The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-01-05

The miser seemed to relent little,
saying:
"But never lend without good Sc
ourity. What security can you offer?"
''None, my good sir, except an order
to my pupils to pay you their tuition
fees-excepting the little that shall
require to live and-and the word of an
honest man. "
1.-THE last I do not want" said Ju
Dun. "It is not negotiable in the money
market But the other security will do
SO far as the interest is concerned. But
how about the prinoipal?"
81 expect, sir, to earn enough to pay
it off by the end of this year. :"
A look of cunning stole into Ju Dun's
eyes as he asked:
"If not, what then?"
ct do not apprehend such contin-
gency," answered Dong.
"Well, / do, - said Ju Dun. II have
mind not to lend you the money. Still,
/ will risk little for the friendship
bore your father. But you understand,
most talented sir, that in case you can
not pay me the principal before New
Years day our intimate relations must
cease, for I will not and cannot marry
my only child to bankrupt and dis
honored man.
The blood rushed over Dong's cheeks
and mounted his temples at the bare
possibility of dishonor coming to him.
He was an honorable young man, was
Dong, chock full of fine feeling. 1t was
his misfortune to have had such ia
Their. If he had had his say about it in
stead of the God who presided over the
wheel of transmigration, he would have
preferred more prudent man to be his
father He was no 'chip off the old
block mot by great deal.
He felt Inundated, but nevertheless
answered spiritedly, Excellent sir, if I
fail to pay you, will gladly release
you from performing your part of the
marriage contract
"You need not get so huffy over it,
rejoined the old man. Business is bust
ness, and it is no harm to let you I'M
derstand the conditions. Sit down here
and write promissory note with an ex-
press condition to the effect that in case
you fail to pay up interest and principal
in full for value received before the
next New Years day you will renounce
all claims to my daughters hand, and
will try to raise the money for you. +"
Dong drew his chair up to the table
and wrote the note, while the old miser
went into the garden to raise the 100
taels. Making sure that no one was
looking, he moved large vase from its
position, then unlocked a trapdoor
which covered sort of stairway that
led to vault This vault held an iron
chest, in which all his valuables were
deposited. 1t took but few minutes to
descend, open the box, secure the money
and put everything back as it was be-
fore.
The note and the money soon changed
hands, and Dong went away rejoicing
leaving Ju Dun equally pleased with
his bargain, for he had no idea Dong
could pay it.
Dong went to Canton and was sue
cessful, as has been related. But he
found it no easy matter to earn money
even after his splendid achievement in
the literary arena. He tried hard to get
more pupils but they didn't materialize
to any great extent. He tried his hand
at fan writing, but fans which were in
scribed over with moral and poetical
sentiments were drug in the market.
They brought him nothing but the wind
Of applause. But money was what he
wanted. He could not easily get along
without some.
Dong worried and worried over that
small sum of 100 taels and lost flesh by
thinking SO much and dreaming so
often of she cleaning, treacherous taels.
At length be was reduced to that
condition of despair in which our story
first finds him.
He sat in that chair immovable and
alone. He had sent his pupils home that
morning for their long vacation.
Thoughts unwelcome and bitter as nut
gall passed in procession before his
mental vision, and, like Banquo's reit-
Grated ghost, would not down.
mo- he cried wildly, as If he had
debated the matter in his mind and had
reached a final conclusion, "there is
nothing left me but deathp'
Absorbed as Dong was in melancholy
reflections and imagining himself al
ready cold corpse dangling under the
branches of some tree, he did not per-
ceive the approach of little boy until
the latter stood beside him and startled
him by saying in timid voice.
Teacher, father sent me to ask you
to come to our house. F."
Dong raised his head and saw one of
his pupils before him.
"What is it you want?'
''My father sends his respects and asks
you to favor him with a call. My oldest
brother came back this morning from
America. He brought home lots of
funny things. If you come, he will
show them to you.
Glad of this little relief, Dong accom-
panied the boy to the latter's house and
there received most hearty welcome.
The big brother displayed his treasures
and enjoyed Dong's curiosity and won
der as he explained the us@ and the
modus operandi of every article to him,
There We're sewing machine, pair of
opera glasses, a continuance for making
hash out of every kind of meat under
the sun, stereoscope, microscope and
hundred other things besides, that
stamp the Yankee as the most ingenious
person in all the world. But nothing as
tonished Dong SO much as the little
electric machine which sent a thrill
through his spare frame and sunk his
suicidal purpose in the lowest depths Of
Lethe. But the photograph scared him
with its peculiar and sepulchral tones.
AS he stood before the talking machine
with dilated eyes and mouth opened
wide sweet strains of American music
greeted his ears.
Then Home, Sweet Home, " Annie
Rooney, "Rock-a-by- Baby" "Thou
Art So Near and Yet So FAR and
What Is Home Without a Mother-in-
law?'' rolled out in rapid succession.
Dong of course could not appreciate
them any more than a cat, but the
welrdness of the sounds fascinated him,
When the concert was ended, he had
many questions to ask The returned
traveller kindly showed him everything
pertaining to the wonderful machine,
told him to talk to it himself and excit-
ed his wonder still more by making the
photograph repeat Dongs own words.
Suddenly thought struck him SO
hard that he jumped up like one pos
sessed, nearly upsetting the machine
and the big brothers. gravity, yelling at
the same time:
"Whoop-la, whoop-lal have got it'll |
have got It'll I'll beat that old miser yet. "
Got Mhat?' shouted evervhndv in