The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-08-30
A BUSINESS
PROPOSITION
And How 1t Was Received by Miss
Mehetabel Bascom.
By HUBERT CARR.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo0
Man and boy, for 81 years. Ahijah Jop-
ling had been clerk in the First Nation
al bank of Squawtunket and never once
in all that time could there have been
found one single solitary error in any of
his books. His balance sheets were mar
vcls of uuSpotted correctness He could
run down three columns of figures at the
same time and at express speed and add
them with absolute precision He could
locate the transpoSitions and errors of
the other employees in no time at all,
while the most intricate problems of COM
pound discount or interest were to him rs
if they were not. And in all his ways he
was as precise and mcthodical as a chro-
nomter and as prim and neat rs Il new
silver dollar
In fact, he made too good clerk ever
to have become anything better and,
having neither friends nor sufficient mon
ey to boost him MP the financial ladder.
he had rested through the golden time of
life on the lowest round. He had entered
the bank nj 1t rs petty clerk and ut IS
had attained only the head bookkccper-
ship. Nevertheless he had by economy
and shrewd turn or two. thanks either
to his disccrnment or good fortune. accu-
muatcd a few thousand dollars, which
he had invested in the Squawtunket and
Squawoag Railroad company, very tidy
little property
He was tall, lank man, with
smooth lip and jowL the complexion of
weather beaten wood and small, narrow
eyes of faded hazel. He invariably wore
a straight, high crowned stovcpipe hat
with a very narrow brim, a seedy black
broadcloth suit made with long frock
coat, a low piccadily collar and a black
shocstring tie, He was always Scrupu-
lousy brushed and huttoucd. and when
he walked he carried himself very erect
and progressed deliberately like man
who thinks well of himself Alto
gether, although not Statucsque, he was
imposing. and because of his peculiar
mental, moral and physical cndowments
his skittish young fellow employees and
/ other frivolous persons nicknamed him
/ "Old Plumb Bob and I Square," but
1 this. never having heard, he did not heed.
/ His recreation was very simple. but to
/ him never monotOnous. His entire leisure
time was occupied in peruSug The FL
/ nanclal Review and like publications..
/ which to the tyro might seem somewhat
arid, but whose stock lists and other in
formation afforded Mr.. Jopling the ut
most intellectual satisfaction and stimu-
! lated his arithmetical imagination to
! blissful if somewhat elephantine sport
} ivcness with solid facts and ponderous
] figures.
Now, on a day, Miss Mchetabel Bas-
com, extracting from rather lean old
black stocking which had been darncd
with white thread $S,543.O6 in bills and
coin, deposited the amount in the First
National bank of Squawtunkct. The
new account of course came under the
notice of Ahjah Jopling. and from that
day he marked her where she went
Looking out through the white sashed
windows of the bank, discreetly yelled
by dingy green wire screens whereon
were displayed the title of that temple
of finance in furnished gilt letters shaded
with rusty black, Mr.. Jopling had an un-
obstructed view of Miss Mchetabel Bas-
CONS shop on the other side of the street.
This embryo emporium was really moth
ing but one story addition which had
been built out on to the front of Miss
Bascom's house. She had originally
started her shopkeeping in the dwelling
itself, but as she proSpcrcd she found
! need of an enlarged establishment; hence
the addition. In the side windows of the
| little store one might see in remarkably
methodlcal arrangement candy, tops,
| jackstones, dolls, marbles, kites and 9th
er necessities of childhood, besides some
books and periodicals, slender stock of
muslins, calicoes, chintzes and other
| cheap fabrics as well as an interesting
assortment of that miscellany known to
! the trade as notions"
! Miss Mehetabc had lived and conduct
ed her business here for more years than
1t would he polite to say ana had made a
| glowing if not Il brilliant success of her
humble little venture into commerce. She
was tall, spare and rawboncd, with steel
rlmmed spectacles and tbinnish. dark hair
IN which were many silvcry strands. Her
! eyes were gray and piercing her mouth
very firm and compressed. with an cX-
| preston that never varied except when
the thin lips parted for some aconic ut.
terance, for she was a woman OF few
words, and those of the shortest. At ex.
actly $3.50 O'Clock every morning. sum
mcr or winter. light Wisp of blush gray
smoke would curl upward from the
square brick chimney of the dwelling. At
exactly G:lJ Miss Mchctabcl would open
the door Of the shop and attircd in
dark brown dress. rather short about the
ankles. but very plain. very neat and
rery buSinessikc, would sally forth to
take down the green shutters of her shop
windows, while her little maid of all
work swept the shop and the sidewalk
before it. You could have set your watch
by her either in the morning or when. to
the flick of a ily's wing. she shut up shop
at precisely 8 p. m. She was just as
methodical and exact about all her other
affairs. She gave no credit if she could
possibly avoid it and then for not above Il
week. She would not accept Canadian
| dimes, plugged nickcls or postage stamps.
and she paid cash for all she bought and
eXacted the best discount for the same
| wherever possible SO doing. she had
| prOspcred and now had her handsome lit
tie account with the First National bank
of Squawtunkct, just across the way.
Pondcring upon these facts and figures
in the qualities and fortunes of Miss Me-
hetabel Bascom and his own. Abijah .Jop-
ling. with that acute penetration with
which heaven had blessed him, saw op-
portunity flirting with him out of the tail
of her eye, and, knowing that opportuni-