It saves much trouble. The lady comes, aud
it being her first transaction of the kind, she
she naturally feels nervous, and so after a
time she begins to look upon such matters
purely from a business view."
“But supposing tho husband should miss
the security offered, especially if it should be
jewelry F’*
“That is provided for by an understanding
that the jewels shall be loaned to the owner
from time to time in case a reception or bail
is held, when of course they would be indis
pensable. Such a contingency becomes a
sjxx’ial condition of the arrangement, and
they are promptly returned every time. I
willingly take all such risks,
business with only first-class clients. The
moral nature of the affair is almost as good
a security with ns us the possession of the
article itself. ”
“And you say this clandestine business is
growing?"
“It is tho natural outcome of for
show' and glitter that is peculiar to all society,
whether it be high or low. Women, when
they make up their minds to do a certain
thing, are like gamblers—the infatuation
grows upon them. They merely take a leaf
out of their husband’s hooka The one gam
bles in stocks to make himself rich; tho other
in jewels and laces.”
“By the way, speaking of stock-gambling,
is much of that kind of thing done by ladies?"
“Not nearly so much as there used to be
fire years ago. I-ndies will occasionally bor
row money on shares that they own, but not
for speculative purposes.”
“Do yon lend money to menf’
“I haven’t a single male customer on iny
books. I keep my own counsel, take no dark
into my confidence, and, in brief, manage my
own business. My profits? I prefer to say
nothing about that Yes, it is a paying busi
uess and a safe one. The contents of that
safe represent SIOO,OOO of various kinds of se
curities, and I will go so far as to say that if
my clients were open aud above board with
their husbands I should have to seek some
other employment The men, however, are
as much to blame as the women, for what
can you expect when half of them are nomin
ally strangers to their own families?”
How to Kun Funnily.
