"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.
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