Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-02-15
On the Ground Floor
BY DONALD ALLEN
copyriSht. Is1I. by Associated Literary Pres.

as should be the case. The place she |
brought up at had a solid look the |
same as beavers house. There was
no flum-doodle elevator. and she |
climbed three pairs of stairs without |
a murmur. Yes; the man at the desk |
was her old-time schoolmate and
lover. He had changed some. but
there was that same honest. truth
full look in his eyes she had seen in
the years agone. Half an hour was
devoted to other. days. and then the
president of the Square Deal came
down to that day and hour and
minute
Sarah ann Lee and her friends were
to be let in on the ground floor for
old times sake. They were to be
given stock at ten cents on the dol
lar. and in a year that same stock
would be hard to find at $3.50 Only
limited quantity was obtainable,
however-just a few Of her best and
dearest friends Before she left
Beaver street she was presented with
several specimens Of ore from the
Square Deal. and she went home
perfectly satisfied in her own mind
that there were a few honest men
left in this world.
Miss Lee was not a selfish woman.
She was willing that others should
share in her good luck. She visited
this one and that one, and told all
about IT, They had TO believe the
circular when she told of her trip to
| town and showed the specimens.
There were people in Mt. Airy who
had money in the bank-money In
stockings. money in old tomato cans
money I'm their hind pockets. II
| wouldn't have come out to save the
| country, but 1t did come out to In
| vest In Square Deal silver stock.
/ Some families mortgaged their only
! COW. after investing what they had on
hand. and others parted with hens and
ROSTERS which had grown old and
gray in their service.
The ripple hit the school teacher.
| the doctor, the minister and the mer-
chant That ground floor" was load
| ed with money for them. In one week
/ Miss Lee disposed OF $4,000 worth Of
! stock and carried $4,000 In cash up
to Beaver street Then she purchas-
ed $4,000 worth for herself and went
home a smiling woman,
For the next three months she was
| the toast of the town. She owned the
place. Not single soul spoke Of her
| as an old maid and wondered If her
temper had prevented her from get
! ting married. There we're three
months of figuring on new houses. new
furniture and trips to Europe when
the dividends began to come in. A
hushed expectancy hung over the
town. Every investor in the Square
Deal expected to get check from
Beaver street any minute.
And then those busybody newspa.
pers and the paternal postofice de.
partment had to spoil 1t all. The
papers proclaimed the Square Deal
swindle. and the postal authorities
took up the mail 1t was acknowledge
ed that he had paid $4,000 for the
mine and had been swindled. but that
didn't relieve him OF the offense of
swindling others. He had fed with
what money no had collected and his
victims deserved no sympathy.
The next ripple in Mount Airy was
lively ripple! II rippled down the
street to Miss Sarah Ann Lees house
Ii washed over her fence and up TO
her doorsteps Had she been man
she would have been dragged forth
and the tar applied. but as she was
not she was simply denounced as
cheat, a fraud. swindler and several
other things She had hard time of
:. for the next week. Then she call
ed public meeting and explained all
about things as well as she was able.
This wasn't enough. and she knew 1t
wasn't. and so she added that she pro
posed to go TO Idaho, visit the mine,
and see what could be done to save
the money of her friends.
This announcement brought forth
cheers. and when Miss Lee finally
| took the train the town was at the
! depot to see her off. 1t makes lot
of difference whether people are go
| ing to lose $40 or win a thousand.
| Three weeks later there came let
| ter-several letters-a letter for every
one In Mount Airy who had invested
| There was a check in each letter, OF
the value OF the investment Then
| there was a general letter from Miss
Lee to be read to all she had reach
| ed Idaho She had reached the mine.
Nothing had been heard Of the where
abouts OF the Square Deal OF Beaver
| street, but she had met the man who
| sold him the mine and swindled him.
They had fallen in love. They were
| to be married shortly.
A man had swinaled Square Deal.
Square Deal had swindled others.
She was TO marry the swindler Of a
swindler to keep Others from being
swindled, and please find check In
closed"
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