Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-07-21
CAREER OFF A
CAPT 7 ALl0S7T
The Capital Was Acquired, but q
Tender Heart Prevented Its
Profitable Investment.

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~
l had long had desire to become a
capitalist. Lucille seemed to think II
smart to laugh at me for this extreme
ly laudable and perfectly natural am
bition. AS for her, she wasted her SUD-
stance in riotous living, spending ev-
cry cent Of her salary on opera tickets.
| imported toilet articles and tortOni bis
cult with 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 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 were of n very
different sort say were, for I'm not
so sure about them now, my first eXpe-
rience as capitalist having rather I'M
settled my views of life for the time
being.
l was very young indeed when L
first formed my ideas as to the desir-
ability of wealth. 1t was way back in
my childhood when old Mr.. Higgin-
son used to come to church In his great
fur lined overcoat and dirty linen, and
l observed how the minister and the
oil i'm, 70 IN m
his hand, when he was such hateful
old curmudgeon that / had privately
thought the Lord ought to have made
some sort of public apology for per-
petrating him on the community.
ooh, Higginson has got lot Of
money out at interest" my father
would say when ventured to wonder
why people made such fuss over IL
dirty and disagreeable old man.
What n marvellous power money out
at interest" must be, l thought, when
it can transform even Mr.. Higginson
into an acceptable companion.
And so at that early age l was made
acquainted with the potency Of wealth,
and I resolved that some day |, too,
should have money out at interest"
When I was made head stenographer
in big law office, considered my am
bition as good as realized. 1t had
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
out Of the mucilage bottle and
wearing your bicycle suit to church,"
declared Lucille in disgust.
But 1 just let her jeer and kept on
ccOnomizing, and at last there came u
day when I had $1,000 in the bank.
Mr.. Adams, friend of my fathers in
vested it for me In n first mortgage on
q suburban cottage, and when the pa
pers were signed went home flushed
and triumphant.
Congratulate me, Lucille" l 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-
Ion custard pie, before your very eyes.
Huh" she exclaimed, II believe you
.hink you've done something really
Inc. Sara DIlnning, If you don't look
tut, your nose will grow hooked just
ike Mr.. DIInkelspieps down at the
S shop"
"What do 1 careP I retorted gayly-
I've got money out at interest, Luz
lille. Do you realize what that means|
ut means that you've worked like n
slave and denied yourself all pleasure.
FOR year and half to get it, and
you're thin as Shad and yellow as n
emon. Come on and 60 to the theater
onight, and forget that you're n cap
talist long enough to enjoy yourself,
hats a DEAR
But the fever was in my blood. and
wouldn't listen to her.
So l went on putting money in the
,ank and looked forward eagerly to
he time when the interest from my
Investment would begin to come in.
1t was paid promptly enough the
irst quarter and the second Then it
apsed. Six months went by and no
interest.
1T seems ito me-" remarked Lucille
ne day, 18th at you'd better 'investi-
ate that mo ney in dead earnest"
"Oh, don't IVORY yourself" retort-
d snappishly. was nervous of late,
nd besides. Mr.. Higginson was al