Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-08-14


in the hall in an unprincipled fashion
which | could not approve.
"We've been unable to meet oul
payments lately" went ON my visitor
in distressed tone, "and yesterday
your agent sent me word you intended
to foreclose. Oh, Miss Dunning, don't
Please don't be hard on us. My poor
husband has been sick in bed for q
year, and if we lose our little home II
will kill him."
Here the poor creature burst out
crying, and reached for my handker-
chief, feeling somehow that being q
capitalist wasn't such fun as I'd imag-
, 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 1t n H."
A fresh burst Of sobbing interrupted
her, and | swallowed q succession of
what seemed to be cobblestones. l
tried to think what Mr.. Higginson
would have done in such an emergen-
cy and wondered If he ever felt as
much like a chicken thief as | did at
that moment
"Why, don't cry" l managed to say
at last. "I'll not deprive you Of a
home. | only bought the mortgage as
an investment, you know"
Here | was actually apologzing for
having "moncy out at interest" The
poor woman went away little COM
nervous headache.
rather lost interest in my mortgage
after that. didn't sleep we'll for some
reason, and when did doze little my
dreams were haunted by weeping old
ladies'. got a bad habit of going in
to a brown study at inconvenient times
and would start guilty 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 | didn't find the assurance
comforting and went home without
any appetite for supper.
"AIay 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
Iscarot after he was found out. A
funeral would be cheerful beside you.
Thank goodness, Bob is coming to-
night"
Bob is Lucille's cousin, young law
yer and the jolliest boy going. But,
alas, when he came Bob was in the
blues too. lie sighed like a 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 l ever heard
Of" he went on. AN old couple who
are clients of mine had a mortgage on
their home, 1t was bought a year or
so ago by some shark or other"
covered my eyes with my hand
just here, and Lucille coughed in an
embarrassed way, but Bob noticed
nothing and proceeded in 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 datTy, you
knoW-anl his poor wife will be turned
out unless something is done"
There was Il dead silence for a mo-
ment when lie stopped, ana then | got
up without a word, and going to my
desk unlocked the drawer where l
kept the precious mortgage. With
trembling tin%ers | seized my pen and
with few strokes Cancelled the mort
gage, and as / did so load rolled off
my htat.
Here" l cried eagerly to the mysti
fed Bon, take this to that poor wom-
an quick, tonight"
"Oh, Sara" cried Lucille, you
worked 50 bard for that money"
so has Size" l sad. ".AAl | 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 th.Ngs to Bob, While cried
littlo, though couldn't help thinNing
what Mr.. i!igginson would have said
at my behavior.
We got Bob off at last, AS happy as
q lord, and then Lucille embraced he
again.
You We're never cut out for a capt.
talst. knew it all the time" she
cried triumpl!antly.
"'Ihank you, dear" | said meekly.
"And say, Lucille, let's so to hear
Maudc Adams tonight.'
"Why," she exclaimed. Der eyes as
big as saucors, 1.-The prices are way up
in G."
"Who cn"oa" | said. Pm richer
tonight than I've been for years"
And we went Edgar Temple Field
in Chicago Herald.
-. IrfrEy--:r.
CrAgs-1}id You tel! Shippers you