The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-15

| 900 for one OF the houses ana three or -FOUR
of your neighbors sold theirs at that price.
In the fall, when everybody came back to
town. you would find plenty Of people who'd
give YOU $50. 900 for your house; you wouldn't
sell 1t for S25, 900, and you wouldn't worry.
Would you, now he finished. cheerfuily.
No" she said slowly. Il wouldn't wor-
ry. But" hesitatingly. II wish I had the
money instead of the bonds. I haven't slept
a wink for three nights thinking about
this"
The thought of his coming emancipation
| cheered Mr.. Colwell immensely. your wish
shall be gratifed. Mrs. Hunt. Why didn't
you ask me before. II You felt that way?'
he said. in mild reproach. And he sum
moned a clerk.
Make out a check for 81, 600 payable to
| Mrs. Rose Hunt, and transfer the 100 Man
| haitian Electric Light So to my personal ac-
count"
He gave her the check and told her:
! Here is the money. l am very sorry that
unwittingly caused you some anxiety.
| Don't thank me, please: no. Good morn
iTg."
But he did not tell her that by taking
| over her account he paid 5000 for bonds
he could have bought In the open market
for 500, OCo. He was the politest man IN wan
street: and. after ALL ne hau hho"h ihuh1
for many years.
week later Manhattan Electric B per
cont bonds sold at s6 again. Mrs. Hunt
called on him. 49,
INF. CoIwell. you still have those bonds.
haven't you?"
why. yes" .nx.
..rartainlv Mrs. Hunt. I'll find out how
much they are selling for" He
a clerk to get a quotation on Siahhat'an
! Electric SIS. The bonds coulo ne pousn.
| esIs. $50 you see they are w.
WIZ x-py, hntRhf them De-
| where they were when you ue" '
fore" .,,, tbem
80 mo at az? I'd like to buy them BACK
-, the same price 1 sold them to you.
"No Mrs. Hunt" he said: i bought 'neh
from you at 80 - renem-
"But the price was %. Dont you fe"eN
| her II was In all the papers,: , ,he
h.. 7 gave YOU back exactly tne
.m. .ynount that I received from you.
They stand on our books as having cost he
&c." .ro Thorn at
| s3?' she persisted. .,. 7 don't
COO how 7 could. II you buy them IN .ne
onen market now, you will be In exactly tne
same rosIfion az before you SOLD them. lie
| me buy them for you at 96h
" IA %. YOU mean with . tentative sM m;n
"A Whatever price they may De sene
| for" he corrected. patiently. s,u Mr. COL
"tnY OI0 YOU g
| weli?' she asked. plaintiveiy.
s.Rut. INV dear madam, IL you ouy tnenh
| now YOU win be no worse OF than II you
| had kept the original lot."
well. I don't see how It Is that a
10 nav gsk now for the very same JULIUS
1 sold last Tuesday for b.
..But, NV dear Mrs. Hunt. you are exac.iy
| where YOU were before you bought any.
Tn willing to buy them she said fsso-
lutely. Eat g."
you at that price. But there are hohe io'
sale cheaper than Ssh. ,,
"Oh, why did I let you sell those oohos'
she said. disconsolateiy.
well. you worried so much because they
had declined that" -.
yves. but I didn't know anything about
business matters. You know dioht' MI
Colweil." ,.,
He smiled In his go%od-natured way. Shall
I buy the bonds for your he asked. He
knew the plans of the syndicate In charge'
and, being sure the bonds would advance,
he thought she might as well share IN the
profits. At heart he felt sorry for her.
She smiled back. Yes" she told him,
Eat o." ,
"But how can !. II they are $50"
"Mr. Colweli. 1t ID %, OF nothing" She was
almost pale at her own boldness.
Then I very much, fesrit will have to be
"Er-sood morning. Mr.. coiwell.' On the
Good morning, Mrs. HINT" And before
he knew Il; forgetting all that had gone be-
fore, he added: Should you change your
mind. 1 should be glad to"
IT know I wouldn't pay mora than 90 II
lived to be a thousand years old" She
looked ex~pectantly at him. and she smiled
the smile that Ii Q woihsn's last resort, that
says. almost articulately: II know you will.
I know your nobility. and l fear not" But
he only bowed her out. very politely.
On the Stock Exchange the price Of Man.
Elec. L. H. 4 P. Co. 81 rose steadily. Mrs.
Hunt, too indignant to feel ~lachrymose. dis
cussed the subject with her Cousin Emily
and her husband. Emily was very much in
terested. Between her and Mrs. Hunt they
forced the poor man to make strange ad-
missions, and deliberately ignoring his fee
BILE protests, they worked themselves up to
the point OF believing that, while it would
be merely generous OF Mr.. Colwell to let
his friends, widow have the bonds at 50, 1t
would be only his obvious duty to let her
nave them at s6h. The moment they
reached this decision Mrs. Hunt knew how
to act. The next morning she called on her
late husbands executor and friend.
IT came to, find out exactly what you pro-
pose to do about my bonds" Her voice
conveyed the Impression that she expected
violent opposition, perhaps even bad Ian
guage, from him.
Good morning, Mrs. Hunt. Why. what
do YOU mean?' -
Instead Of bluster he was using finesseI
IT think you ought to know. Mr.. Colwell,"
she said, meaningly.A,
well, i really don't. I remember you
wouldn't heed my advice when I told you
not to sell out. and again when I advised
you to, buy them back"
Yes. at s611s." she burst Out. Indignantly.
well, II you had, you would to-day have
a profit OF over 5000"
And whose fault Is 1t that I haven't?"
She paused for a reply. Receiving none,
she went on: But never. mind: ! have de.
cided to accept your Offer" very bitterly,
az " q; poor widow could not afford to be a
chooser. "Fll take tAofe bonds at ". And
she added. under her breath: Although it
really ought to be 81
{ But, Mrs. Hunt" said Colwell, In, meas
ureIess astonishment. you can't do that.
you know, We CANT buy them for you now
at 96lt. Really, you ought to see that"
Cousin Emily and she had gone over 1
dozen imaginary interviews with Mr.. COLI
well-of varying degrees Of etorminess-tho
night before, and they had. in an idle mo-
ment, represented Mr.. Colwell as taking
that Identical stand. Mrs. Hunt was, &C.
cordingly, prepared to show that she knew
both her moral and technical rights. So
she said, in a voice so ferociously calm that
It should have warned any guilty man: MIR.
Colwell, will you answer me one question:
"A. thousand. Mrs. Hunt, With pleasure
NO only one. Have you kept the bonds
that i bought. or have you not?"
What difference does that make, Mrs.