The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-11-24

4
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 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 shaw
ing notes. he was credited with cut
ting out everything but the date and
adding that to his discount.
When he induced Miss Sabina Pen
nell to borrow five 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 a farm 70" q 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 Sabina's circumstances; he
knew that when her father died and
left her entirely alone In theuworld
Pie would get into debt So he kept
Jack of her debts, which was not a
lard 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. and
that SO long as she paid the interest
IN 1t she need never bother about
repaying it.
Its just putting that much money
out at interest, for me-" he smiled.
"And It will relieve you Of worry over
what you may owe, SO you can man
age your place and make it pay you"
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 minute,
Sabina," he said. "Pay it when you
can. don't consider 1t a real bust
ness matter-between me and you,
you know
But now sabina owed him ninety
dollars, just for interest alone.
Now. Sabina was not the conven-
tional maiden lady In reduced circum.
stances. She was not a haggard, thin,
woebegone woman Of uncertain years.
ekfng out an existence. She was lust
twenty-five years old, neat and pretty, |
and 1t 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
that times were hard and money was
close, and although he hated to do 1t,
he simply had to have money to meet
his own Obligations. So, since the
mortgage was overdue, and the In
terest' was unpaid-why-
IN do the best can to raise the
money. Mijah," sabina said. a.I'va gotI
forty.nine turkeys. and when I sell
them
but forty-nine turkeys won't bring
you over sixty dollars,'' Elijah said.
"Yohn get about ten cents q pound
for them, and mighty few OF. them
weigh. more than twelve pounds
Sabina looked out into the orchard,
where her turkeys were stroIling
about: Elijah leaned toward her:
Haven't you changed yourt mind.
"Changad my mind7 About what9'
botit naliIy inli nc ii 81 #; V as9 /
ssbma turned % him. with her eyesI
nasAlng. Il. .i:s..,
Van, Elijah Green! IS that w.s
My; ron inside ma III ypp Land mel
thAtI monsy, ana that VI WY You II
wsr sso nics shout IN 81 its 81 l, ana
q u. q, 20. Hlijah cTisd, slnirm.|5
lnS nsy1rs thought of TINT II lent Il
-, IL mooeY beoapss i loved yca..