ancholy man in the white choker had led up to a point where Frank felt pretty sure he was up to some trick or other.

farmer concerning his crops, and particularly about the wif

ospect for the family

neighbor?" as

ar all the burden of the funeral expenses. I'm short myself, and it's going to cramp me to

ur homestead, or anything like that,

stranger with some force. "I promised m

right sentim

at. Let me show you something. See those documents?" and the speaker showed a neat little package of papers secured with a rubber band. He selected the outside one and spread it open. It

red the farmer with bulgi

d brings a man only four per cent. a year. This stock paid me ten per cent. in Janu

ingly, noting the handsome medallion fig

d I'll pay eight per cent. interest and give the next dividend as a bonus, for a loan of seventy-five dollar

e pretty document, "you mean you'll give all that secu

o won't run away wit

mer, perking up with pride. "Straight business with me, neighbo

te, friend. You'll find

, president-you've

paper, c

t Winstanley Astorbilt,

I've got to get a drink

country than a share of

& Milling Compa

nder-why, where did I see that name? I've got it! There's

rmer dazzled with his proposition to think over it. The latter sat in

g the brief item he remembered having seen in the newspaper. He wanted to act on his pla

of confidence men in the city where the paper was published. The scheme was to induce greenhorns to invest in or loan money on mining stock of some c

d Frank, leaning over the seat in front of him an

! Wh

him to read," added

armer as his glance ran over the item. "A

wn the aisle, "how about that little loan? You'll have t

that should have warned the man, who had taken him for an e

ust it near enough to his discomfited face to allow the fellow to get an inkling

and a brake-man threw open the doo

yvi

to the town," grinned the

ough the open doorway he rushed the swindler, and out upon the platform. Arrived there, the farmer change

d then a splash, and saw the baffled swindler land waist-deep in the ditch

n help him out of that fix if they want to," chuckled the farmer, coming