The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-08-05
Career Of a Capitalist
BY Edgar Temple Field.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

capitalist. Lucllle Seemed 10 thinh
Il smart to laugh at me for this ex-
tremely laudable and perfectly natural
ambition. As for her, she wasted her
substance in riotous living, spending
every cent of her salary on opera tick
cts, imported toilet articles and tor
toni biscuit with reckless disregard
for the future that could only mean one
thing, namely, matrimonial hopes.
And, to tell the truth, Lucille was at
tractive enough to warrant her having
uome 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 salary as she did.
But that has nothing to do with my
own ambitions, which were of very
different sort. l say were, for I'm not
so sure about them now, my first ex-
perience as a capitalist having rather
unsettled my views of life for the time
being.
was very young indeed when 1 first
formed nv ideas as to the desirabilityo of
wealth. twas way backin my childhood
when old Mr.. Higginson used to come
to church in his great fur-lined over
coat and dirty linen. and l observed
how the minister and the elders crowd
ed around him to shake his hand, when
he was such hateful old curmudgeon
that had privately thought the Lord
ought to have made some sort of pub
lie apology for perpetrating him on the
community.
"Oh, Higginson has got lot of
money out at interest" my father
would say when ventured to wonder
why people made such a fuss over a
dirty and disagreeable old man.
what a marvellous power money out
II interest must be, thought, when it
can transform even Mr.. Higginson into
an acceptable companion.
And SO at that early age was made
acquainted with the potency of wealth,
and i resolved that some day /, too,
should have money out at interest"
When 1 was made head stenographer
in big law Office considered my am
bition as good as realized. Ithad seemed
SO far away before that I'd never tried
to save very much, but now that 1t was
fairly within my reach began to lay
up money at frantic rate.
"If you get another raise in your sal
airy you'll be SO stingy you'll take to
lunching out of the mucilage bottle and
wearing your bicycle suit to church,
declared Lucille in disgust.
But 1 just let her jeer and kept Oh
q conomizing, and at last there came a
fday when l had 81 500 in the. bank. Mr..
Adams, friend of my fathers, invest
ed it for me in a first mortgage on a
suburban cottage, and when the papers
were signed went home flushed and
triumphant.
Congratulate me, Lucille" cried
throwing myself into chair and my
hat on the couch. II hat investigated
mein moneys"
Lucille was trimming hat to wear
to the theater that night, one of those
silly white tulle affairs that single
shower will transform. into an imita.
.tion custard pie before your very eyes
"Huh!" she exclaimed, II believe you
thinkaYou've done something really
line. Sara Dunning, if you don't look
out, your nose will grow hooked just
like Mr.. Dunkelspiers down at the
pawnbroker's shop"
s'What do care?" 1 retorted gayly
ave got money out at interest, Lu.
ellie. Do you realize what that means p
1T means that you've worked like a
slave and denied yourself all pleasure
for year and a half to get it, and you're
thin a. shad and as yellow as lemon
Come on and go to the theater tonight
and forget that you're capitalist long
enough to enjoy yourself, that's a
dear"
But the fever was in my blood, and
wouldn't listen to her.
So went on putting money in the
hank end looked forward eagerly te
the time when the interest from my in.
vestment would begin to come in.
1t was paid promptly enough tht
first quarter and the second. Then j,
lnpscd. Six months went by and nc
interest.
1T seems to me-" remarked Lucille
one day, shat you'd better investigate
that money in dead earnest"
''Oh, don't Worry yourself" l re
torted snappishly. was nervous Of
late, and besides, Mr.. Higginson was
allowed to be as cross as he liked, re
membered.
swell, it's great thing to have
money out at interest" she responded
nirily, fitting her sailor hat over hel
nose and shaking out her rustllnf
skirts preparatory to going out. Sht
was really outrageously pretty.
At the door she met some one coming
in. A pale, forlorn-loolxing old woman
with pinched face and an appearance
of having cried for six months.