Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-16
A CASE OF
CONSCIENCE
loriginaL.l

DoX and the curb, partly hidden by a
tuft of grass. he saw a package Stoop-
ing, he picked it up, tore off a corner of
the wrapper and uncovered something
green and crisp. Looking about. he
saw that no one observed him and. put
ting the package in his pocket made
straight for home. There he discov-
cred that he had come into possession
of $4,000 in bills. He reroiled the
package, tied it up and locked it in his
bureau drawer.
There is a trait in humanity that
leads people who have made a step
upward to desire to take another. Cort-
right had no. thought of investing the
money and enjoying the interest. He
was seized with the idea of using 1t to
make a fortune. This was before the
great boom in the stock market which
began after the second election of
President Mckinley. Cortright made
up his mind to take the longest chances
with n view to reaping the largest
profits. He selected five railroads
whose securities were selling at the
lowest figure and invested $1,000 in
each of them, buying on per cent
margin, which enabled him to hold
twenty times the market value of the
securities. In the spring of 1901 he
sold out and after getting in his checks
from his brokers found that the $685.
600 had become $S00,000 Investing
the amount in bonds, he received an
annual interest of 3 per cent, or $40,-
600.
No sooner did Peter Cortrlght settle
down to the enjoyment of this abun-
dant Income than he began to feel that
he at least had no right to the $4,000
that he had found. 1t seemed a pity
that his comfort and his pleasure
should be interfered with by what now
seemed so small an amount He de-
termined TO advertise for the owner
OF the original bills and, If successful
in finding him, return $4,000 with 6
per cent interest. He carefully worded
a personal that would be understood
by the owner should it meet his eye
and awaited reply.
1t was such an advertisement as the
owner of the bills had been looking for
for years. 1t had been inserted only
twice when Miss Esther Packard
girl of twenty, called upon Cortright
and informed him that on certain
day two years before she had been
paid a legacy of 5000. Going home
with the money, she was followed by
n man who, she feared, had seen her
draw the money from The bank. She
threw the package into the grass at
the bottom of tree box and passed
on. She proved to have been mistaken
as to the mans intentions and returned
for her fortune, to find it gone. Cort-
right confirmed her story and gave her
check for $4,000, with which she
was so much pleased and for which
she was so grateful that she informed
Mr.. Cortright that he had no business
on earth and should be numbered
among the angels.
Had it not been for this extravagant
laudation and the intensity of graft
tude and admiration expressed in the
girls eyes Cortright might have en-
joyed the three-quarters of n million
left to him to his hearts content, but
the diSa greeable thought kept intrud-
ing upon. him that he had been acting
only as the girls agent, she having
supplied the capital and taken the risk
which had produced the whole profit.
To be called an angel for keeping these
profits to himself was more than Cort-
right could bear. He tried to think
out a plan for a division, but division
meant explanation. Besides, he knew
perfectly well that the girl was en-
titled to the whole amount less any
commission she might see fit to allow
him-that is, If she refrained from
him for retaining funds
that did not belong to him. He
Ir-f,,
at night and growing thin and hag-
gard. The fact that weighed heaviest
upon his mind was that he had been
called an angel for dishonest act.
One morning when Miss Packard re-
ceived her mail she opened very
small envelope that contained a very
large check. 1t was for more than
$S25,O00 and was every cent that Cort- |
right possessed. Accompanying it was
q note stating that it was the profit of
an investment of her money.
Miss Packard was dumfounded, be-
wildered. She had considered Mr.. Cort-
right an angel. She now considered |
him an archangel. Not having any |
of business and being too |
emotional to see the dishonesty of |
Cortright's course in keeping and risk
ing her fortune, she felt that if she |
kept the money she would be robbinS |
the most Conscientious of men. She |
proved her own honesty, if not her
ability to judge of true morality, by |
sending the check right back to Cort- |
right. With it she wyote Il note that |
she could not think of accepting a for
tune that he had made by his own
brain power, especially as he had |
shown himself the noblest of natures |
noblemen.
Her intentions were of the best, but |
she was heaping Goals of fire on poor
Cortright's head AS to his wonderful |
foresight he had taken several "fiers'
I'm Wall street for pure amusement
since the great boom and had invaria>