The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-08-17


lapsed Six months went by and no
interest.
ut seems TO me-" remarked Lucille
one day. that you'd better invest
gate that money in dead earnest
"Oh, don't worry yourself" retort,
ed snappishly. | was nervous of late,
and besides, Mr.. Higginson was al.
lowed to be as cross as he liked, re-
membered.
well. It's n great thing tC have mon
ey out ut interest" she responded air
lily, fitting her sailor hat over her nose
and shaking out her rustling skirts
preparatory to going out. She was
really outragcously pretty.
At the door she met some one com
ing in. \ pale, forlorn looking old wo-
man. with a pinched face and an APP
pearance of having cried for six
months
is this Miss Dunning?' she asked.
l assured her it was, and she pro-
ceeded timidly, 4 called to see you
about that mortgage"
All yes" | said Fastening to shut
the door on Lucille, who was lingering
in the hall in an unprincipled fashion
S'hich 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. My poor
husband haS been sick in bed for
year. and if we lose our little home it
will kill him"
here tie poor creature burst out
crying aud 1 reached for my handker-
chief. feeling somehow that being
capitalist wasn't such fun as Id 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 roof over our
heads And now we must lose it all"
a fresh burst of sobbing interrupted
her and | swallowed succession OF
what seemed to be cobblestones. |
tried to think what Mr. Higginson
would have done in such an emergen-
ry and wondered if he ever felt as
much like chicken thief as | did at
that moment.
why. don't cry" l managed to say
at last. III not deprive you Of
home | only bought the mortgage as
an investment, you know"
Here was actually ap0logizing for
having "moncy out at interest The
poor woman went away little com
forted ut last. and went to bed with
nervous headache.
rather lost interest in my mortgage
after that. | didn't sleep well for some
reason, and when aid doze n little my
dreams were haunted by weeping old
ladies' | got Il bad habit of going in
to n brown study at inconvenient times
and would start guilty when spoken
to suddenly.
one day got Il note from Mr.. Adams
saving he WAS going to foreclose ut
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.
May the Lord preserve me from
over becoming a capitalist" cried Lu-
ellie, looking at my face as sat try
ing to read after supper. You look,
my dear. for all the world like Judas
Iscariot after he was found out. 4
funeral would be cheerful beside you
I hank goodness, Bob is coming to-
night"
Bob is LuciIle'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 Il furnace
every few moments and finally an
nounced that he couldn't stay.
II want to see man named Adams
about mortgage" he said, and turn
ed cold all over.
Its the Saddest ease | ever heard
of" he went on IN old couple who
are clients of mine had a mortgage on
their home. 1t was bought year or
so ago by some shark or other"
| covered my eyes with my hand
just here. and Lucille oopghed in an
embarrassed way, but Bob noticed
nothing and proceeded in IA 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
Ia. al. Il ~