Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-08
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Dreamer.
tOriginal.l


l was born a dreamer To say this
is considered tantamount to saying
that / was heir to the most unfortu-
nate disposition a man can have. From
earliest boyhood l was accustomed to
fancy myself a military hero, disttn-
guished jurist, artist, clergyman, but
my favorite dream was to be immense
ly rich and known as a great philan-
thropist There was but one person to
whom | ever told my dreams, my little
playmate, Jennie Davey, who as child
was much pleased with them, but she
had no sooner given up her doll than
she gave up interest in my dreams. In
deed, at sixteen she said to me: Vail,
you'll never amount to anything in the
world. Instead OF giving away money
lavishly you'll be begging it from 9th
ers"
This speech was blow TO me. 1t
should have taught me to stop dream
ing and bestir myself. Had l not been
from my birth Il besotted dreamer
doubtless it would have helped me. AS
II was 1t stimulated me TO take the only
action dreamer is capable of l read
of the gold fields of Colorado, and when
was twenty-one and paid legacy OF
$500 that had been left me by an aunt
departed for the Golden State.
When / had reached the goal l had
set out for. Georgetown, l went to Il
hotel, where l met man who sold me
claim for what money / had left,
which l discovered soon after was
worthless. Then l dreamed that L
would find II fortune prospecting, and
wandered about with a pick on my
shoulder, which had no time to put
into the earth, because l was constant
~ lost in dream as to what l would
do with the proceeds of my bonanza
mine when l should find 1t. The conse-
Quence was that was one day picked
up by a prOSpector in state of rags
and starvation. He was nearly as
ragged as l and completely discour-
aged. However, he took me to his
camp and gave me something to eat,
and after supper 1 wove for him Il
chain of circumstances which would
end in fabulous wealth for him. The
next day he went to work with re
newed vigor, permitting me to remain
with him for the sake OF my stimulat-
ing dreams. Every evening he would
come In discouraged, and every evening
l would weave n new fancy, sending
him out the next day with new vigor.
The result was that one day he struck
bonanza.
I'D never "a done 1t but for you"
he said. and when he organized a com
pany to work his mine he gave me half
his stock, and left me the other half In
his will. Then something happened
that had never entered into my dreams
for him-he. was killed while blasting.
That gave me three-quarters of the
stock of the biggest paying mine in
Colorado. l hadn't time TO operate II
myself. 1 was too busy dreaming how
l would surprise the folks at home. So
1 left 1T in charge OF the directors and
started eastward.
OF course 1t would have spoiled all
my dreams to go back and at once an
nounce myself gold king. To make q
| fine climax l dressed myself in the
rags that l had on when good luck
struck me and one day appeared in my
native village and stood before the
house where Jennie lived. She was
|
what she thought q hungry looking
tramp in the road, said, wait and I'll
| give you n piece of bread" When she
returned with the water and saw me
thought she was going to topple over
For heavens sake, Vail" she said
"where did you come from? And is
this what your dreams have brought
you to?''
Jennie 1 said, what would you
think If 1 were to tell you that I'd been
prospecting in Colorado and found q
big mine and had come home to make
you and your mother and your father
and all your brothers and sisters richY
"Oh, Vailr' she said, the tears start
ing to her eyes. "Since you've beer
away I've hoped that you would get
your dreams knocked out of you. YOU
are the best fellow, the loveliest fellow
in the world, and but for
Jennie" interrupted. "have you
dreamed that 1 would redeem myself
and come back and you and 1 would
enjoy the fruits of my industry to
gether"
She made no reply TO this, but
knew by fresh outburst of tears tina
she had been doing that very thing.
"WelI, sweetheart" l went on. 1--WE
dreamed a bigger dream than that. I've
dreamed that I've got a big mine and
it's turning out 500 day
ooh, Vail"'
She sat down ON the porch and buried
her face in her hands.
| Jennie, dear"-I went to her and put
my arm about her while with the 9th
er hand I took hers away from heI
weeping eyes-''it's true, every word OF
1t. Lookw l put my hand into my
pocket and pulled out a fat roll of bills
every one a hundred dollars. She
looked at me In terror, thinking IC
stolen it.
Listen to me, Jennie. There's NJ
faculty that may not be useful, ever
dreaming. 1 was starving in these