A PHILOSOPHER
Winn had felt it best to keep silent regarding his suspicions of Weston & Hill, but this new development forced him to unbosom himself to some one and he went to Jess. He waited until the usual evening gathering of callers had left the store, and then he told the story of his distrust from the beginning and ended by reading a portion of Jack's letter. To his surprise Jess received it all as unmoved as a granite ledge.
"I ain't a mite s'rprised," he said, "I sorter felt all 'long that this 'ere boss o' yourn was a swindler 'n' foolin' ye, an' the only reason I took any stock was jist to help ye."
"I know it," responded Winn, "and it's that and because you have influenced others to do so, that worries me."
But Jess only smiled.
"Keep cool," he said, "an' let yer hair grow. I ain't in it so deep but I kin 'ford to lose all I've put in 'n' take keer o' the rest on 'em here. What we want to do now is ter cac'late. When the wind gets squally, the fust thing's to shorten sail. I'll 'low yer friend knows his business, 'n' we'd best send this stock to him 'n' let him sell it if he kin find fools to buy it at the price it's goin', an' then we'd best lay the men off at the quarry 'n' let 'em go fishin'. We might keep two or three on 'em goin'," he added as an afterthought, "jist to keep up 'pearances 'n' lay low till the wind shifts."
"It may be you are right," asserted Winn, "but I do not know what to do and the situation worries me."
"No sorter use 'n' worryin'," said Jess tersely, "ye'r healthy, ain't ye?"
And then Winn laughed. "Yes," he said, "I am, and no worse off than when I came here, but it disturbs me to find I've been deceived."
"You'll git used to that," replied Jess, "I hev. I cac'late in my time I hev hed more'n a hundred pounds o'wool pulled into my eyes 'n' I ain't blind yit. The only cause I've hed fer blamin' myself is 'most every time I got skinned it was 'cause I was too dum good-hearted."
"And that is just why I feel so bad," put in Winn; "you bought this stock to help me, and if you lose, it's on me."
Jess laughed heartily.
"Well, you're shakin' hands with the divil a good ways off," he said, "up to date I'm ahead o' the game a cool hundred 'n' a middlin' good chance o' gittin' more'n double my money back. I cac'late, of course, this stock ain't wuth a cuss, but if by some hocus-pocus they're sayin' it's wuth what your friend says 'tis, I stand a fair chance o' gittin' square. Better tell him he kin let it go fer a dollar 'n' not hang on fer more. I'll be satisfied if I git my hat back."
Then Jess, the big-hearted, thought of Winn. "It's none o' my bizness," he said, "but ez you've made free to trust me, how air ye fixed on this stock? Hev ye put much money into it?"
"I've put five hundred, part borrowed," answered Winn candidly, "and they made me a present of five hundred shares besides."
"Wal, that's a credit to ye, anyhow," responded Jess with an approving look, "an' ye kin feel ye come higher'n the parson." Then after a few minutes' silent meditation during which he closed his eyes and stroked his chin affectionately, he added: "As a gineral thing I'd be slow in advisin' anybody to go crooked, but when ye feel ye're in the hands o' sharpers, it's the only way. Now what I'd advise ye to do is to keep on reportin' the same pay-roll right 'long 'n' lay most o' the men off fer a week or two till ye find what yer friend's done with the stock. What they send ye extra may come handy 'fore this cat's skinned and buried. Then ye kin kinder take it easy for a spell 'n' look the island over so long's yer time 'n' wages is goin' on. Let 'em do the fiddlin' while you dance this time. They cac'late ter make ye do all the fiddlin' an' turn about is fair play."
