The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-04-20

vi uudny ears L nave Ue6n COU-
nected with the First National Bank
of Squawtunket and have been, per-
haps, if l may be allowed to say so,
a not unimportant factor in the steady
growth and deserved success of that
institution"
Miss Mehetabel stood bolt upright
behind her counter, he arms folded,
her gray eyes with their piercing
black dots of pupils, fastened I'M
winkingly upon the countenance of
Mr. Abfjah Jopling, while her own
maintained its normal impassive gray
ity. She was listening attentively,
but not eagerly. She may have Won
dered what object he had in view,
but curiosity was an emotional weak
ness not to be expressed. She neither
commented nor encouraged but mere
ly waited for him to unfold himself.
my present salary" he continued,
lis $1,000 per annum, and | have in
vested in shares in the Squawtunket
and Squawoag Railroad company. ST.
653, which is, at present, paying
per cent. dividends and which WILL
when the Vanderbilts have purchased
tiiC luttItSl, gitlu. OF lGdSl,
10 per cent. per annum." Mr.. Jopling
paused again; this time to note the
effect of his statement; but Miss Bias
com, displaying no perceptible evil
dence of emotion, and still regarding
him silently and without blinking, he
experienced a slight feeling of dis
appointment.
CAS- an employee of the First Ma
tional Bank of Squawtunket," he re-
sumed, 1T has come under my no.
tice Miss Mehetabel, that you have
on deposit there, at present, the sum
of SIS, 54306, on which you are receiv-
ing of course, in a bank of deposit,
no interest whatsoever. Suppose, Miss
Mehetabel-now do not be startled at
what l am about to say" Miss Niche
label looked bout as likely to be
startled as a s. Joden Indian, and fully
as self-contained as a hard boiled
egg;) suppose, say, that 81, 653 were
added to $S.543.06; the sum would
amount to S16,196.06. This sum, in.
vested in shares of the Squawtunket
and Squawoag railroad, paying divi-
dends of 10 per .cent-for l have it
on the highest authority that the
Vanderbilts fully intend to take the
control-would afford an annual in
come Of in round numbers, 81 500;
this, added to my salary, would a.
mount to $4,000; and, as | take it. the
annual profits of your business here
amount to not less than 81 900.
may place the grand total at S3,S00
Now, Miss Mehetabel," said Abijah,
throwing back his head and eyeing
Miss Bascom with the air of an at
torney who had made out lucid and
all but unanswerable case, you will
perceive the end of this somewhat ex-
traordinary interview l have the
honor to offer you-that is, l would
like to no | mean-er-er-will you
marry me, Miss Bascom?"
Now, Abijah, in thinking out the
possible contingencies of this cam
paign. had supposed it not unlikely
that Miss Methetabel, on hearing his
proposal of marriage, might throw her
arms around his neck and embrace
him, and perhaps caress him, after
what he had vague notion was the
feminine usage of like circumstances.
The thought of this possibility had
at first somewhat dashed him but he
made up his mind to submit graceful
ly, and even to return those lavish
caresses in a chaste and methodical
manner
Rather to his disappointment, but
much to his relief, nothing of the kind
happened. Miss Mehetabel kept her
head in truly remarkable manner,
indeed and gave way to no such pas
sionate outburst of affection. In
stead of that she continued to regard
him immovably, arms folded, bolt up
right, the little black points in her
gray irises seeming to pierce the
glasses of her steelbound spectacles
and to gimlet into the very brain and
soul of Abijah Jopling
After she had thus continued to
gaze for about twenty seconds, and
when Abijah had been reduced to a
state bordering closely on imbecility,
she spoke.
"That would be very nice ar
rangement," she said, very deliberate
ly, "a very nice arrangement"
Abijah frightened up at once and
was betrayed into acquiescing. Eyes,
indeed" when she continued, Fur
you. Els fur me, now, tibet I've found
out tibet folks is a-pryin' and a-peepin'
ento my private effairs an tibet them,
en- fack, thet's got my money en-
charge is a-devisin' an intriggin to
lay hands into ct to put ct ento wild
cat railroad sheers an buillin' an
bearin' an other onchristian bedevil-
ment, l intend to dror all my money
out of the Squawtunket Bank to-mor-
rer mornin' an to take ct over to
Squawoag, where l knew ct will be
safe. And you, young man." she add
ed grimly, "can be very thankful to
me eff | don't tell the directors all
about your little speckerlatin' COINS
on an cuttin's-up. Marry you? Why,
you oughter be thinkin' about fun
, eral instid of weddin'-you're old
enough"
When Mr.. Abijah Jopling reached
home five minutes later he was some
what flushed from the rapi6ity Of his
motion thither, if not from other
causes, and as he glanced at himself
in the mirror of his bureau he noticed
| that, not only was his hat rammed
I down very tightly upon his head, but
that it had been put on backward.
Now, never before in the whole
course of Mr.. Jopling's forty-eight
years had he once put his hat on
| wrong end foremost, and, let it be
added, never again in the entire
course of his subsequent career was
he observed wearing it in any such
unseemly or abnormal fashion.-Hu
bert Carr in Truth
Lambs on Screenings.
One of the great Industries at South