quickly extinguished do a steady, old- on t | ieir arr i va i_ Taddy, being accused, protested fashioned, safe banking- busi- his innocence with a vehemence which convinced ness- even Mr. Ducklow that the cashier was probably the guilty party. " Unless," said he, brandishing the rattan, " somebody got into the house that morning when the little scamp run off to ride with the minister!" " Oh, don't lick me for that ! I've been licked for that once ; ha'n't I, Ma Ducklow?" shrieked Taddy. The house was searched in vain. No clue to the purloined securities was obtained, — the copies of the " Sunday Visitor," which had been substituted for them, affording not the least ; for that valuable little paper was found in almost every household, except Ducklow's. 86 " I don't see any way left but to advertise, as Josiah said," remarked the farmer, with a deep sigli of despondency. "And that'll bring it all out!" exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow. "If you only hadn't been so imprudent!" Read the ad- "Wal.wal!" said Ducklow, cutting her short, vertisement of Before resorting to public measures for the Geo- P- Blssell& Co. in this book, recovery of the stolen property, it was deemed expedient to acquaint their friends with their loss in a private way. The next da}', accordingly, the}- went to pay Reuben a visit. It was a very different meeting from that which took place a few mornings before. The returned soldi-er had gained in health, but not in spirits. The rapture of reaching home once more, the flush of hope and happiness, had passed away with the visitors who had flocked to offer their congratula- tions. He had had time to reflect ; he had reached home, indeed ; but now every moment reminded him how soon that home was to be taken from him. He looked at his wife and children, and clenched his teeth hard to stifle the emotions that arose at the thought of their future. The sweet serenity, the faith and patience and cheerfulness, which never ceased to illumine Sophronia's face as she moved about the house, pursuing her daily tasks and tenderly waiting upon him, deepened at once his love and his solicitude. He was watching her thus when the Ducklows entered with countenances mournful as the grave. "How are you gittin' along, Reuben?" said Ducklow, while his wife murmured a solemn " good-morning " to Sophronia. " I am doing well enough. Don't be at all concerned about me ! It a'n't pleasant to lie here, and feel it may be months, months, before I'm able to be about my business ; but I wouldn't mind it, — I could stand it first-rate, — I could stand anything, anything but to see her working her life out for me and the 87 children ! To no purpose, either ; that's the worst of it. We shall have to lose this place, spite of fate ! " "Oh, Reuben !" said Sophronia, hastening to him, and laying her soothing hands upon his hot forehead ; " why wont you stop thinking about that? Do try to have more faith ! We shall be taken care of, I'm sure ! " " If I had three thousand dollars — yes, or even two — then I'd have faith ! " said Reuben. " Miss Beswick has proposed to send a subscription paper around town for us ; but I'd rather die than have it done ! Besides, nothing near that amount could be raised, I'm confident. You needn't groan so, Pa Duck- Geo. P. Bissell 6 & Co. invite low, for I a'n't hinting at you. I don't expect correspondence tQ h . mjJ Qut of troub l e . If you had felt from investors ' with small called upon to do it, you'd have done it before means as well as nQW , and T don " t ask) t don - t beg of anv man ;" from those hav- ing large sums, added the soldier, proudly. A person having "That's rieht ; I like voursperit!" said the only one thou- sand dollars will miserable Ducklow. "But I was sighing to think receive the same Q f some thing, — something you haven't known anv- attention that is given to one thing about, Reuben." having ten times "Yes, Reuben, we should have helped you," that amount. said Mrs. Ducklow, "and did, did take steps towards it " " In fact," resumed Ducklow, " you've met with a great misfortin', Reuben. Unbeknown to yourself, you've met with a great misfortin' ! Yer Ma Ducklow knows." " Yes, Reuben, the very day you came home, your Pa Ducklow made an investment for your benefit. We didn't mention it, — you know I wouldn't own up to it, though I didn't exactly say the contrary, the morning we was over here " "Because," said Ducklow, as she faltered, " wc wanted to surprise you ; we was keepin' it a secret till the right time, then we was goin' to make it a pleasant surprise to ye." " What in the name of common-sense are you talking about ! " cried Reuben, looking from one to the other of the wretched, prevaricating pair. " Cowpon bonds!" groaned Ducklow. "Three thousan'- dollar cowpon bonds ! The money had been lent, but I wanted to make a good investment for you, and I thought there was nothin' so good as Gov'ments " " That's all right," said Reuben. " Only, if you