Smyrna times., 1899-08-09

OuI HeT fuSulnS skirts
preparatory to going out. She was
really outrageOusly pretty.
AT the door she met some one com
ing in. 4 pale, forlorn looking old wo-
man, with Il pinched face and an an
pearance OF having cried for six
months
rs this Miss Dunning?" she asked.
l assured her it was. and she pro
ceeded timidly, Il called to see Won
about that mortgage"
"Ah, yes" l said. fastening to sbut
the door on Lucille. who was lingering
IN the hall in an unprincipled fashion
which l could not approve.
We've been unable to meet our
payments lately" went on my visitor
IN a depressed tone land yesterday
your agent sent me word you intended
to foreclOSe. Oh, Miss Dunning. don't
Please don't be hard on us. NV DOOr
husband has been sick in bed for
year. and if we lose cur little home it
will kill him."
Here the poor creature burst out
crying. and reached for my hand.;er-
chief, feeling somehow that being
capitalist wasn't such fun as I'd mag
ined.
"Oh, Miss Dunning," proceeded my
guest as soon as 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 a roof over our
heads. And now we must lose it ALL"
fresh burst of sobbing interrupted
her, and ! swallowed a succession of
what seemed to be cObblestones.
tried to think what Mr.. HgginSon
would have done in such an emergen-
cy and wondered if he ever felt as
much like chicken thief as did at
that moment.
why, don't cry" | managed to say
at last. III not deprive you of
home. | only bought the mortgage as
an investment, you know"
Here | was actually apolOgizing for
having money out at interest" The
poor woman went away a little COM
forted at last, and l went to bed with
a nervous headache.
| rather lost interest in my mortgage
after that. | didn't sleep well for some
reason, and when did dOZe little nv
dreams We're haunted by weeping old
ladies. | got a bad habit of going in
to brown study at incOnvenient times
and would start guiltily when spoken
to suddenly
One day | got note from Mr.. Adams
saying he was going to foreclose at
once and assuring me that I'd get my
money all right needn't worry.
Somehow l didn't find the assurance
comforting and went home without
any appetite for supper.
MAY the Lord preserve me from
ever becoming a capitalism cried Lu-
ellie, looking at my face as l 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, a young law
yer and the jOlliest boy going. But,
alas, when he came Bob was in the
blues too! He sighed like furnace
every few moments and finally an
nOunced that he couldn't stay.
Il want to see a man named Adams
about a mortgage" he said, and turn
ed cold all over.
ITS the saddest case 1 ever heard
Of" he went on. ''An old couple who
are clients of mine had mortgage ON
their home. 1t was bought a year or
so ago by some shark or other"
l covered my eyes with my hand
just here, and Lucille cOughed in an
embarrassed way, but Bob noticed
nothing and proceeded in a 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 a dead silence for a mo-
ment when he stopped, and then l got
up without a 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, tonightr'
"Oh, Sara!' cried Lucille, "yOu
worked so hard for that money"
80 has She" l 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 l cried
little, though l couldn't help thinking
what Mr.. Higglnson would have said
at my behavior
We got Bob off at last, AS happy as
a lord, and then Lucille embraced me
again.
You were never cut out for a capi-
talist. l knew it all the time," she
cried triumphantly.