The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-11
TIE EVENING STORY
Betrofhed in Bankruptcy.
IRv c. B. Lewis. ]

by \. d. LEWIS
After the death Of her farmer hus-
band the Widow Allen moved into the
village of Fergus. Her husband had
left her a snug property and goodfy
sum of life insurance, and at nIty
years she became a money lender
She had no friends as a girl, she
had few as a wife. and as a WIDOW
and a capitalist people did not speak
in her favor. She drove hard bargains
and had no pity. If her capital or IN
terest was not forthcoming on the day
and date she invoked the aid OF the
law, and accepted no excuses. She
had always been a woman of stingy
disposition, sure to avenge what she
deemed a slight, and when she came
to know the general opinion OF the
villagers she ground her teeth together
and made up her mind to get even
The village of Fergus boosted of
only three general stores. That was
more than was needed to supply the
wants of the people. There would
not have been a fourth had not one
of the merchants had a business trans
action with the Widow Allen and been
obliged to go to law over it. She was
beaten in the suit and to get even she
planned to start another store. Not
being an educated woman and afraid
to try the idea by herself, she lent
sum of money to young George
French, who had for several years
been a clerk in the store of the mer-
chant she wished particularly to ruin.
He was bound hard and fast. The
widow wanted revenge but she didn't
propose to lose any money over 1t.
She was near fifty years old and the
new merchant was not yet twenty-six,
but she let it be known that when
marriage took place between them
the firm name of George French &
Co." might be shortened to George
French
There was rush of customers to
the new store. To keep expenses down
and make an innovation young French
employed a girl bookkeeper and an
other girl as clerk.
AS the widow insisted on his board
ing with her so that they could talk
business and he be under her watch,
she did not become jealous for a time.
The day came, however, when she an
nounced that he must get rid of both
girls and replace them with men.
He~refused to heed her in this point
ing out the saving and other good rea-
sons One of the reasons that he did
not give was that he admired the faith
erless girl, Jennie WardeT, the book
keeper, who was supporting a widowed
mother by her efforts, and to whom
he had been attracted from the first
day. His admiration must have been
patent to her in hundred ways, and
yet he had spoken no word. The new
store was an experiment.; if it was
failure he would have no right to ask
her to share his lot.
The Widow Allen concealed her cha
grin and did not press her point The
young merchant was hustling and max
ing things gloomy for her victim. At
the proper time he would offer an alter
native.
Nine months of liberal advertising.
low prices and attention to business on
the part of the new storekeeper brought
bankruptcy to two of the other mer-
chants, but they brought no such prof
its to French as he had hoped for. He
had bound himself to sell at certain
prices and he dared not depart from
them. He had bound himself to repay
a certain amount of the capital invest
ed at the end of the first u months, and
figure as he would, he could not see his
way clear to do so. The widow was
waiting for him to speak, and then she
laughed and limited at matrimon5-
When her hints were turned aside she
said quietly:
AT the end of the year you must pay
me as agreed. If not the law win put
me in possession and you Will be on. of
employment
But you are not pressed FOR money.
You can give me time he protested.
L have worked like a slave to make
the store a success. 1 put in thou
sand dollars of my own money You
would not drive me into bankruptcy
IF we are not married on the day
your notes are due l shall demand my
money. If you go into bankruptcy I
shall buy in the stock and put some one
else in your place"
Her declaration lost her her boarder,
but when he walked out of the house
he knew that he was ruined in business.
He could not pay her the half CT what
he owed her, and a call at the lawyers
brought him no comfort She had
spoken of marriage. but he turned away
in disgust at the thought. She had said
she would ruin him, and she was wo-
man to keep her word.
There is always a way out for the
merchant who finds bankruptcy staring
him in the face, and few take it who
cannot excuse themselves to their own
consciences. The merchant went over
the ground time and time again, but he
always came back to the one thing. If
his store was burned out before the year
was-up the insurance money would pay
the Widow Allen and leave him some
thing to start anew. Men recOil from
this idea at first, but if the situation IS
pressing large proportion grasp it In
the end.
Young French looked around his store
and saw the favorable situation of
things All he need do was to leave
a lighted candle among the litter under
the stairway when he went homo at
night BY midnight or an hour later,
the whole building would be in flames,
with no possibility of anything being
saved The Widow Allen alone might
supect him. but she would have no
proofs.
The merchant debated the idea with
himself for two weeks before he adopt
ed it. In the store he gave no sign
that he was troubled, but the book
keeper was not deceived. She knew
what the profits were, and she knew
who had a clutch on him She even
Interpreted the glances he cast around
the store. and when she saw him
adding to the litter in the closet she
could have told him his purpose.
One windy. rainy night. when there
was excuse for shutting up early, and
when only thirty days rer aimed be-
tween French and business ruin. he
made a pretext to be the last one out
and the candle was placed and lighted.
49,. r,n,.rn- ,nnnrnlnant 1nrarf To Iia