had money to invest for my benefit, I should have preferred to pay off the mortgage the first thing." " Sartin ! sartin ! " said Ducklow ; " and you Ge0, P " Bisse11 ' & Co. are Bank- could have turned the bonds right in, if you had ers having the so chosen, like so much cash. Or you could have ex P enenc « ° a quarter of a cen- drawed your interest on the bonds in gold, and tury, during paid the interest on your mortgage in currency, w lcntimetnev have never met and made so much, as I rather thought you would." with any re- " But the bonds?" eagerly demanded Reuben, verses, but have always stood with trembling hopes, just as Miss Beswick, with firm. her shawl over her head, entered the room. " We was jest telling about our loss, Reuben's loss," said Mrs. Ducklow, in a manner which betrayed no little anxiety to conciliate that terrible woman. " Very well ! don't let me interrupt." And Miss Beswick, slipping the shawl from her head, sat down. Her presence, stiff and prim and sarcastic, did not tend in the least to relieve Mr. Ducklow from the natural embarrass- ment he felt in giving his version of Reuben's loss. However, assisted occasionally by a judicious remark thrown in by Mrs. Ducklow, he succeeded in telling a sufficiently plausible and candid-seeming story. " I see ! I see ! " said Reuben, who had listened with astonish- ment and pain to the narrative. " You had kinder intentions towards me than I gave you credit for. Forgive me, if I wronged you !" He pressed the hand of his adopted father, and thanked him from a heart filled with gratitude and trouble. " But don't feel so bad about it. You did what you thought best. I can only say, the fates are against me." " Hem ! " coughing, Miss Beswick stretched up her long neck and cleared her throat. " So them bonds you had bought for Reuben was in the house the very night I called ! " "Yes, Miss Beswick," replied Mrs. Ducklow; "and that's what made it so uncomfortable to us to have you talk the way Geo. P. Bissell you did." & Co. have for "Hem!" The neck was stretched up still twenty-five years managed farther than before, and the redoubtable throat their business cleared again< " 'Twas too bad! Ye ought to with such pru- dence and cau- have told me. You'd actooally bought the bonds tion that no pan- _ bought - em for Reuben, had ye?" ics have affected them. " Sartin ! sartin ! " said Ducklow. "To be sure!" said Mrs. Ducklow. " We designed 'em for his benefit, a surprise, when the right time come," said both together. "Hem! well!" (It was evident that the Beswick was clear- ing her decks for action.) "When the right time come! yes! That right time wasn't somethin' indefinite, in the fur futur' of course ! Yer losin' the bonds didn't hurry up yer benevolence the least grain, I s'pose ! Hem! let in them boys, Sophrony!" Sophronia opened the door, and in walked Master Dick At- kins (son of the brush-burner), followed, not without reluctance and concern, by Master Taddy. " Thaddeus ! what you here for?" demanded the adopted parents. yo " Because I said so," remarked Miss Beswick, arbitrarily. "Step along, boys, step along. Hold up yer head, t* j j r • >* • • . i u i i t> "Children cry Taddy, for ye ant goin to be hurt while I m f „ _. p around. Take yer fists out o' yer eyes, and stop Bissell & Co.'s blubberin'. Mr. Ducklow, that bov knows some- „ . . ~ ' ' - Estate Bonds. thin' about Reuben's cowpon bonds." "Thaddeus!" ejaculated both Ducklows at once, "did you touch them bonds?" "Didn't know what they was!" whimpered Taddy. "Did you take them?" And the female Ducklow grasped his shoulder. " Hands off, if you please ! " remarked Miss Beswick, with frightfully gleaming courtesy. " I told him, if he'd be a good boy, and come along with Richard, and tell the truth, he shouldn't be hurt. If you please," she repeated, with a majes- tic nod ; and Mrs. Ducklow took her hands off. "Where are they now? where are they?" cried Ducklow, rushing headlong to the main question. " Don't know," said Taddy. "Don't know? you villain!" And Ducklow was rising in wrath. But Miss Beswick put up her hand deprecating- "If you please !" she said with grim civility; and Ducklow sank down again. " What did you do with 'em ? what did you want of 'em ? " said Mrs. Ducklow, with difficulty restraining an impulse to wring his neck. " To cover my kite," confessed the miserable Taddy. " Cover your kite ! your kite ! " A chorus of groans from the Ducklows. "Didn't you know no better?" "Didn't think you'd care," said Taddy. "I had some news- papers Dick gave me to cover it ; but I thought them things 9 1 u'd be pootier. So I took 'em, and put the newspapers in the wrapper." "Did ye cover yer kite?" " Xo. When I found out you cared so much about 'em, I dars'n't ; I was afraid you'd see 'em." "Then what did you do with 'em?" " When you was away, Dick come over to sleep with me, and I — I sold 'em to him." " Sold 'em to Dick ! " "Yes," spoke up Dick, stoutly, "for six marbles, and one was a