Lesson in Finance.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 17

Lesson in Finance.

(By Wallace Irwin.) COLONEL Peter Green sat at Ids desk in the local offices of the Vulnerable Insurance- Company at Cornerstone. Tho Colonel’s commanding bulk, as ho dictated, in a husky staccato to tho stenographer at His elbow, suggested a body of conceit wholly surrounded by fat. Ho prided himself on his finesse, his business strategy, his ability to overstep a point of etnics in order to compass a point of advantage, lie likened himself to Napoleon; but tho managers, clerks, and office-boys, who danced the carpet at his bidding, wex-o more apt to compare him with Nero. A confidential clerk entered with a card. “Thomas Devinnoy, Jr., representing the Patriotic Art C 0.," read tile Colonel, with something between a whistle and a snort. "liopresonting tho” Ho turned suddenly to the clerk, who backed away apologetically. "Is that young—rascal outside. ?” ‘Vies, sir; I think so, sir,” resoonded tiro clerk, stroking feeble side-whiskers above a pale check. "Think so, do you? Send him. in I” A tall young man closed (ho door carefully behind him, removed his pearlgrey, fiat-crowned hat and stood waiting. The magnate continued sorting over the letters on his desk, hot looking up. His stenographer, who sat patiently , waiting with tab on knee, regarded the youth with pitying interest. _ Ho was twenty and good-looking, clad in a suit of loosefitting tweeds, whoso just-out-of-collego cut added pathos to his pose of careful unconcern. Colonel Green continued to present a broad back and bulging neck. The youth shifted from ono polished shoo to the other. "Well!” finally thundered from tho unmoving hulk, “what do you want thoro? What?” Tho young man opened a. portfolio, disclosing several coloured portraits of General XL S. Grant. These ho presented, thrusting the pile close under the noso of the preoccupied coionol. His speech suggested a recitation well learned and oft repeated. "1 am representing tho Patriotic Art Company, sir, and having in mind your well-known admiration for our greatest general; knowing, in fact, your sentiments as a veteran of thb Civil War, as well as an art connoisseur, I” "Hold on!” roared the colonel, looking suddenly up. "I don't know you, young ' man, but I knew your father, and I think it’s a pretty business for a son of Tom Devinnoy to be hawking chromos round insurance offices.” “Perhaps you have a bettor position to offer me, Coionol Green,” suggested young D-evinney, with the impudence of a runner who has gained his second wind. Tho elderly man ignored the hint. “1 know your father— liked him too, although I don’t think ho had enough business sense to gum envelopes. What ho called his 'souse of honour’ was what ailed him. Went under, of course, as any man’s bound to do who don’t play tiio game. Cut throat or be cut, voting man, that’s what you’ve got to learn. So you’re selling pictures, hey? What got you into that?” "Well, you soo, when I got ont of college they offered me a job with this patriotic picture proposition. I thought they’d offer mo the presidency and give me a chance to start at the top, and work downward. But there irasxrt any 'vacancy at the. top—there’s always room at the bottom.” , "Hum!” said Colonel Green, pursing his fat lips. “So you think you’ll make a business man. Sit down there and show mo how you’ll go at it to sell me a picture.” 'The youth resumed his recitation, beginning at tho beginning. “I am representing tho Patriotic Art Coni" "Stop!" commanded the colonel, upholding the hand of authority-. "You havoyaid that before.” "Well knowing your local reputation as an art connoisseur” - "What are you going over the same ground for? Give us something new.” “Beautifully tinted by the famous zinco-coramio process, only one hundred copies having been struck off and the plates subsequently destroyed.” "Now. look bore, young man," growled tho magnate, "that sort of talk will go in the village jKist-oilico, but it won’t go in of modern business. Because you're Tom Devinney's son. I’ll volunteer one thing. If I’d spent my