“Purely for the companionship, to feel that I’m a part of things. I got started at it when there was no other alternative. I haven’t any particular education. I couldn’t make friends with the class of people I wanted.”
“Where did these investments of yours come from?”
“That’s rather a long story.”
“Make it short and give it to me.”
“A man used to be rather generous with me. He said I brought him luck. He gave me a few shares in a Texas oil development — just dropped the certificate into the cup. I couldn’t read it. I took his word for what it was and put it away.
“To tell you the truth, I entirely forgot about them. Then a man came to see me one day; said he’d been looking for me and that I hadn’t answered his letters. Well, anyway, it seems they’d struck oil, lots of it. He made an offer for my stock. I didn’t sell out. I preferred to hold it. It’s paid me a steady income. Being blind, I can’t write checks and have a bank account — not conveniently. I keep my money on me. I like to feel it there. When you aren’t normal physically, it gives you a feeling of greater assurance to have a lot of money actually on you. A big roll of bills builds morale.”
“I see. Let’s get back to Bollman.”
“Well, we went to an early dinner. We talked a little. He said that the girl I wanted to see was out of town. He had an appointment to take me to her and that it would be about an hour-and-a-half or two-hour drive. I didn’t think anything of it. I had confidence in him, and settled back in the car and talked with him.”
“What did you talk about?”
“Oh, a variety of things: philosophy, politics — everything.”