Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-09-09
CAREER OFF A
GAPl7T A.lIS77
The Capital Was Acquired, but a
Tender Heart Prevented Its
Profitable Investment.



capitalist. Lucille seemed to think it
smart to laugh at me for this extreme
ly laudable and perfectly natural am
bition. AS for her, she wasted her sub
stance in riotous living, spending ev-
cry cent of her salary on opera tickets.
imported toilet articles and tortoni bis
cult with a reckless disregard for the
future that could only mean one thing
namely, matrimonial hopes.
And. to tell the truth. Lucille was
attractive enough to warrant her hav-
ing some hopes in this direction and
could have had her pick any time
from half a dozen young fellows, each
one of whom got almost as much sal
airy as she did.
But that has nothing to do with my
own ambitions, which We're of very
different sort. | say were. for I'm not
so sure about them now. my first cXpe-
ricncc as n capitalist having rather un-
settled my views of life for the time
being.
was very young indeed when l
first formed my ideas as to the dcsir-
ability Of wealth. 1t was way back i'll
my childhood when old Mr.. Higgin-
son used to come to church in his great
fur lined overcoat and dirty linen, and
| observed how the minister and the
elders crowded around him to shake
his hand, when he was such hateful
old curmudgcOn that | had privately
thought the Lord ought to have made
some sort of a public apology for per-
petrating him on the community.
"Oh, IIigginSon has got Il lot of
money out at interest," my father
would say when | ventured to wonder
why people made such a fuss over a
dirty and disagrceable old man.
What Il marvellous power money out
at interest" must be, | thought, when
it can transform even Mr.. IIigginson
into an acceptable companion.
And so at that early age was made
acquainted with the potency of wealth,
and | resolved that some day |, too,
should have money out ut interest"
When | was made head stenographer
in big law office, | considered my am
bitiOn as good as realized. 1t had
seemed 50 far away before that I'd
never tried to save very much, but now
that it was fairly within my reach |
began to lay up money at frantic rate.
"lf YOU get another raise in your sal
airy, you'll be so stingy you'll take to
lunching out of the mucilagc bottle and
wearing your bicycle suit to church,"
declared Lucille in disgust
But | just let her jeer and kept on
economiZing, and ut last there came Il
day when l had $1,000 in the bank.
Mr.. Adams. a friend of my fathers, in
vested it for me in Il first mortgage on
a suburban cottage, and when the pa
perS were signed | went home flushed
and triumphant.
Congratulate me- Lucille" l cried,
throwing myself into a chair and my
hat on the couch. Il haf investigated
mein moneys"
Lucille was trimming hat to wear
to the theater that night, one of those
silly white tulle affairs that Il single
shower will transform into an imita-
ton custard pie before your very eyes.
''IIuhr' she exclaimed, Il believe you
luluh you We uOllt SoIhttllllS lfdllN
fine. Sara Dunning, if you don't look
out, your nose will grow hooked just
like Mr. Dunlelspiel's down at the
pawnbrokcr's shop"
what do | carcT' | retOrted gayly.
eve got money out at interest, Lu-
ellie. DO you realize what that mcanSE'
"lt means that you've worked like n
slave and denied yourself all pleasure
for Il year and Il half to get it. and
you're thin as Il Shad and yellow aS II
lemon. Come on and go to the thcatcr
tonight, and forget that you're II cap
italiSt long enough to enjoy yourself,
that's Il dear"
But the fever was in my blood, and
l wouldn't listen To her,
So | went on putting money in the
bank and looked forward eagerly to
the time when the interest from my
investment would begin tn come in.
1t was paid promptly enough the
first quarter and the second. Then it
lapscd. Six months went by and no
interest.
"It seems to me-" remarked Lucille
one day, "that you'd better 'invcsti-
gate that money in dead earnest"
"Oh, don't worry yourself" | retort-
ell sRappishly. l was nervous of late,
and besides, Mr.. HigGinson was al