mother-第4章

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there　you　are　scaled　down　again。'　He　pencilled　some　swift　calculations。

'There；'　said　he。　And　I　nearly　understood　them。　'Now　I'm　not　here　to　stop

your　buying　that　sort　of　petticoat　and　canary…bird　wafer；'　continued　Mr。

Beverly。　'It's　the　regular　trustee　move；　and　nobody　could　criticise　you

if　you　made　it。　It's　what　I　call　thoughtless　safety；　and　it　brings　you

about　3　1…2　per　cent；　as　I　have　already　shown　you。　Anybody　can　do　it。'〃

These　words　of　Mr。　Beverly　made　me　feel　that　I　did　not　want　to　do　what

anybody　could　do。　'There　is　another　kind　of　safety　which　I　call

thoughtful　safety；'　said　he。　'Thoughtful；　because　it　requires　you　to

investigate　properties　and　their　earnings；　and　generally　to　use　your

independent　judgment　after　a　good　deal　of　work。　And　all　this　a　trustee

greatly　dislikes。　It　rewards　you　with　five　and　even　six　per　cent；　but

that　is　no　stimulus　to　a　trustee。'〃



〃Something　in　me　had　leaped　when　Mr。　Beverly　mentioned　six　per　cent。

Again　I　thought　of　Ethel　and　October；　and　what　a　difference　it　would　be

to　begin　our　modest　housekeeping　on　sixty　instead　of　forty　thousand

dollars　a　year；　outside　of　what　I　was　earning。　Mr。　Beverly　now　rang　a

bell。　'You　happen　to　have　come；'　said　he；　'on　a　morning　when　I　can　really

do　something　for　you　out　of　the　common。　Bring　me　（it　was　a　clerk　he

addressed）　one　of　those　Petunia　circulars。　Now　here　you　can　see　at　a

glance　for　yourself。'　He　began　reading　the　prospectus　rapidly　aloud　to　me

while　I　followed　its　paragraphs　with　my　own　eye。　His　strong；

well…polished　thumb…nail　ran　heavily　but　speedily　down　the　columns　of

figures　and　such　words　as　gross　receipts；　increase　of　population；　sinking

fund；　redeemable　at　105　after　1920；　churned　vigorously　and　meaninglessly

through　my　brain。　But　I　was　not　going　to　let　him　know　that　to　understand

the　circular　I　should　have　to　take　it　away　quietly　to　my　desk　in　Nassau

Street；　and　spend　an　hour　with　it　alone。〃



〃'What　is　your　opinion　of　Petunia　Water　sixes？'　he　inquired。〃



〃'They　are　a　lead…pipe　cinch；'　I　immediately　answered；　and　he　slapped　me

on　the　knee。〃



〃'That's　what　I　think！'　he　cried。　'Anyhow；　I　have　taken　20；000　for

mother。　Do　what　you　like。'〃



〃'Oh　well；'　said　I；　delighted　at　this　confidence；　I　think　I　can　afford　to

risk　what　you　are　willing　to　risk　for　your　mother；　Mrs。　Beverly。　Where　is

Petunia；　did　you　say？'〃



〃He　pulled　down　a　roller　map　on　the　wall　as　you　draw　down　a　window…blind；

and　again　I　listened　to　statements　that　churned　in　my　brain。　Petunia　was

a　new　resort　on　the　sea　coast　of　New　Hampshire。　One　railway　system　did

already　connect　it　with　both　Portsmouth　and　Portland；　but　it　was　not　a

very　direct　connection　at　present。　Yet　in　spite　of　this；　the　population

had　increased　23　and　seven…tenths　per　cent　in　five　years；　and　now　an

electric　railway　was　in　construction　that　would　double　the　population　in

the　next　five　years。　This　was　less　than　what　had　happened　to　other

neighbouring　resorts　under　identical　conditions；　yet　with　things　as　they

now　were；　the　company　was　earning　two　per　cent　on　its　stock；　which　was

being　put　into　improvements。　The　stock　was　selling　at　30；　and　if　a

dividend　was　paid　next　year；　it　would　go　to　par。　But　Mr。　Beverly　did　not

counsel　buying　the　stock。　'I　did　not　let　mother　have　any；'　he　said；

'though　I　took　some　myself。　But　the　bonds　are　different。　You're　getting

the　last　that　will　be　sold　at　par。　In　three　days　they　will　be　placed

before　the　public　at　102　1/2　and　interest。'〃



〃I　was　well　pleased　when　I　left　Mr。　Beverly's　office。　In　a　few　days　I　was

still　more　pleased　to　learn　that　I　could　sell　my　Petunia　sixes　for　104　if

so　wished。　But　I　did　not　wish　it；　and　Mr。　Beverly　told　me　that　he　should

not　sell　his　mother's　unless　they　went　to　110。　'In　that　case；'　said　he；

'it　might　be　worth　while　to　capitalise　her　premium。'〃



〃I　liked　the　idea　of　capitalising　one's　premium。　If　you　had　fifty　bonds

that　cost　you　par；　and　sold　them　at　110；　you　would　then　buy　at　par

