Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21
CITY DISCOVERER
MEETS A FINANCIER

| For two weeks the City Discoverer had
| been very busy indeed. and the lack of
| opportunity for one OF his favorte rambles
| had made him almost unhappy. Conse-
| quently when he did manage to get away
| early the other afternoon he was as frisky
as colt and trotted along the shady blue
stone road that follows the windings OF
| picturesque Rock creek as happy as a lark.
| his mild blue eyes shining with enthusiasm
| and enjoyment behind his gold-rimmed
glasses.
What beautiful day" the Dlscoverer
| cried aloud. and how unsteady the creek
| ripples over those old gray rocks. | think
| I'll sit right here and enjoy lit And the
| City Dscoverer finally found a rustic beIich
| half hidden in dropping foliage and sat
| down. with a contented sigh, on one end
| of IT.
More Washington courtesy remarked
| a scorH:ul voice beside him. and the City
| Discoverer turned quickly to find that he
had a companion. handsome. well-dressed
woman. who was cycling him haughtily.
Il beg your pardon said the City Dis
/ coverer, rising In confusion. Il did not
notice when | sat down that the bench al
| ready had an occupant. / will leave a,
once.
| L ne nanGSonesy dressed stranger looked
| the Discoverer over carefully. Pray do
not inconvenience yourself" she remarked
after a moment. with gracious inClina-
| ton of her head. The bench is public
property and see now that you are gen
| tleman and did not intend to be rude. In
| fact, you are so much more courteous than
| the other residents of Washington with
| whom | have come in contact today that 1
| am glad you came along. If only TO re-es
tablish in some degree my good opinion OF
| the city and its people"
II am sure. madam said the City Dis
coverer protestingly. that you must be
| mistaken. Why, | have always imagined
| that Washing tonians are unusually polite.
| Only the other day l was saying 10 one of
| the clerks in the bank that
I'm the what?' inquired the fair stranger
| in a voice that made the City Discoverer
| feel as if he had sat upon a tack.
Why. in the bank he responded. /"
And | thought you were a gentleman,
remarked the fair stranger as she smiled
disdainfully.
Il am afraid. madam. that do not UNI
derstand " said the City Discoverer with as
much dignity as his chubby person and
amiable countenance would permit Il had
been under the impression that
Never mind your impressions" said the
| fair stranger, turning to the Discoverer
with swapping eyes and spot Of color in
| either cheek. 81 repeat that if you are an
! employe in Washington bank do not see
| how you can be a gentleman. Certainly
not II the old saying, Like master. like
man, nOluS SOOu WAS never so lNSulltu
and otherwise badly treated in my entire
life as have been today by the presidents
of several financial Institutions in Washing
ton"
Il certainly do not understand" said the
Discoverer In amazement Did you go to
them on business?"
"Of course" replied the fair stranger
snappshly. Moreover 1 went on business
of interest and Importance to them But
from the way was treated 1T is plain that
there are no real fnanciers in the entire
city. II there are. did not meet them to-
Day
| The fair stranger jabbed her parasol point
| in the ground. When woke up this morn
ing" she said, II remembered that I had
a little shopping to do and had very little
| money with me-not more than $50 900 or
| so. So called on the president of the big
gest financial institution in town and asked
him. very politely, to let me have s2J0000
for few days"
Goodness said the City Discoverer.
gasping for breath. that is certainly a"
And do you know he actually refused"
"Of course you had security to offer"
ventured the Discoverer
Certainly" replied the fair stranger with
an impatient wave OF the hand. II never
waste time in transacting business. eitber
and when l went in handed the president
a package containing 5000 O09 worth OF
bonds of the Fenian republic. redeemable
when Ireland is free. Il merely want A trife
of two or three hundred thousand on these
L said, and you can keep the change for
your trouble I could hardly believe my
ears when he refused to make the loan.
even for the comfortable bonus I had mem
toned Don't you think that was unprece-
dented?'
But the City Discoverer was past the
power of speech.
Then | called on another bant proet
dent continued the fair stranger Think
ing that perhaps Fenian bonds were not
considered conservative investment IN
Washington financial circles. l did not pre-
sent them Here
large sealed envelope. is a package con-
tanning a note for s.. 61S 915 63 made ont bv
John d. Rockefeller and Endorsed by John
Jacob Aston, John w Gates Russell sage
J. Ogden Armour and Theodore Roosevelt
L only need S15D.GO0 this morning and I'll
give you that much more for the accommo-
daton- But you mustn't look in the envel-
ope or I'll, he real cross and go Somewhere
else for the money"
The City niscoverer was hanging on the
opposite end of the bench. What did he
saw he inquired at length. after several
vain efforts to speak
The fair stranger almost snortad He
told me-" she said. that pigs in the blanket
had gone out of fashion in Washington
financial circles some years ago and II he
couldn't examine the note he wouldn't talk
business
And what did you do them" inquired the
CITY Discoverer. never removing his fas-
cinated gaze from the fair stranger
why. | took the envelope and left i'm
mediately." she replied. 'T couldn't bring
myself to remain in the presence of a
man who showed himself so absolutely lack
ing In business acumen. Then I went TO
a bank presided over by a man whom I
had heard spoken Of as up-to-date dis
cfple of high finance creed. Sir I said TO
him. 4 am Queen Draga Of Servia. I was
not assassina ted. is generally supposed
but ESCAPED from the roof of the castle in
an airship at midnight | am passing at
present under the name of Smith. This
small valise contains the crown Jewels. con-
servativelv valued at S4.5ri.971 50 I de-
sire trif1ng loan of a million and a half
on them. and you have all over that
you can sell them for If don't redeem them
in year. ="
What did he say" the Discoverer asked
brea thlessly
He wanted to look at them" the fair
stranger replied almost tearfully, but |
told him | hadn't the key with me at
present and besides didn't want to see
alien eye gazing upon them. But don't let
that stand In the way of the loan. | told
him. You give the money ard YOU
can look at the Jewels when l come after
them. or when you are at liberty to sell
them"
And what did he say them incurred the
City Discoverer. holding on TO the bench
-.