Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1911-11-30

valnly endeayored TO make that sum
equal the amount she needed to pay
the interest on the mortgage held on
her little place by Elijah Green.
Elijah was the local money lender
and note shaver When Elijah had
concluded the preliminaries OF loan
with you. you began to realize why he
was rich. He could bind you to more
different impossible agreements than
any one else. Elijah owned farm after
farm-all the result of his shrewdness
in the money-lending line. AS to shay
ing notes, he was credited with cut
ting out everything but the date ana
adding that to his discount.
When he induced Miss Sabina PEN
nell to borrow five hundred dollars
from him and to give him q mortgage
upon her little place, he had really
acted more decently than ever before
He did not want Sabina's place. What
he wanted was Sabina herself. He
had proposed TO her-proposed in
about the tone and with about as
much sentiment as he usually mani
tested when he offered to lend one
third the value OF a farm for a mort
gage on the whole thing. Sabfna had
refused him, promptly
She had refused him several more
times, and then Elijah apparently re-
signed himself to his fate. But he
knew Sabina's circumstances; he
knew that when her father died and
lnF& has nw&4wnlwr n4~v.1 q. A. -.-n~l.x
she would get into debt. So he kept
track OF her debts, which was not q
hard thing to do, when every dealer
in the town was q debtor Of his.
AT the psychological moment he Of
fered to lend her five hundred dollars,
secured by the mortgage. He pointed
out to her that he didn't need the
money and wanted to invest 1t, and
that so long as she paid the interest
on 1t she need never bother about
repaying 1t.
It's just putting that much money
out at interest, for me. he smiled.
And 1t viii relieve you OF worry over
what you may owe, SO you can man.
age your place and make 1t pay you. 81
When Sabina signed the mortgage
notes and received Elijah's check She
had her first almost-tender feeling
toward him. And when she went to-
him and asked him to give her a lit
tie more time on the interest, she had
been really affected by his generous
agreement.
Don't let 1t worry you 4 minute,
Sabina," he said. 'Pay it when You
can / don't consider It q real bust
ness matter between me and you,i
you know
But now sabina owed him ninety
dollars. just for interest alone.
Now, Sabina was not the conven-l
tional maiden lady In reduced circum-I
stances. She was not haggard. thin.l
woebegone woman OF uncertain years.
eking out an existence. She was Just
twenty-five years old. neat and pretty,
and it took all she made teaching
school TO keep her. she had relied
on her turkeys to pay the interest at
least. How la the world she should
ever pay the principal OF the mort
gage had not occurred to her.
But Elijah, with ninety dollars in-l
terest coming to him. was not tho
Elijah who had SO generously loaned
her the money. Elijah was telling her
that times were hard and money was
close, and although he hated to do It. !
he simply had to have money to meet
his own obligations SO, since the
mortgage was overdue, and the in-I
tereet was unpaid why
I'll do the best can TO raise tnel
money. Elijah, Sabina said. .Tve gotl
forty-nine turkeys. and when sell
them
But forty-nine turkeys won't bring
you over sixty dollars. Es.3sh said. /
..You'I get about tsn cents . pound
FOR them, and mighty few al them
weigh more than twelve pounds z
sabina looked out into the orchard, |
where her turkeys were str0llingl
about. Elijah leaned toward her.
Ravens You changed y0ur mind. |
SabIna2 be asked
Changed ny minds About what r.
About marrying me-
sahina turned h him, with her ayeal
masking
Wen. Elijah Green! 81 that MAS
WY you made me lot you lend mel
CHAT money. and that was why youI
we're 20 nice about tAB interest. ana
lhat wan
No. ia, nolM niijah criea. sunir,n-l
izlK r never thought % that. fAHt}