time trying to persuade people to tako my goods I’d never have reached this chair. No sir. You’ve got to mate people take ’em. Make ’em buy when they don’t know it—give ’em chloroform—choke it down 'em while they’re asleep. You won’t do, sir. You don’t know how to make mo buy your pictures. You can’t bunco me into taking ’em while I'm not looking. You won’t do. Good day!” "But, Colonel Green!" "Don’t waste any more of my time! Good day, I said." Tho young man 'Withdrew and stood in front of tho Vuinerable Insurance Building. “I don’t know how to make you take my pictures, hey? I can’t bunco you into taking ’em while you To not looking, can’t I? Ail. right, just watch me,” he said as he swung on a front seat of a trolly car marked “Pairvlew Heights." Colonel Green’s new mansion stood on the summit of that commanding knoll, to the real estate enthusiast ’ known as “Beautiful Fairview." The house a boastful creation of stone, adorned with ornate pillars and nondescript windows, stared haughtily lilres an ugly woman wearing a bright and hideous, bonnet. Up the new-washed concrete walk Thomas Dovinney, jun., marched boldly,his budget of portraits swung defiantly in view. Ho presented his card and waited amidst the gilt and upholstered wonders of the drawing-room. ‘High art and frxenzed finance" thought Tommy; "a portrait of U. S. Grant ought to giro the finishing touch.” Mrs Peter Green, the meek and colourless complement of tho colonel, entered "I noticed by your card,”’she said, that you have the same name—are you the son of Judge Thomas Devinnor, whom Colonel Green used to know so well?” ■ “Yes,” said the young man; "and I have often hoard my father speak of Colonel Green. But, to toll you (ho truth, Mrs Green, T have como hero’on a matter of business” "Oil!” exclaimed the lady, noting for the first time tho bundle which ho held "You see, I was showing Colonel Gre-ri these portraits of General Grant. H« hked them very much, and asked me if I would aeuver ono to you. as ho wouldn’t be home to luncheon.” Mrs Green Inked nlenscd. Her husband hadn't been entirely affable during the pest week. To-morrow was her birthday. "Very thoughtful of Peter,” she thought. Young Dovinney selected a portrait from his budget and handed it to her. "The Colonel forgot the— er—payment.” I

He hesitated. "I suppose he Trill send his cheque to my—er—office ?" '‘Oil,• pardon mo/’ eui<l tho lady. It was just like Peter to forget. What is the price?" “Seven dollars," said Hevinney, witb commorcial brevity; and a moment later was bowing himself out. "Looks like a bright,' honest young man,” said Mrs Green, as she watched him, walking down flic kerb, folding her greenbacks as he walked. , At tho Cornerstone station stood: a tall young man in tweeds. An east-bound train was due in four minutes. “I say," salad tho young . man, approaching tho station agent, “do you happen to know Colonel Peter Green?" “Colonel Peter Green. I certainly do. Ho comes down to the train in his motor car most every day.” “Well, I came down all the way from Cincinnati to-day to leave him one of those portraits, which ho ordered, but I couldn’t find, him in his office. Pye got to leave on this train to deliver some important orders along 1 tho line. Too bad! Awfully sorry the colonel couldn’t get his picture." Now the colonel was a director of.the railway, and tho station-agent was ambitious. • "You might leave the picture with me,” eagerly suggested he. . “Much obliged, but I’m afraid X can t. There is seven dollars due on it, you know." “Well, I guess the colonel s good for it,” said tho man “I’ll- advance the money to you and collect 1 from the colonel when he oom.es/’ At four q’clock tho ponderous colonel, in his ponderous machine, drove up to the mansion on the Heights. Mrs Green, all smiles, was waiting for him. in the hall. • , „ , Thank yon ever so much. Peter, she said. “Tne young man delivered tho picture. It was beautiful.” "What young man? VVhat pictute? ’ demanded tho colonel. “Whv, the picture of General TJ S. Grant," .jivhicli you sent up from the office.” “ ‘‘U. S. Grant! Ho you mean to say that you