El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-20
NOTHING PER CENT.

johnson carried on the business of
| in no way different from those surround
| ing it, save that the down stairs front
window bore the legend. t'Loan Office,
| in large black letters on a white
ground. A quiet, orderly, middle aged
man was Mr.. johnson. and people who
| met him in the street and did not know
him would have taken him for any
| his money to usury.
Certainly there was nothing of the
| Shylock about him as he sat one spring
morning in his dingy Office going over
| a much thumbed account book. &c was
| a tall, spare, loosely built man. 9TH
| pale face and thin, struggling crop of
| beard and whisker that always looked
as if it had grown in patches. Usually
| when be was not talking to his clients
| he carried a quill pen in his mouth.
| There was something in this habit
which gave him the appearance of an
distracted poodle carrying stick.
Mr.. johnson was deeply engrossed in
the consideration of a certain entry in
| his account book when the door of the
loan Office opened very suddenly and
set the bell ringing with sharp disso-
nance He heard a light step in the lit
tie lobby which was partitioned Off
from the rest of the room. For mo-
ment he did not answer the summons
| of the bell It was never wise to be in
too much haste to welcome callers. But
presently he rose and opened the door.
the quill pen still retaining its horizon
tai position in his mouth. He lifted his
eyes carelessly from the little swing
counter to the person who stood behind
it. He was not easily surprised, for ne
had seen many strange things in his
time, but what he now saw surprised
him into a vague. uncomfortable 81
lence.
Behind the little counter stood a
young lady-nay, girl of some Is or
10 years, fashionably dressed, evidently
of good position and palpable refine
ment. Her pretty, fresh face, revealed
itself to Mr.. Johnson's astonished eyes
from beneath the ravishments of
much bef1owered picture hat and seemed
color of his little lobby.
"Oh-er-you are Mr.. William John
SOM she said.
"I-I want to borrow some money,
she said. looking out of half averted
eyes at the money lender.
Mr.. Johnson's first impulse was to
stretch out his hand for one of the
application forms which stood ready in
a small box on the counter, but upon
reflection he lifted the swinging shelf
and asked this new client to step inside.
When she had passed into the Office. he
closed the door and Joined her, and
from sheer force of habit he restored
the quill pen to his mouth. The girl
saw the resemblance to the distracted
poodle and a smile rippled over her
face. Mr.. johnson did not observe it.
He indicated a chair at the side of his
desk, and when the girl had taken it
resumed his own seat and looked at her
"What amount did you wish to Dor
row, ma 'am?'' said Mr.. johnson.
"Wh-ah-well, e2O."
Now said Mr.. johnson. 81 sup
pose you could furnish good securityf"
81 thought that you-it says in your
advertisement. you know, that you
lend money on borrowers note of hand
alone-I think that's how it's put,
isn't it-and no inquiries and no sure
ties-isn't that it?'
''To approved borrowers-yes, an
| swered Mr.. johnson.
"Oh," said the girl "Oh. then
! you"-
eve don't lend money without Sc
curity," said Mr.. johnson. ''Of course
| if we know the party and know that
| it's all right and safe, why, of course.
| in that CASE
| ST see,'' said the girl "Yes-of
course you don't know anything about
me- How silly of mel I thought one
| had just to come and get the money
and sign a paper or something.
| The girl looked up from her parasol,
with which she hsd been tracing imag-
mary patterns on the floor.
"Perhaps I'd better tell you all about
| it," she said. ''Of course you won't
tell anybody. will your
ttNever divulge professional secrets, 1"
said Mr.. johnson.
| 'Well, 1 want to borrow ego to
buy bicycle. Therer' said the girl,
with decisive tap of the paraso1 upon
the floor. "You see, I've spent every
penny of my quarters allowance, and
there's still month before I've any
more due-and 1 simply must have that
| bicycle and 1 looked over all the ad-
vertisements about money and I saw
yours, and so l came to you"
| "Might 1 inquire what name.
ma am ?" said Mr.. johnson.
| "Oh, I'm Miss Lattimerl OF course
YOU know my father, Mr.. Robert Lat
timer p
"Certainly." replied Mr.. johnson.