The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-11-25

| KA" t1mated what they would
49, bring In the market, and
vainIy endeaVored 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 a 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-au the result OF his shreWdness
| In the monsy-IsRding line. Az to shaw.
iAG notes, he was credited with cut
ting out everything but the data and
adding that to his discount
When he induced Miss Sabina Pen
nell to borrow ave hundred dollars
from him and to give him a 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 farm for a mort
gage on the whole thing. Sabina had
refused him, promptly.
She had refused him several more
times, and then Elijah apparently re-
signed himself to his fate. But he
knew Sabfna's circumstances; he
knew that when her father died and
left her entirely alone In the world
she would get into debt. So he kept
track of her debts, which was not a
hard thing to do, when every dealer
in the town was a 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 it, ana
that so long as she paid the interest
on it she need never bother about
repaying it.
Its Just putting that much money
out at interest, for me- he smiled.
And it viii relieve yOd OF worry over
what you may owe, so you can man
age your place and make It pay you"
When Sabins signed the mortgage
notes and received EHjah'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 tina On the Interest, she had
been really e&eeted BY his generous
agreement
"Dont let e worry yoG . minute
Sabina,h be said. PAY e When you
can. don't consider u q real bust
ness matter-betWeen me and you.
you know"
But now Sabfna owed him ninety
dollars. just for interest alone.
Now, Sabipa was not the cenYen-
tionaI maiden lady in reduced circum-
stances. She was not q haggard. thin,
Woebegone woman Of uncertain years,
eking out an existence. She was jsst
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 in the world she should |
ever pay the principal of the mort |
gage had not occurred to her.
But Elijah, with ninety dollars in |
terest coming to him, was not the !
Elijah who had so generously loaned /
her the money. Elijah was telling her 4
that times we're 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 /
terest was unpaid-Why=
I'll do the best I can to raise the +
money, Elijah" Sabina said. I've got /
forty-nine turkeys, and when I sell +
them"
But forty-nine turkeys won't bring +
you over sixty dollars" Elijah said
You'll get about ten cents a pound
for them, and mighty few Of them
weigh more than twelve pounds
Sabina looked out into the orchard,
where her turkeys were strolIing
about Elijah leaned toward her:
Haven't you changed your mind.
Sabina9'' he asked.
Changed my mind7 About WhstP-
About marrying me"
Sabina turned to him, With ksr eyes
flashing. /.
.sWen, Elijah Greeni SO that vas
Why you made ne let goa lend ne
that money, and that was why yo1
we're so nice about the interest ana
that vas
mo, %. noIs Elsjah ssssa. saaiF1z-
sng. 81 asveE Eaoughz e tat lsnt
- TIA Renas seElssze 1 az4