The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-01-10

utmost intellectual satisfaction and
stimulated his arithmctical magma
tion to blissful if somewhat elephantine
spo:tivcness with solid facts and pom
dcrous figures.
Now. on day, Miss Mehetabel
Bascom, extracting from rather lean
old black stocking, which had been
darncd with white thread, SS ,543 O6 in
bills and coin. deposited the amount
IN the First National Bank OF Squaw-
tunllct. The new account, of course,
came under the notice of Abijah Jop-
ling. and from that day he marked
where she went.
Looking out through the white
sashed windows of the bank diScrectly
vrilcd 10y din"y green wire screens
whercon wcle displayed the title OF
that temple of finance in tarnished gilt
letters shaded with rusty black. MIR.
Jopling had an unobstructed view of
Miss Mele,able Bascom's shop on the
other side of the street. This embryo
emporium was really nothing but
one story addition which had been
built out on TO the front of Miss Bas-
CONS house. She had originally
started her shopkeeping in the dwell
ing itself, but as she prospercd she
found need of an enlarged establish
mcnt: he nee the addition. In the side
windows of the little store one might
sec in remarkably methodical arrange
mcnt candy, tops, iackstoncs, dolls,
marbles. kites and other necessities OF
childhood. besides some books and
periodicals., slender stock of muslins,
calicocs. chintzas and other cheap fab
rcs. as we'll as an interesting assort-
mcnt of HAT miscellany known TO the
trade rs motions.
Miss Mchetablc had lived and con-
Quoted her business here for more years
than it would he polite to say and had
made 4 glowing if not brilliant sue
cess of her humble little venture into
commelce. She was tall, spare and
raw wboned, with steel trimmed spectacles
and ,hinnish. dark hair in which were
many silyery strands. Her eyes were
gray and piercing, her mouth very
firm and compressed, with an express
sion that never varied except when the
thin lips parted for some laconic utter
ance. for she was woman of few
words, and those of the shortest. A
exactly 5 80 o'clock every t"orning.
summer or winter, a light wisp OF
BLUSH gray smoke would curl upward
from the square brick chimney OF the
dwelling. At exactly 6.l5 Miss Niche
table would open the door of the shop
and. attired in 4 dark brown dress.
rather short about the ankles, but very
plain, very neat and very businesslike,
would sally forth to take down the
green shutter 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 fy's wing, she shut up shop
at precisely 9P. NJ. 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 week. She would not
accept Canadian dimes, plugged nick
els or postage stamps, and she paid
cash for all she bought and tNacted
the best discount for the same wherever
possible So doing, she had prospered
and now had her handsome little ac-
count with the First National Bank of
Sqnawtunkct. just across the way.
Pondeling upon the facts and figures
in the qualities and fortunes of Miss
Mehetable Biscom and his own, Ah'jah
Jopling. with that acute penetration
with which heaven had blessed him,
saw opportunity frtiny with him out
| If the tail OF her eve. knowing Thai
opportunity, like woman. may make
eyes at man, Vet not seek hlln, be
determined to seq the auspicious mo-
ment and to deal with her.
| Miss Mche,abl - be said to him
self, "s woman Of business. | will
waste no words. but talk strai 4ht husl-
ness and come to the point without
needless circumlocution.
That very evening, hav NJ carefully
smuo he'd the nap of his resp ctahle
stovelripc and looked well to the gen
eral neatness of his attire, he betOok
himself with deliberate and dignitieo
footsteps to the shop Of Miss Niche
tahel.
lie found that lady behind her coun
ter, having waited upon her last Gus
toner and being about to c.o|e for the
night.
Without heating about the busl
and in cool and measured but mos
respectable tones, after he had eN
changed greetings with Miss Bascom
Mr. Ah;jah .Jop!iny began to state hi:
business.
Miss Mehetahcl,' he said, IL have
known of you for several years, and :
part of that time | have been ac
qnaintcd personally with You. Wha
have heard Of you has been mos
highly to your credit, and my Owl
personal observation has only con