took one of those idiotic” “Don’t worry, dear," said Mrs Green, soothingly. "1 paid for. it myself." ■ “Paid for it!" thundered the outraged Nero. "Well, of all the feather-brained, lack-witted transactions . outside a woman’s club”— But the balance of the colonel s thunder rumbled down the cement walk, where ho was puffing for his motor car. Through the tranquil streets of Corner, stone the colonel’s motor car shot like an obese sky-rocket, the colonel’s only thought being to head off the rascally D-ovinncy ere he .should escape on tire evening flyer. ’ . But the evening flyer hod just pulled out from the station as tho colonel pulled in. The station-master stood on the depot platform smiling as one smiles who is secure in his good deeds. "Brown,” wheezed the colonel, halftumbling from his car, "have you seen anything of a .tall young fellow in a light suit, pearl-grey hat, portfolio under Ills arm ?” “Oh. yes sir.” said Brown, hat in hand. "He j list left in that train—but I’ve got the picture for you, sir.” The colonel seemed to swell to twice his' bulk. “Picture!” ho shrieked, bringing his cane down on the sidewalk—“picture!” "Yee, sir/ said Brown, calmly. “He left it for you, sir; aud as it wasn't paid for. I advanced him seven dollars on it, sir, knowing that the money Was as good as in the bank, sir.” With only a splutter for reply, the colonel returned to his machine, and fell back among the cushions in the tonneau. “If my influence With, tho railway is worth anything. I’ll pay you for.this!” he called back at the station-master as the red engine puffed down the street. In front of the City Hotel the colonel’s chauffeur slowed down to let a dray pass. Clarence M'Dougall, the clerk, ran out of the side door and hailed the colonel. "I thought I’d lot you know, colonel, that he’d been here," said Clarence, “and I’ve got it all 1 right.” “Oh. I suppose you have," sneered the colonel. “Yee, he left, it before catching his train." “Yon mean?" “I mean the picture—the picture of TJ. S. Grant.” "Why don’t you go ahead ?” groaned the colonel to his chauffeur, as he fell back and , raised his hands to the unsympathetic heavens. It was nearly a_ month later when the colonel stood in his library gazing darkly at three> framed portraits of General U. S. Grant, which leaned against the wall near tiie mantelpiece. "I've had something to tell you all day," said Mis Green, as she entered timidly, "hut I thought I’d wait till after dinner, when you might be feeling —better.” "Is it something about: that rascal, Hevinney?” asked tho colonel, swelling from neck to brow. “Yes—no," said his wife. "I’ve received a letter from Maud.” Maud, their youngest daughter, was a' a fashionable boarding school jri town, Mrs Green, wFh trembling fingeis. m folded a slip of blue paper, and rend ; ‘“Hear Mother and Father,— l’m nr you won’t approve of him. but I've jumet’my fate in the dearest bov and ,-/»•>- of father’s old friend, Thomas Dev/ ney. (A snort from tho colojirT '"AUlioliph M*c're not allowed to sr young men here very often, it was lev, at first sight, and we feel that we ju can’t live without each other. Ho "hat

not boon long out of college, and has boon filling a very obscure position, on a start, with the,Patriotic Art Company, hut ho has been doing, so well for them that tho firm has offered to promote him, with a salary of three thousand dollars a. year. I am sure you will, both lovo Tommy when you see him.’ ” (A snort.) “‘And you must, yon must consent to our marriage.—Lovingly, 'Maud/ “ ‘P.S.—I Vo were married yceterusy. _ M/ ” The colonel’s eyes rested grimly on t]ia tinted likeness of Gettysburg’s herd: “Mr Hevinney seemed like, an, honest, straightforward young fellow, 'and I’m sure he’ll ■ make an excellent business man,” ventured Mrs-Green. “He’s already a great' deal, better business man than !' am, madam !” snapped the colonel. “Don't you think we might forgive them,' then, and /send thorn a wedding present?” . . "Certainly, certainly!” said the colonel with a compromise between, a, smile and a snow).. “Send them these; three ,pop/ trails of U. S. Grant.” ' : h .