e
had large natural advantages, water-power, etc., and presented an
unusually favorable site for a village. I had considerable means, and
started the village by erecting a dozen houses, a store, a sawmill,
gristmill, and so on.

"This formed a nucleus, and soon quite a village sprang up. The sawmill
and gristmill proved profitable, all my houses were tenanted, and I
erected more, securing also additional land. In course of time I was
induced to sell some of my houses, but I still own two stores, a dozen
houses, the saw and gristmills, besides two outlying farms.

"Living so far away, I could not attend personally to the business
connected with my investment, and was compelled to appoint an agent. Up
to four years since, I was fortunate enough to possess the services of a
capable and trustworthy man, named Sampson. He died after a few weeks'
illness, and I was compelled to look out for a successor.

"Now, I had a distant cousin, who had never succeeded very well in life,
and was at that time seeking for employment of some kind. He heard of
the vacancy, and importuned me to appoint him as my agent in Jackson. I
had no reason to doubt his honesty, though his repeated failures might
well have led me to suspect his capacity. I was weak enough, as I now
consider it, to yield to his importunities and give him the post he
sought.

"The result was that during the first year of his incumbency the amount
turned over to me was only three-fourths as much as in the last year of
his predecessor. The second year there was a further falling off. The
same happened the third year, until at the present time my rents amount
to less than half what they were in Mr. Sampson's time.

"Of course, my suspicions that my cousin was at least inefficient were
aroused long since. I have repeatedly asked an explanation of the
diminished revenues, and plenty of excuses have been made, but they do
not seem to me satisfactory.

"Moreover, I have heard a rumor that Mr. Fairfield is intemperate in his
habits, and I have considerable reason to believe that the story is
correct. I have made up my mind that something must be done. A regard
for my own interests requires that if my agent is unfaithful he should
be displaced, and I wish to find out from some reliable source the true
state of the case.

"Now I will tell you what I have in view. I propose to send you out to
Jackson to investigate and report to me your impressions of the manner
in which Mr.