The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-09-25

sap in trees that have begun To outlast
their usefulness. We know how hard it
is to earn an honest living, and when we
see any one in whom we have an interest
developing q. taste for iniprudent specu-
lations we instinctively utter protest.
Still. as you say, it is but years in
come, and may be the cheapest way in
the end o.teach you reason is to hulnor'
this expensive fancy. If the money is
lost you viii never miss it, while, as
Stunning that this young man is all your
imagination paints him, know of moth
ing that would give me greater pleasure
than to see you happily married. That
is aromance to which would say Amen
with all my heart
''Thank you very much, Mr.. Chelm.
But will not obtain your connivance
on any such terms. If you regard this
as other than purely business enter
prise warn you that you will be wofully
disappointed.
81 shall have to take my chance of
being right, just as you are going to take
yours. But come now, since you insist
upon my treating this matter seriously,
what is it that You wish me to do:"
Everything, Mr. Chelm.
Gwen to giving away the bride? You
must promise me that, Ell! Miss Harlan"
with pleasure
1T is bargain, then. Command my
\ I
my capital also. But unfortunately |
cannot afford to toss away my hundreds
of thousands like some people. But that
is an aside. Tell me what you wish me
to do. | am all ears
ITO begin with, when Mr.. Prime re-
turns on Saturday should like you to
inform him that you happened by chance
to mention his predicament to friend
of yours"
"Of which SEX"
THAT is entirely immaterial. But if
he should happen to inquire, | shall de-
pend on you TO preserve my incognito.
You must even fib little if it is neces-
sary."
Mercy on us! This romantic young
philanthropist talks. of fibbing as if it
were the most simple thing in life. No,
mademoiselle, we lawyers never fib. If
we are ever obliged to forsake the mar
row pathway of truth we tell square,
honest lie. But this is positively my
last interruption.
"You are to tell him that this friend
of yours was very much interested in his
endeavors to find something to do, and
sympathized with his determination to
wear smile on his face and avoid baggy
trousers to the last That II mean, of
course, the friend-am willing to give
him the chance for which he asks to
prove himself man by placing in your
hands q sufficient sum to found a bank
ing house of undoubted solvency. He is
to have complete control of this money,
on which he may pay interest if he
chooses, in order to satisfy your bus;eess
scruples, Mr.. Chelm but he need never
pay it ba~k unless he wishes to do so,
the particulars of which you will under
stand how to arrange better than | can
tell you. Some day in the dim future,
when he has realized his ambition-for
don't imagine for an instant, Mr.. Chelm,
that / expect him to make fortune all
at once-he may return the original loan
if he sees fit. / shall be an old woman
then, and should, it may be, have less
objection to being known as his bene-
factress than at present Let me see; is
there anything else to say? AS to the
name of the firm, it ought to be Francis
Prime and Company, presume; but the
company must be a man of straw. He
is to receive no outside help, not even.
from you There, think / have made
my wishes sufficiently plain"
"You do not desire him to give secur-
ity for whatever you may advance? Not
very businesslike arrangement. But
as for that the whole scheme is the most
utopian | ever heard Of These women,
these women! 1t makes prJHlent man
tremble to think what would become of
the universe if they had full sway! But
must submit, suppose. have given
my word.
II fear he has no security to offer I'M
less it be Ike-the beautifully ugly Ike;
Ike the imperious! Do you suppose he
would part with the animal? | took
rather fancy to him, didn't you, Mr.
Chelm?"
"Nay; there shall put down my foot.
| will have no dogs in this Office. Love
me, love my dog is maxim to which !
could not subscribe, even in your case.
No. Unbusinesslike as it is, prefer to
make the loan without security"
1t may be easily imagined that during
the next few days was on tiptoe with
expectation. Let it be said at once that
| was quite aware that l was about to
commit what might fairly be considered
folly by prudent minded people. The
chances of my goose proving q swan
were altogether too slight to justify the
extravaganza l proposed. But despite
this l never once wavered in my resolu-
ton nor suffered doubt to mar the mir
ror of fancy in which chose to behold
my protege fulfilling the ample measure
of his ambition in the years to come.
What an absorbing interest it would be
to me to watch from behind my mask
the progress he made! If he proved sue
sessful could feel that part of the Gre
ating power was mine; for had | not
fr,1 .ta7 biTo2 of q man raaliza that