Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-03
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A CAPITALIST
Of CHICAGO
lOriginaI.l

lay sleeping beside a road leading 10
the town OF Chicago. Little Jane IRE
vOr happened to pass and stopped to
look ut him. Harold Gwynne was four
teen and Jenny was ten. Harold was
an orphan. making his way to the city
TO find some means of making n living.
Coming to n patch of soft grass under
a tree just without the fence that in
closed Jenny's humble home, he threw
himself on his back and fell asleep.
That very morning Jenny had re-
ceived n silver dollar with which to pur-
chase a new doll and dress for it and
had started out to make her purchases.
She had no sooner shut the gate behind
her than she saw Harold. There was
n troubled look on the young face even
in sleep, and his cheeks were pale and
thin. One arm was stretched out, with
tie palm of the hand turned up. Jen-
ny was not n practical child. Indeed.
she had great deal more heart than
head, or she never would have yielded
to the impulse to give up her beautiful
new doll and Gestow her dollar Oh the
sleeping boy. That is what she did,
putting the coin in his open palm very
softly, then stealing away TO watch
from behind n tree how he would act
when he should discover his good for
tune.
Now, Harold, unlike Jenny. had on
his shoulders n practical head. n sue
cessful business man had once told him
that he could never make n fortune
unless he had money TO make it with.
He had fallen asleep thinking how to
get some money in order to make more
money. In his sleep he saw Il little
figure approach and deposit something
in his hand. which lie in some way
confused with what he was dreaming
Of-capital.
When he awoke, before changing his
position he looked at his palm, where
the silver dollar was shining in u sun
beam making its way through the
leaves of the tree above.
Jenny was beside herself with glee
at seeing him start up. close his fingers
on the coin, look about him, then at
the coin. Thursting it in his pocket, he
got up and started briskly in the direc
ton of the city. Jenny returned to the
house happy at having made the
strange boy happy. That night she
was treated to n scolding from her
father. who declared that she had no
common sense and would eventually
land in the poOrhouse-
Fifteen years passed. Jane Trevor
had lost her father and her mother.
She had inherited n little money from
them, but her fathers prediction had
been verified. She gave away all her
cash and, having nothing with which
to buy bread, had put a sign on her
little home showing that it was for
sale.
One afternoon n carriage stopped at
the gate and n gentleman alighted and
knocked at the door. 1t was opened
by Jane herself.
Il notice that this place is in the
market, and 1 called to inquire the
price," he said.
Jane invited him to enter. 81 think"
she said, 81 ought to get n thousand
dollars for it,
Him" said the man, "a thousand
dollars. I'll give you five hundred"
what would you want with such n
piace?" asked Jane.
Years ago, when was n friendless
boy, 1 received n piece of money in
this place. 1 invested it and reinvest-
ed it and its accumulations until /
made a large fortune"
James eyes opened wide.
"You are the boy She stopped
short.
''That fell asleep
Under that tree, with your arm
stretched out and your palm open?"
"And you are the girl
THAT dropped my silver dollar into
it and
made my fortune"
Got q scolding from my father, who
said that | had no common sense
and would eventually land in the poor
house,
$50 that dollar came from your
at did,
''very we'll. The first thing 1 have to
do is to return it with interest"
at was a gift. I'll take neither it
nor interest"
"wiu you accept a little common
sense or, rather. business shrewdness"
perhaps"
when l came here determined to
buy the place where had received my
capital if it cost ten times its value.
It's value you haven't the common
sense to appreciate. The city is grow
ing this way, and this lot is worth So
600. Ten times $1,000 is $4,000
There. If you wish you can stick me
for $4,000"
4. at isn't worth any such sum- Be
sides. you are trying to induce me to
accept repayment for the dollar l gave
a poor boy. That 1 will never do"
Harold Gwynne. with all his capac-
ity. found himself checked by wom-
an who had no common sense. He sat
thinking.
How would you like" he said pres
emily. ito be my dispenser of chart
ties?'
IL would like it very much"
''You may enter upon your duties as