Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-01-09
ACCOUNT
SETTLED IN full

I'm memory of an honest debtor"
replied the Disseminated Man.
Are they SO rare. then?" she
asked.
"Very. And then the circumstances
OF that payment We're unusual. We
had a tenant "a little chorus girl, who
lived In little room in one o. our
buildings. She was out OF work. Had,
been Ill. Hard up and behind with
her rent Lord only knows how she
lived. Mostly on pickles, tea aud
breakfast food cooked over a gas Jet,
Poor little ballroom girl. But she was
honest, and whenever she earned
anything she paid dollar or two on
her rent and struggled along, eking
out her pennies with all the lodges
girls know, washing handkerchiefs
and sticking them on the window
panes instead of ironing. doing up lace
collars by rolling them round curl
ing iron and"
ut SENS to me-" said the Little
Lady. that you know too much"
II beg your pardon?"
Nothing, Go on"
AT last she got an engagement to
go on the road, and she was as happy
as the queen Of Tarsacon. She owed
us $40 and some little scores to other
people, and before she left she called
on each one and told them she would
pay as soon as she received her sal.
airy.
II told her All right; no hurry, and
so she passed on after the fashion OF
tenants.
at was December 80 OF that year.
in the afternoon, and was alone and
working on some accounts, when
felt a sort of cold draft, and raised
my head to see who was coming In.
thinking the door had been opened.
and bescide my desk stood Miss Patsy
Vane. She had come In 30 softly that
! hadn't heard her.
why, how are your said. When
did you get back? Have you left the
company
"She sat down before answering.
The show has closed she said. Il
Just got back and want to pay my
debt And she opened her little peck
etbook and took out ten-dollar bill
and handed II to me. AS took II
noticed that she had big red mark
across her fingers. and as / wrote q
receipt I asked, What's the matter
with your hand?'
Il burnt It, said she.
II gave her the receipt and she fold
ed It and put 1t In her pocketbook and
stood up. Thank you so much for
waiting she said, you have been aw-
fully kind to me. Good-by.' She hest
tated a moment and then extended
her hand and ! took It. Her fingers
were very cold.
"'Good-by,' ! said, and walked to
the door with her, opened IL for her,
and so she went away. In a short
time some of the other fellows came
In, and I laid aside my accounts and
went out, and as got out In the street
the newsboys were barking about the
| Iroquois theater fire. Good luck that
Patsy got out before thought.
Why, she said the show had closed?'
and bought paper and saw that the
Bluebeard company was playing there
at the time of the fire.
"Still, thought she had left the
company until in next days papers I
saw that among the lost was Patsy
Vane. and then knew that in broad
day / had sen and talked with her
! spirit, just released. / might have
thought had dozed and dreamed, but
in the cash drawer of the safe was
the ten-dollar bill, just like any other
! bill, except that one end was scorched.
when the members of the com
pany struggled back to New York I
saw Patsy's chum. Oh she said,
Poor, poor Patsy. Sse was so glad to
get to work and saved to pay what
she owed in New York, and that after.
noon she told me she had all paid but
ten dollars rent, and she had Just got
that and would sent 1t next day. When
the fire came we started out together,
and she would have got out, only she
said: II forgot my pocketbook," and
she ran back for II, and never got
out
$50 I kept that bill and had II
framed as a souvenir of remarkable
experience"
do you expect me to believe that?'
asked the Little Lady.
mo-" coolly said the Disseminated
Man. "but just the same it's true, and
she paid 1t to me sitting right In that
chair you're sitting In now"
The Little Lady got up hastily and
( moved to another chair.
II did not think you were the kind
Of man to have such fancies," she
said.
II didn't think SO myself" said the
Discontinued Man, but 1t seems that
/ to me 1t was appointed"