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

the semiresolute look of a person who ex-
poets to hear unacceptable excuses.
Good morning. Mr.. Colwell."
How do you do. Mrs. Num-? Well. ]
hope"
''Oh. l am we'll enough. 1 wish I could
say as much for my financial matters-"
She had acquired the phrase from the finan-
cial reports which she had taken to reading
religiously every day.
why. how Is that" @
They are IS now she said, a trine ac-
cusingly.
"Who are they, pray, Mrs. Hunt?' in
surprise.
The bonds. 1 saw in last nights pa
per-"
Mr.. Colwell smiled. Mrs. Hunt almost be-
came indignant at HE levity.
Don't let that worry you, Mrs. Hunt.
The bonds are all right. The market Is a
trifie dull; that's all"
"A friend" she said, very slowly, who
knows all about Wall street, told me last
night that 1t made a difference Of $1,000 to
me-,
SO it does. in a way; that is. IL you tried
to sell your bonds. But as you are not GO
Ing to do so you need not worry. Don't be
concerned about the matter. beg you,
Never mind If the price goes on q point or
two. You are amply protected. Even IL
there should be a panic I'll zee that you
are not sold out, no matter how low the
price goes. You are not to worry about it:
ip fact. You arc not to think about 1t at
] ALL"
I oh. thank. ever so much, Mr.. Colwell. 1
didn't sleep a wink last night. But 1
knew"
A clerk came in with some stock certia-
Gates and stopped short He wanted Mr..
Colwell's signature In a-hurry, and at the
same time dared not interrupt. Mrs. Hunt
thereupon rose and said: well, I won't
take up any more of your time. Good morn
Ing, Mr.. Coiwell. Thanks ever 20 MUCH"
Don't mention it, Mrs. hunt. Good
morning"
Little by little the bonds continued to de-
cline. The syndicate in charge was not
ready TO move them. But Mrs. Hunts I'M
named ~friend-her Cousin Emily's husband
did not know all the particulars of that
deal. He knew the street in the abstract,
and had accordingly implanted the seed of
insomnia In her quaking soul. Then. as he
saw values decline. he did his best to make
the seed grow. fertilizing a naturally rich
soil with ominous hints and head-shakings
and with phrases that made her firmly be-
lieve he was gradually and considerably
| preparing her for the worst. On the third
day of her agony Mrs. Hunt walked into
Colvells office. Her face was pale and she
looked distressed. Mr.. Colwell sighed in
volnutarily-a scarcely perceptible and not
very impolite sigh-and said: Good morn
ing, Mrs. Hunt" 5~
She nodded gravely and with a little "a 80
said. TREMENDOUSLY: The bonds! It's in all
the papers. 1 thought the Herald might be
mistaken, so I bought the Tribune and the
Times and the Sun. But no. It was the
same in all. 1t was" she added, tragically.
.'s3!"
"Yes?'' he said. smilIngly.
He aroused her suspicious. By him, Of all
men, should her Insomnia be deemed no
laughing matter. ~
Doesn't that mean a loss of %. 0O0?"
There was a deny-it-if-you-dare infection
in her voice.
mo because you ace not going to sell
your bonds at 90. but at 10. or there
abouts.
But II 1 did want to sell the bonds now,
wouldn't I lose $s.0Oo?' she queried chal-
lengingly. "Of course, I would, Mr.. Col
we'll. Even / can tell that"
You certainly would, Mrs. Hunt; but"
Il knew l was right" with irrepressible
triumph.
But you are not going to sell the bonds"
"Of course. / don't want to, because I
can't afford to lose any money, much less
5000. But / don't see how l can heip losing
II. I was warned from the first" she said,
as IL that made 1t worse. 'T certainly had
no business to risk my ALL" Mr.. Colwell
was moved.
You can rave your money back, Mrs.
Hunt, IL you wish it," he told her, quite ON
professionally. You seem to worry about
It so much
'Oh. l am not worrying exactly; only 1 do
wish / hadn't bought mean the money
was so safe in the Trolleyman's Trust Com
pany. But, of course, If you want me to
leave it here" she said, very slowly, to give
him every opportunity to contradict her, "of
course, I'll do just as you say"
my dear Mrs. Hunt" Colwell said, very
politely, my only desire is to please you
and to help you. When you buy bonds you
must prepare to be patient. 1t may take
months before you will be able to sell yours
at a profit, and / don't know how low the
price will go in the meantime. Nobody can
tell you that. because nobody knows, but
it need make no difference to you whether
the bonds go to 80 or even to S., which is
unlikely"
why, how can you say so. Mr.. Colwell?
II the bonds go to 90 III lose s6,OOo-my
friend said it was $1,000 for every number
down. And at IS that would be- And
she gazed at him awestrickenly. reproach-
fully. How can you say 1t would make
no difference, Mr.. Colwell?"
Mr.. Colwell fiercely hated the unnamed
friend" who had told her 30 little and vet
80 much. But he said to her. mildly: IT
thought that Il had explained all that to
you. 1t might hurt a weak Spectator, but
it won't affect you in the slightest, since,
having an ample margin, you would not be
! forced to sell. You would simply hold on
until the price rose again. Let me Illus
trate: Surprising your house cost 10000
and
Harry paid $4,000" she said. correcting
ly. On second thought she smiled. in order
to let him see that she knew her interpola-
| ton was irrelevant.
Very WELL" he said, spontaneously.
, well say $4,000. which was also the price