bull's-eye, and one agate, and two alleys. Then, when you come home and made such a fuss, he wanted 'em ag'in. But he wouldn't give me back but four, and I wa'n't It is a good rule to invest going to agree to no such nonsense as that." money through „ r< j j QSt the bulrs . eve and one common," old-established, experienced, and whined Taddy. conservative .. Bm the bonds , did ou des troy em?" Bankers. The firm of Geo. P. " Likely I'd destroy 'em, after I'd paid six Bissell & Co. is mar ble S for 'em!" said Dick. "I wanted 'em to such a house. cover my kite with." "Cover your — oh! then you've made a kite of 'em?" said Ducklow. " Well, I was going to, when Aunt Beswick ketched me at it. She made me tell where I got 'em, and took me over to your house jest now; and Taddy said you was over here, and so she put ahead, and made us follow her." Again, in an agony of impatience, Ducklow demanded to know where the bonds were at that moment. " If Taddy'll give me back my marbles," began Master Dick. "That'll do!" said Miss Beswick, silencing him with a ges- ture. " Reuben will give you twenty marbles ; for I believe you said they was Reuben's bonds, Mr. Ducklow?" 92 " Yes, that is " stammered the adopted father. " Eventooally," struck in the adopted mother. "Now look here! What am I to understand? Be they Reuben's bonds, or be they not? That's the question!" And there was that in Miss Beswick's look which said, " If they are not Reuben's, then your eyes shall never behold them more ! " " Of course they're Reuben's!" "We intended all the while " " His benefit " " To do jest what he pleases with 'em," chorused Pa and Ma Ducklow. " Wal ! now it's understood ! Here, Reuben, are your cowpon bonds !" And Miss Beswick, drawing them from her bosom, placed the precious documents, with formal politeness, in the glad soldier's agitated hands. "Glory!" cried Reuben, assuring himself that they were genuine and real. " Sophrony, you've got a home ! _, , , Geo. P. Bissell Ruby, Carrie, you ve got a home! Miss Beswick! & Co never you angel from the skies! order a bushel and a speculate and never take spec- half of marbles for Dick, and have the bill sent u i a ti V e orders to me! Oh, Pa Ducklow! you never did a nobler forstocks "ona margin." They or more generous thing in your life. These will do a stea( jy old- lift the mortgage, and leave me a nest-egg besides, fashioned, safe T , , T . , , , . banking busi- Ihen when 1 get my back pa}-, and my pension, ness and my health again, we shall be independent." And the soldier, overcome by his feelings, sank back in the arms of his wife. "We always told you we'd do well by ye, you remember?" said the Ducklows, triumphantly. The news went abroad. Again congratulations poured in upon the returned volunteer. Everybody rejoiced in his good fortune — especially certain rich ones who had been dreading to 93 I see Miss Beswick come round with her proposed subscription- paper. Among the rest, the Ducklows rejoiced not the least; for selfishness was with them, as it is with many, rather a thing of habit than a fault of the heart. The catastrophe of the bonds broke up that life-long habit, and revealed good Geo. P. Bissell & Co. invite nearts underneath. The consciousness of having correspondence done an act of justice, although by accident, from investors with small proved very sweet to them ; it was really a means as well as fresh sensation; and Reuben and his dear little from those hav- ing large sums, family, saved from ruin and distress, happy, A person having thankful, glad, was a sight to their old eyes such only one thou- sand dollars will as triev h a d never witnessed before. Not gold receive the same itself, in any quantity, at the highest premium, attention that is . given to one cou ^ have given them so much satisfaction; and having ten times as for coupon bonds, they are not to be men- that amount. . , tioned in the comparison. "Wont you do well by me some time, too?" teased little Taddy, who overheard his adopted parents congratulating them- selves on having acted so generously by Reuben. " I don't care for no cowpon bonds, but I do want a new drum ! " " Yes, yes, my son ! " said Ducklow, patting the boy's shoulder. And the drum was bought. Taddy was delighted. But he did not know what made the Ducklows so much happier, so much gentler and kinder, than formerly. Do you? 94 We trust that the financial notes accompanying the above story will not be without their value in conveying the MORAL which this story proves, that Real Estate Mortgages, such as we sell, are better than Governments ; for, as in this case so it will be in all others, the Governments will be sold and friends will come to the rescue rather than that a man shall be turned out of his home by foreclosure. The Mortgage on Rueben's home (and it would have been the same if it had been on his store) must be paid and taken care of in any event, and the owner of that Mortgage had a safer investment than anything else on earth. I