Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-01-09


longevity. His clothes were worn as
long as they could stand mending. He
grudged his wife and only child the
very necessaries of life. In order to save
the expense of luxurious table and at
the same time preserve the appearances
he and his family were in the habit of
eating the coarsest and cheapest rice
and dining on what seemed to be large
fish, but which was made of wood gar
nished with strips of salt pork and sea-
suned with sauce, ginger and onion
shoots. Instead of meat he had lot Of
pebbles fried in the most approved style
of the culinary art, which in the mouth
of the diner gave relish to the rice
and could be fried over and over again
with hardly any appreciable loss of sub
stance.
Being such a grasping usurer and
close listed skinflint, or rather skin
pebble, one would not naturally expect
Ju Dun to view his prospective sonin-
law with favor, but there was the mar
riage contract, which he himself had
drawn up with the elder Ding. How was
he going to get around it without Ding
Dong's consent? He saw no way of 60
ing back Oh his bond at that time or
forcing Ding Dong to withdraw from
the alliance; but, like the willy rascal
that he was, he determined to bide his
time and watched for an opportunity to
gracefully give Dong the go by.
The opportunity came when Dong
went to him to ask for loan for the
purpose of paying his debts, when the
following conversation took place, which
we will translate for the readers benefit {:
"Honored sir''-thus Ding Dong be-
GAM have come humbly to solicit
the loan of 100 taels, which your we'll
filled Golfers will hardly miss, that I
may go to Canton and take part in the
coming examination. I felt some deli
cacy in asking this of you OH account Of
our future relationship, but my urgent
necessity has banished all hesitation."
"Young man," replied Ju Dun,
"what do you take me fora gold
mine? People don't know how poor I
am when they tell ridiculous stories
about my wealth. Wealth, indeed! I
wish had only one tenth of what they
say 1 am worth. I lose money every
day. Why, only yesterday a man hanged
himself to escape the payment of moneys
rightfully due to me-"
II am sorry, worthy sir" returned
Dong, "but l am not at all likely to
follow that mans example. I have my
school, you know, and l propose to pay
the tuition fees to you until shall have
wiped out the debt. And. although you
may not have the required 100 taels on
hand, you can easily raise it. 1 trust
that you will permit your benevolent
disposition to do it's work in my case. !"
Dong knew he was administering a
rather strong dose of tatfy.
The miser seemed to relent little,
saying:
But l never lend without good Sc
curity. What security can you offer?"
"None, my good sir, except all 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. -
L Hc lttsU L uO llOt Ndul, Sdlu y u
Dun. ut is not negotiable in the money
market. But the other security will do
so far as the interest is concerned. But
how about the principal?"
II expect, sir, to earn enough to pay
it off by the end of this year.
A look of cunning stole into Ju Dun 8
eyes as he asked:
''If not, what then?'
81 do not apprehend such contin-
gency," answered Dong.
''Well, do, said Ju Dun. 81 have
a mind not to lend you the money. Still,
will risk a little for the friendship
bore your father. But you understand,
most talented sir, that i'll case you can
not pay me the principal before New
Years day our intimate relations must
cease, for l 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, chot full of fine feeling. 1t was
his misfortune to have had such IA
ther. If he had had his say about it in
stead of the God who presided over the
wheel of transmigration, he would have
preferred a more prudent man to be his
father, He was 10 "chip off the old
block hot by a great deal.
He felt humiiated, but nevertheless
answered spiritedly, Excellent sir, if I
fail to pay you, l 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 busi-
ness, and it is 10 harm to let you un-
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 I
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 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