Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-21

| llN, tllIlnp nef SullOT nut ONcT llcT uoSe
and shaking out her rustllng skirts
preparatory to going out. She was
really outrageously pretty.
At the door she met some one COM
Ing in. A pale, forlorn looking old wo-
man, with pinched face and an ap-
pearance Of having cried for six
months.
SIS this Miss DunningY' she asked.
l assured her it was, and size pro-
ceeded timidly, II called to see you
about that mortgage"
"Ah, yes" said, Fastening to shut
the door on Lucille, who was lingering
in the hall in an unprincipled fashion
which could not approve.
"We've been unable to meet our
payments lately" went on my visitor
i'm depressed tone, "and yesterday
your agent sent me word you intended
to foreclose. Oh, Miss Dunning, don't!
Please don't be hard on us. My poor
husband has been sick In bed for a
year, and If we lose our little home 1t
will kill him."
Here the poor creature burst out
crying, and reached for my handker-
chief. feeling somehow that being n
capitalist wasn't such fun as I'd imag-
ined.
"Oh, Miss Dunning," proceeded my
guest rs soon rs she was able to speak,
''if you knew how hard we worked to
build that house! We put the savings
of years into it, thinking that In our
old age we'd have n roof over our
heads. And now we must lose it all"
A fresh burst Of sobbing interrupted
her, and | swallowed n succession of
what seemed to be cobblestones. l
tried to think what Mr.. Higginson
would have done in such an emergen-
cy and wondered If he ever felt as
much like chicken thief as l did Mt
that moment
"Why, don't cry" l managed to say
Mt last. "I'll not deprive you Of
home. l only bought the mortgage as
an investment, you know"
Here I was actually apologizing for
having money out at interest" The
poor woman went away little COM
forted at last, and went to bed with
nervous headache.
l rather lost interest in my mortgage
after that. didn't sleep well for some
reason, and when did doZe little my
dreams were haunted by weeping old
ladies. | got bad habit of going In
to brown study at inconvenicnt times
and would start guiltily when spoken
to suddenly
One day got note from Mr.. Adams
saying he was going to foreclose Mt
once and assuring me that I'd get my
money all right needn't worry.
Somehow didn't find the assurance
comforting and went home without
any appetite for supper.
"AIay the Lord preserve me from
ever becoming a capitalist" cried Lu-
ellie, looking at my face as | sat try
ing to read after supper. you look,
my DEAR for all the world like Judas
Iscariot after he was found out. A
funeral would be cheerful beside you.
Thank goodness, Bob is coming to-
night"
Bob Is Lucille's cousin, n young law
yer and the jolliest boy going. But,
alas, when he came Bob was in the
blues too! He sighed like n furnace
every few moments and finally an
nounced that he couldn't stay.
II want to see a man named Adams
about n mortgage" he said and turn
ed cold all over
ITS the saddest case l ever heard
Of" he went ON. San old couple who
are clients of mine had mortgage on
their home. 1t was bought year or
so ago by some shark or other"
covered my eyes with my hand
just here, and Lucille coughed in an
way, but Bob noticed
and proceeded in troubled
tone:
"Of course they couldn't keep up the
interest. Whoever bought the mort
gage knew they couldn't. Such people
always figure on that, you know, and
now the poor old chap has gone crazy
over losing his home-clean daffy, you
know-and his poor wife will be turned
out unless something is DONE"
There was dead silence for mo-
ment when he stopped, and then | got
up without word, and going to my
desk unlocked the drawer where |
kept the precious mortgage. With
trembling fingers l seized my pen and
with few strokes cancelled the mort
gage, and as | did so load rolled off
my heart
Here" | cried eagerly to the mysti-
fed Bob, take this to that poor wom-
an quick, tonight"
"Oh, Sara.' cried Lucille. you
worked so hard for that money"
80 has She" | said. and l am
young and strong, while she is old and
helpless Oh, Lucille, If you knew |
how I've hated myself lately"
Lucille took me in her arms and then
explained things to Bob, while | cried
n little, though couldn't help thinking
what Mr.. HigginsOn would have said
Mt my behavior.
We got Bob off at last, AZ happy as
n lord, and then Lucille embraced me
again.
..... .,,A o,,4 Co., 4, .,-i