A NEW MORTGAGE.
WE was that bizzy last week, with gittin our legicy and payin of costs,
and a borrowin of money, and a writin of papers, and a signin of our
names, and a swearin to this, that and the other thing, that I dident
git my bakin done, let alone do any writin.
The fust of last week we got our share of our legicy; the officers in
Indyana got the balance.
Howsomever, what we did git come handy for a while anyhow.
I dont know what we would have done if Jobe’s poor, dear dead aunt
hadent a died jist when she did.
Well, when what was left us, arter payin them Indyana fellers, come,
Jobe and me hitched up old Tom and struck out for town to stop the
foreclosin bizness.
We fust went to the bank at Canal Dover, and made arrangements to borrow
$1,800 at seven per cent. Jobe he hung for six per cent., but when the
banker explained to Jobe that we was now on a gold basis; that McKinley
had come out for a strait gold basis platform; that he could lend all
the money he could git at seven per cent. or more, and that all the
leadin financiers and bankers, in fact all the leadin citizens, were in
for a gold basis, Jobe he “saw it” and agreed to seven.
Comin home Jobe told me he would ruther pay seven per cent. than six, in
order to support a “sound money basis;” that “nobody believed in small
interest but them crazy Populists and their likes.”
[Illustration: “He would rather pay seven per cent. than six, in order
to support a sound money basis.”]
Well, arter we arranged for the money we went to the court-house, and
from the time we got there till I got out I heerd nothin but “costs,”
“costs,” “costs.” They had it all charged to Jobe. Not one cent was
charged to Mr. Richer. There was the clerk’s costs, and the sheriff’s
costs, and the auditor’s costs, and the judge’s costs, and supeena
costs, and writ costs, and mileage costs, and the Lord only knows what
all or who all had costs charged up agin Jobe. The very fellers Jobe had
helped to elect had jist as big bills charged up as the law would allow,
and some bigger, and nary one of them was willin to knock off a cent. We
had to pay it or be foreclosed, and we had to take our legicy money to
pay it with—the money that poor, dear, dead Aunt Jane had worked so hard
to save.
Well, when we got the costs all paid, we then begin to draw up papers,
and sign and acknowledge, and read and reread of papers, to git the
money from the Canal Dover banker.
One feller told Jobe and the other fellers to go out of the room till he
examined me seperate and apart, at which I became insulted and up and
says, says I:
[Illustration: “‘Law or no law,’ says I.”]
“No, you wont, sir; no man will examine me seperate and apart or any
other way in the absence of Jobe Gaskins.”
“The law requires it,” says he.
“Law or no law,” says I, “Ile not submit. I have submitted to law instid
of justice; Ive submitted to law instid of right; Ive submitted to law
instid of humanity, but when it comes to submittin to law instid of
decency, Betsy Gaskins demurs.”
But arter they explained that he jist wanted to read and explain the
mortgage to me, I even submitted to law agin.
When they was all out, the feller read the mortgage to me, and asked me
if the signin of it was my “free act and deed.” I told him it was so fur
as I had to sign it to keep from bein foreclosed, but that I would not
sign it as it then read.
“Whats wrong?” says he.
“The wrong,” says I, “is where it says that Jobe shall pay the
‘principal and interest in gold.’”
I explained to him that Jobe and me hadent had ten dollars in gold for
years and years.
But he said it was only a form; that we was now on a gold basis, and the
bank requires all their mortgages to read, “payable, principal and
interest, in gold,” since we have come to a gold basis.
But I wouldent sign it, and the feller called Jobe and the other fellers
in. Jobe he got mad at me and scolded and fretted around until I got
ashamed of him, and I jist up and says, says I:
“Ile sign it, Mr. Gaskins, but you will find that payin seven per cent.
interest and payin it in gold to keep your party in power is up-hill
bizness.”
[Illustration: “‘Payin it in gold to keep your party in power is up-hill
bizness.’”]
So I signed it. But the Lord only knows where we will git the gold to
pay even the interest with. We have to pay the interest every six
months.
Ive lived on this farm for nigh onto seventeen years, and have never
found a piece of gold as big as a pin-head. Maybe Jobe knows where it
is. I dont, goodness knows.
Well, arter the signin was done there was some more charges and sich to
pay for, and Jobe had it to pay. Then, arter requestin Jobe to look
arter his party’s interests in our township, they bid us good-by, and
Jobe and me come home.