The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-10-15
WHEN
HE DECLARED
DIVIDENDS
BY GERALD NEAvE
Copyright by w. @. chapman.)

Sanford, president or the
Montana Eagle Gold Min
ing company, as he sat down at the
mahogany desk In the office of the big
city building.
Half Dozen" answered Miss Lori
mer, laughing. "Say, Mr.. Sanford, 1t
certainly does seem to be getting bit
warm In these parts. That clergyman
from Boston has been writing in want
Ing to know whether the mines ever
started operations, or ever going to-"
well. I'll write him later" an
swered the president absently. IF
necessary we'll declare a 10 per cent
dividend for his benefit"
sand that old lady from Philadel-
phia, who says she's invested every
thing"
"Pshaw. We needn't notice her till
she writes that she's coming to inter-
view me. Then Wen send her divi-
dent, too. Applications still piIing in?"
Twelve thousand dollars since Sat
urday."
"WhoOp" calculated the president.
"Say, Miss Lorimer, there certainly
are a lot of suckers In the world, amt
there? l wonder how many's been
born since we shut up shop on Satur-
day night?'
"Just 2,40O," answered the secretary,
after short compilation upon her
pad.
"That ought to mean something for
u.s." commented the president.
Nevertheless he was anxious that
morning. He had promoted many dubi-
Gus concerns during the past year or
two, aided by Sucker list" for which
he had paid the sum of three thousand
dollars. The money had come rolling
In from all parts of the country !;
clergymen, widows and fools had con-
tributed largely on the promise Of a
hundred per cent dividend annually.
Whenever any applicant became too
troublesome Sanford cleared himself
and allayed suspicious by declaring a
dividend" But he had reason to sus-
pect that the federal officers were in
vestigating him, and he was bordering
the advisability Of departing for cool
er climes.
Miss Lorimer had been with him for
six months. She had come to him a
simple girl, innocent Of his methods Of
had taught her to believe that his
methods of business" were those uni
versally followed In the financial
world. He did not know the revolt
that had taken place within her, nor
that she needed her salary of fifteen
dollars urgently to support her wild
owed mother.
Sanford had begun to think Miss
Hilda Lorimer had the best business
head of any woman whom he had
known. And something as close to love
as his selfish nature would admit had
been growing up in him.
In fact, he had once or twice made
tentative overtures to her. She had
repulsed them with the easy way and
the smile that covered such multi
tude of regrets. If she had faced the
problem of her manner of living she
might have done what her instinct
prompted her-left the office. But she
dared not face it, for there was moth
| ing saved; and SO she left the re-
sponsibility with her employer and
tried to forget.
At lunch time Sanford went up to
| her.
"Come, Miss Hilda, when is it going
to be?" he asked.
what is that, Mr.. Sandford?"
"Say! You know what I've been
driving at for the past three months.
mean honest nova diamond ring and
/ nice little fiat somewhere"
She laughed, evaded him, and put on
her hat. "We'H talk 1t over some
time" she said evasively.
Yet when he had gone she confessed
to herself that she did like Harry Sand
ford. And she felt, with a woman's
intuition, that he was the victim OF
circumstances. She knew that his IA
Their had disowned him when he was
boy, that he had run away, return
ing home to find his father dead and
! his mother, turned out of the home by
greedy landlord, gone forever from
the little village where he was born.
If he had had different opportunities
When he came back from lunch Hill
da Lorimer was bending over her
work very attentively.
swell, any more suckers come in?
he asked.
When she did not answer him he
looked at her attentively. To his
amazement he saw that there were
tears in her eyes.
"Why-what's wrong?" he inquired
The girl looked up at him. Every.
thing" she answered briefly. She
could no longer fight down her rising
indignation. 1.-THE business, Mr.. Sand
ford"
"Sayl Turning piousT'