fifty…five　bonds　of　some　other　rising　kind；　and　go　on　doing　this　untilI

named　no　limit　for　this　process；　but　my　delighted　mind　saw　visions　of

eighty　and　a　hundred　thousand　a　yearcomfort　at　least；　if　not　affluence

in　New　Yorkand　I　explained　to　Ethel　what　the　phrase　capitalising　one's

premium　meant。　I　showed　her　the　Petunias；　too；　and　we　read　what　it　said

on　the　coupons　aloud　together。　Ethel　was　at　first　not　quite　satisfied

with　the　arrangement　of　the　coupons。　'Thirty　dollars　on　January　first；

and　thirty　on　July　first；'　she　said。　That　seems　a　long　while　to　wait　for

those　payments；　Richard。　And　there　are　only　two　in　every　year；　though　you

pay　them　a　thousand　dollars　all　at　once。　It　does　not　seem　very　prompt　on

their　part。'　I　told　her　that　this　was　the　rule。　'But；'　she　urged；　'don't

you　think　that　a　man　like　Mr。　Beverly　might　be　able　to　get　them　to　make

an　exception　if　he　explained　the　circumstances？　Other　people　may　be

satisfied　with　waiting　for　little　crumbs　in　this　way；　but　why　should　we？'

I　soon　made　her　understand　how　it　was；　however；　and　I　explained　many

other　facts　about　investments　and　the　stock　market　to　her；　as　I　learned

them。　It　was　a　great　pleasure　to　do　this。　We　came　to　talk　about　finance

even　more　than　we　talked　of　my　writings；　for　during　that　Spring　I

invested　a　good　deal　more　rapidly　than　I　wrote。　The　Petunias　had　taken

only　one…twentieth　of　a　million　dollars；　and　though　Mr。　Beverly　warned　me

to　rush　hastily　into　nothing；　and　pointed　out　the　good　sense　of

distributing　my　eggs　in　a　number　of　baskets；　still　we　both　agreed　that　the

sooner　all　my　money　was　bringing　me　five　or　six　per　cent；　the　better。〃



〃I　have　come　to　think　that　it　might　be　well　were　women　taught　the

elements　of　investing　as　they　are　now　taught　French　and　Music。　I　would

not　have　the　French　and　Music　dropped；　but　I　would　add　the　other。　It

might　be　more　of　a　protection　to　women　than　being　able　to　read　a　French

novel；　and　perhaps　some　day　we　shall　have　it　so。　But　of　course　it　had

been　left　totally　out　of　Ethel's　education；　and　at　first　she　merely

received　my　instruction　and　took　my　opinions。　It　was　not　long；　however；

before　she　began　to　entertain　some　of　her　own；　obliging　me　not

infrequently　to　reason　with　her。　I　very　well　remember　the　first　occasion

that　this　happened。〃



〃We　had　been　as　usual　talking　about　stocks；　as　we　walked　on　the　Riverside

Drive　on　a　Sunday　afternoon　in　May。　Ethel　had　been　for　some　moments

silent。　'Richard；'　she　finally　began；　'if　I　had　had　the　naming　of　these

things；　I　should　never　have　called　them　securities。　Insecurities　comes　a

great　deal　nearer　what　they　are。　What　right　has　a　thing　that　says　on　its

face　it　is　worth　a　thousand　dollars　to　go　bobbing　up　and　down　in　the　way

most　of　them　do？　I　think　that　securities　is　almost　sarcastic。　And　have

you　noticed　the　price　of　those　Petunias？'〃



〃I　had；　of　course；　noticed　it；　but　I　had　not　mentioned　it　to　Ethel。　'I

read　the　papers　now；'　she　explained；　'morning　and　evening。　Of　course　the

market　is　off　a　little　on　account　of　the　bank　statement。　But　that　is　not

enough　to　account　for　the　Petunias。'〃



〃'Ethel；　you　are　nervous；'　I　said。　'And　it　is　the　papers　which　make　you

so。　The　Petunias　are　a　first　lien　on　the　whole　property；　of　which　the

assessed　valuation'〃



〃'What　is　the　good；'　she　interrupted；　'of　a　first　lien　on　something　which

depends　on　politics　for　its　existence；　if　the　politicians　change　their

minds？　Did　you　not　see　that　bill　they're　thinking　of　passing？'　I　was

startled　by　what　Ethel　told　me；　for　the　article　in　the　paper　had　escaped

my　notice。　But　Mr。　Beverly　explained　it　to　me　in　a　couple　of　minutes。

'Ha！'　he　jovially　exclaimed；　on　my　entering　his　office　on　Monday　morning；

'you　want　to　know　about　Petunias。　They　opened　at　85　I　see。'　He　then　ran

the　tape　from　the　ticker　through　his　clean　strong　hands。　'Here　they　are

again。　Five　thousand　sold　at　83。　Now；　if　they　go　to　70；　I'll　very　likely

take　ten　thousand　more　for　mother。　It's　all　Frank　Smith's　bluff；　you