I readily assented to the position as true, and then said—­

“Who, in particular, is poorer?”

“Judge Hammond, for one.”

“Indeed!  I thought the advance in his property, in consequence of the building of this tavern, was so great, that he was reaping a rich pecuniary harvest.”

“There was a slight advance in property along the street after the ‘Sickle and Sheaf’ was opened, and Judge Hammond was benefited thereby.  Interested parties made a good deal of noise about it; but it didn’t amount to much, I believe.”

“What has caused the judge to grow poorer?”

“The opening of this tavern, as I just said.”

“In what way did it affect him?”

“He was among Slade’s warmest supporters, as soon as he felt the advance in the price of building lots, called him one of the most enterprising men in Cedarville—­a real benefactor to the place—­ and all that stuff.  To set a good example of patronage, he came over every day and took his glass of brandy, and encouraged everybody else that he could influence to do the same.  Among those who followed his example was his son Willy.  There was not, let me tell you, in all the country for twenty miles around, a finer young man than Willy, nor one of so much promise, when this man-trap”—­he let his voice fall, and glanced around, as he thus designated Slade’s tavern—­“was opened; and now, there is not one dashing more recklessly along the road to ruin.  When too late, his father saw that his son was corrupted, and that the company he kept was of a dangerous character.  Two reasons led him to purchase Slade’s old mill, and turn it into a factory and a distillery.  Of course, he had to make a heavy outlay for additional buildings, machinery, and distilling apparatus.  The reasons influencing him were the prospect of realizing a large amount of money, especially in distilling, and the hope of saving Willy, by getting him closely engaged and interested in business.  To accomplish, more certainly, the latter end, he unwisely transferred to his son, as his own capital, twenty thousand dollars, and then formed with him a regular copartnership—­giving Willy an active business control.

“But the experiment, sir,” added the man, emphatically, “has proved a failure.  I heard yesterday, that both mill and distillery were to be shut up, and offered for sale.”

“They did not prove as money-making as was anticipated?”

“No, not under Willy Hammond’s management.  He had made too many bad acquaintances—­men who clung to him because he had plenty of money at his command, and spent it as freely as water.  One-half of his time he was away from the mill, and while there, didn’t half attend to business.  I’ve heard it said—­and I don’t much doubt its truth—­that he’s squandered his twenty thousand dollars, and a great deal more besides.”

“How is that possible?”