The Crittenden record., 1904-10-07
THE MUSIC OF MONEY
BY NEWT NEWKIRK.


fishing Company All rights reserved)
Baptiste LaCroix was weazened,
withered, little and old when he
came alone from France to New
Orleans. He died there, but that
was in 1901, SO his story has been
lost to the world in the years that
have passed. Baptiste LaCrOix
had god-Baptiste LaCroix
loved but one kind OF music-his
god was money and his music was
the ciink Of the shining metal.
Often, as he walked, Baptiste
thrust his hands into his pockets
, and ran his trembling fingers
among few coins that he always
carried, 80 that they would clink
together. Then his eyes would di.
late, his step would quicken and
over his scared face would creep II
smile, but il was a smile that
chilled-the smile Of miser. He
never did this within the hearing
OF anyone but himself. Baptiste
was selfish Of his music, and be-.
sides he feigned 10 be poor-so
poor that the covering was worn
OF the buttons on his coat and the
! cloth upon his elbows thin and pol.
ishcd with long scryice-sO poor
that he scarcely bought food SUN.
cient 10 sustain him, and therefore
he sometimes went hungry. He
was often called beggar and was
as often pleased, for II the world
believed him poor the world would
not rob him. Poor Baptiste!
|. He brought with him from over
the sea two chests which were
bound In iron, and stout. They
were small, bat they were heavy.
In the old French Quarter Of New
Orleans the miscr bought n house.
] The reason he bought II was H..
cause the house WAS put up NJ sale
\ 60 satisfy a creditor and went for
q song. The building was not large
certainly not bcnutiful-but II
was strong. the walls wer thick.
and that sufiiced Into this house
the miser moved the two chests
, and within II be- lived. its sole ten.
ant. When the nights were dark
I h. would close the shutters. bolt
the door, and. by the light of a
sputtcring candle. unlock tho
chests and filter through his trpm
bling fingers the gold and silver
coins that filled them. until his
heart would pound in unwontcd
rhythm Ia their music. Baptiste
would then rrlock the chests. push
them under his bed. tie thr KEYS
about his neck. blow out the can
die and creep Ia bed. where the
blended echoes of gold and silver
would lull him 10 sleep. When
there WIS u moon. enough light I'll
= tered through the windows To
make the candle an expensive Ink
ury Moonlight cost him nothing.
Baptistr began tn look about
him for some means whereby he
might add Ia his store ~ wealth
} The more money. the mcrricr mu.
sic There wrrr profits to b. mad,
\ IN the truflir NJ slaves. llciu,rsti
gated aud learned that men about
him had bcromc rich In that bust
ness; they had made money that
might as we'll have been his. Hut
The huying and selling NJ slaves
y had risk that terrified him
Thrsr blacks w,N illttrntcd nnd
i illfcd; many NJ them we're old aud
onr or mor might dir IN his
hands. The loss ~ their lives WI.
nothing but-thc loss " profits
4 H. wished be- could have bought
aud sold their souls. Tor be- had
heard somewhere that souls never
l. d..
The conditions, however. wrr.
before him aud BE- must risk " y,
would win. llr bought with al,
d marvellous eye ot misrr. In d
small way at first. hut. ~ h,
y harmed the trirks ~ the trade
mur extensively. Baptisir Was s
a mntrst miidlcmnn. Ilc knew
where to put his hands on surl
tl1,vs us his patrons wanted. ~,
dealt In fathers mothers. sons ans
daughters as II they had lrcn =,
many sheep or cattle. Tie bought
y low; be- sold high, and prosIrrcd
hut In such a quiet way that few
seemed to know who be- was or
where be- lived.
liaptistc, In his best wears, ha,