The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-07-15
C6e
SOUL or 4 USURER.

The Spanish have proverb, ANY
soul may be saved but the usurer's."
George Desmond sat at his desk long
after Office hours. Desmond was doing
some figuring. The more he figured
the worse things looked. He was
laughing. actually laughing. but there
were not more than two cart loads of
mirth in the sound of his laughter
''Old Twenty Percent has got me-" he
said half out loud. The interest is a
mountain now, whereas at the start the
principal was only mole hill"
George Desmond picked up a letter
from his desk. II was the old message
Of pay up" but there was something
in the tone of the letter that was diff
ferent from that in most letters which
the 20-percent-month men write to
their creditors who don't come TO time
promptly. All letters of this class are
savage enough, but there was sort OF
leering brutality in the letter which
Desmond was now perusing for the
tenth time that marked 1t with an in
dividuality even among money lenders
letters. "Harding's got me fast
enough" said Desmond, "and l can't
see the way out of his grip. l haven't
come to that yet" he unused, with a
curious sort of look in his eyes as he
looked toward his employers big safe,
but the good Lord knows II may come
soon enough. for l am like water"
John Harding, "financier," was in his
N n Gn Crr. n
hour that George Desmond was sitting
at his desk only two blocks distant. II
the Spaniard who made the proverb
about the usnrers soul could have seen
John Harding he would have pointed
to him end said, "If you doubt my
saying. look into that mans face"
Ice from the pole is not colder than
was the look in the money lenders
countenence. That afternoon as he sat
In his Office there was something about
his mouth that would have made one
want 10 move away from the man. and
that quickly. John Harding was talk
ing to himself. i've got Desmond
squeezed" he said, 81 hated him as a
boy and | hate him worse now, down
though he is"
John Harding had wife and a child.
dorothy was little one of 10. Hard
Ing loved her better than he did his
money, which is saying much. She
was the one creature who had succeed
ed in finding that somewhere in his
cold-blooded being there lay a heart
That heart had never known to beat
alphabetically or lovingly for any
other human being than Dorothy. John
Harding's child. Harding simply toll
Grated his wife. He never exactly knew
how he came to marry her. He never
was cruel as Such men understand
cruelty, but there was certain ignor-
ing of the wifes existence which cut
deeper than the lash.
Dorothy loved her father, though she
didn't understand him. Sne thought in
an indefinite, childish way that she
had place in a heart which no one
ever before had found. When her faith
or was alone with Dorothy he showed
his love for her in certain outward
ways for which he would have felt
ashamed had others known.
John Harding started home. When
within three blocks of his residence he
left the electric car and started down
the tree shaded street. 1t was along
this street that every night Dorothy
came to meet him, running to him
when she caught the first sight of his
face. Harding sometimes caught him
self wondering what Dorothy would
think did she know the nature of his
interest upon interest and 20 percent a
month method OF doing business. The
thought made the man vince.
Harding as he left the car heard the
sound of tambourines and a drum. 1t
was music from marching contingent
of Salvation army band coming from
over beyond somewhere TO the saliva
ton Of souls on the street Harding
heard the beat, beat OF the drum and
the jingle of the tambourines with a
sneer. Just then he caught sight of
Dorothy running toward him a block
away and well beyond the first street
corner
ut the time just what happ ned. A pair
OF horses, frightened by the Salvation
lists music, had dashed round the street
corner. Little Dorothy, coming with
flying feet. was struck. At the same
instant a bg-jerseyed fellow had
thrown himself in front of the mad
dened horses. He was too late to save
the child completely. but he grasped
her and rosred with her to one side in
time to save her from the crushing
wheels of the attached wagon. The
army was hurt, and hurt
badly. The child had deep cut ON
her head from the plunging foot of
pne of the horses.
Dorothy Harding was taken home.
4 Salvation army sister followed. with
her won't the father In a daze The
child was placed on a bed, and rs her
head touched the pillow she opened
her eyes for q moment. looked straight