The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-08-08

61Lu6I,. anu uOW lDSy say ludt lAS
shares aren't worth the paper they
are printed on. / guess everybody is
pretty much stirred up about it. They
say Mr.. Evans takes it dreadfully
hard talks; about going to the poor
house"
IT guess he won't go the poorhouse
at present." said Mrs. Lang, remem-
bering certain note she had signed.
She had grown very pale as she lis
tened to the news, but she made no
other comment.
"Mother," said Rosetta, presently,
chow much money has father lost"
"He hasn't lost anything to speak
Of" was the reply. IT want you to
remember that when you are away
from home," added, Mrs. Lang, sig
ui6nantly =
A little later she said, with an at
tempt at cheerfulness, s'Wouldn't
you like to spend the rest of the day
with your cousin Addie? You
haven't been there for some time.
You may stay to supper if Aunt EN-
ma invites you."
The girl was glad enough to escape
from what she felt to be an atmosphere
of trouble and Mrs. Lang was LETT
alone with her thoughts to await the
coming of her husband, whom she ex-
pected on the stage at FIVE o'clock.
In spite of her abstraction she went
about her preparations for the even
ing meal with more than usual care
and by FIVE clock the supper-table,
in its company dress of snow-white
cloth, china tea-set and highly polish
ed steel knives and forks, made
brave display of frosted cake, custards,
quince preserves and other more sub
stantial dishes, while from the oven
stole forth the aroma of "cream-of-
tartar biscuits" almost ready to take
their place at the feast.
The sound of wheels was heard,
followed by the "Whoa p ofthe stage
driver; and peering through the win.
dow, Mrs. Lang saw her husband
walking up the path, carpet-bag in
hand. She met him at the door, and
one glance at his face convinced her
that he had heard the news.
"Why, how pale you are !" she
cried, involuntarily.
eyes" said he, "I'm completely
broke up. This has been too much for
me. can hardly hold up my head"
Now was the time for Mrs. Lang's
"I told you so," but as she looked
at his haggard face the words, even
if they were in her mind, died on her
tongue.
20 Daniel" she implored, "don't
take on about it Keep up your
courage, and we'll weather it yet"
"Oh, yes" said he, cheerfully,
"presume I'll be all right by morning.
! You see, the jury could not agree on
/ all night, and never coui0 STAND De-
ing broken of my rest"
"Why, Daniel, haven't you heard
what has happened 7" asked Maria,
in surprise. Then, in answer to his
questioning look, she rapidly told the
tale of the bursting of Greenhill's Pc
troleum bubble.
"But don't you be down-hearteo, !"
she said. eve are still young and
have our health, and we'll pay of
that mortgage, every cent. Rosetta
is old enough to help. And Daniel, :"
she hurried on. ST don't blame you
one bit. Smarter men than you got
caught. And don't forget that you
went into this mostly for my sake and
Rosetta's.''
Daniel had listened at first in a dazed
silence, but now smile slowly broke
over his face, and he was moved to
speak. "It is kind of tough for those
that were in it, no mistake, but /
guess it dosen't concern me personally
very much"
''What do you mean?" cried his
wife, in amazement. "Tell me, did
you really have sense enough to sell
out? 7"
"I had sense enough not to buy in ;
that is, if you call 1t my sense" he
replied modestly. "Fact is, you were
so set against it that gave it up at
the last minute. I was on my way
to Mr.. Evans for the money when my
courage failed me, and tore up the
note and mortgage and went and told
Rosencraft that l had backed out"
Mrs. Lang drew long breath.
"For goodness sake Daniel, why didn' t
you tell me !"
"Well, Maria, he said, hesitatingly,
'that was the mean part of it, and
I'm sorry enough now. But it was
this way. I still had just about as
much faith in those shares as ever,
and says to myself, She has always
been coming at me with her I told
you so, and now I'll get even with
her. won't say word about it till
those dividends begin to roll in, and
then when she wants to know why we
don't ger ours, I'll tell her it Is be-
cause l followed her advice. Then
I'll have chance to say, 81 told you
so !'' for the rest of my natural life.
But I'm terribly ashamed of 1t now,
especially considering how you took
it when you thought I'd lost the mon
ey. I ask your forgiveness, Maria. "
But Maria would not allow her hus.
band all the penitence.
IT know I've been too fault finding
at times" she said, "but I'm going
to do better. For one thing" she
added, smiling through her tears, "I'I
try not to say I told you so 7 again
as long as I live"
They sat down to supper, and Dan.
lei as he availed himself OF the "good
home cooking" soon declared that
he felt like new man. 81 can't help
thinking, though" he said, "about
the people that went into that oil
speculation. To be sure, those that
lost are the ones best able to lose.
1 guess was the only one foolish