Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-02-05
CHAPTER XXI.


hhNAi ALiaihNS "A NE" "ohD.
l am informed, by those who ought to
know, that credit balance ut ones bankers
possesses great virtues as an elevator of both
morals and character. That, apart from
any sordid consideration or misery Joy, it
enables man to face with greater courage
the smaller ills and annoyances of life, rem
ders him less liable to many temptations,
teaches him to regard his fellow-creatures
with more affectionate eyes, and generally
to acGuiesce in the wisdom of the arrange
meut which made the world as it is II this
be so, the universal desire to grow rich may
have for its handspring the noblest motives.
As in nine cases out of ten a woman holds
money in far greater reverence and awe than
man does, the possession Of such a balance
should be to her doubly gratifying and
elevating. With money woman Is a power.
1t was the weak Concession, begun years ago
for mans selfish ends completed to-day for
the sake of justice, that woman hes any
right to hold property at all, which has led
up to the demand for womanhood suffrage.
Beatrice had very large credit balance
in the hands of the family bankers. Messrs
Furlong, Stephens, Furlong, Seymour & Fur
long. an establishment which, for the sake Of
brevity, and on account of its antiquity, was
commonly known as the Blacktown Old
Bank. 1t was a very large balance; SO large
that it annoyed Horace and Herbert to think
Of its lying at the bankers With their
praiseworthy regularity the trustees had
every half year paid their niece's income to
her account at Messrs. Furlongs, and as
Beatrice did not spend one-fifth of it the
money bred with its proverbial fecundity.
Until their niece came to stay with them
the Talberts had, without even consulting
her, invested all surplus income in good
dividend-paying preference or debenture
stocks, chosen because they only paid four
per cent.-no well-advised borrower should
think of offering more than four per cent
Doing so creates naistrust. During the last
year Beatrice had asked them to let the
money lie at the bank. So at the bank 1t
was, as Horace said, not bearing a fraction
of interest. 1t vexed him to see such waste.
Only at Christmas he had reconstructed
with her. you are simply making our
friendsn-several members Of the elongated
firm lived in the neighborhood-''a handsome
yearly present Paying one Of their clerks
salary, in fact
Perhaps that was why Mr.. Stephens was
so attenti-e to me at dinner last week. said
Beatrice placidly.
"Oh, nonsense. It's a mere nothing TO
them But why should they have your
money for nothing. and lend it out at seven
or eight per ceut.F'
Beatrice could give no reason. She simply
said she wished 1t TO remain as 1t YVES for
while Horace and Herbert began to wonder
II she bad afoot any scheme for endowing .
hospital, or restoring the parish church
However, the money lay idle and at call,
and If Horace's explanation Of the method
by whicl bankers make fortunes was correct,
the page in the red basil-covered ledger,
beaded Beatrice Clauson,r must have been
gratifying sight for the Aessrs- Furiong
and the rest Of the firm.
One morning-the very morning which
Mr.. Hervey had appointed for his second in
serTiew with Beatrice-e few minutes after
the respectable Inverted porter bad drawn
the bolfs Of the outer doors, and 30 pro-
claimed that the bank was ready for al
comerx q check for one thousand pounds,
payable to 'self7 or 'fbearern and daned
Beatrice Clauson" was handed ACROSS the
broad mahogany counter TO the spruce cash
Ter
he leaned across the counter and asked
her IN the politest manner:
''How1-you-hav'-itF
Nn Miller would have 1--WE hundred In
gold, and i've Bank Of England notes Tar
ona hundred pocnda eaeh. H. RoqeZ was