The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-07-30
WY A MILLION BEANS. "
by WALTER LEON SAWYER.

That day before Thanksgiving the
debating society of the Four Corners
High School had made a sort of
Roman holiday over the question of
the best way to use n million dollars.
Fond hopes and cherished dreams
had been cast into the arena, only to
be butchered by alleged facts. These
In turn had been assailed and rent
and left for dead. And because no.
body knew very we'll what he was
talking about, everybody had been
very vehement in defense and loud
and scornful in attack, the end being
that most OF the debaters "got mad "
80 that each forsook his chum and
went home by himself.
The first year boys were permitted
to attend the society's meetings, but
they could not take part in the de-
bates. Thus the event had made no
break In the friendship of Fred Blake
and Berry Wilkins, and they left the
schoolhouse arm in arm, as usual
They were chuckling over the affair.
and when they had made sure that
no senior or junior could overhear,
they told each other how much better
their own class could manage the
society.
SILLY wrangle, wasn't it?" said
Berry. He was a tall, lean, nervous
boy, with habit of going into things
head foremost. "And yet it stlrs a
fellow up to think about a million. 3"
he added, reflectively. What would
you do If you had a million dollars.
Fred?"
Cautious by nature and frugal from
necessity, Blake stuck to first princi-
pies. I'D count it, to make sure 1
mad 1t, and then I'd put it away where
IL would be very safe," he answered.
Wilkins laughed. This was no
answer to his question. But he had
learned long ago that his friends
mind moved a step at a time, SO to
speak, in regular progression; and
now, instead of trying to hasten the
process, he halted where Blake did.
You would count the money, eh?"
Wilkins repeated. what if you had
1t in one-dollar bills? You couldn't
count million dollar bills in three
months, not if you worked twenty
hours a day."
Yes, 1 could"
stump you to do it,"
About that time the two boys, who
were growing little excited, hap
pened to take second thought, and
OF course they had to laugh. But
that did not settle the matter, so far
as Blake was concerned, and a min
ute later he spoke again.
Il can't count million dollar bills.
because l can't get 'em to count" he
said. But l can count a million
Deans between this and the middle of
January--and that's a good deal less
than three months"
"You do it! You just do it, now!"
Berry spoke in a tone of challenge.
You can't! If you can, I'll give you
III give you ten cents a day for
every day you're actually counting!o
All right. Here goes for it,"
Berry smiled, and changed the sub
ject to basketball and hockey. His
interest in beans might revive when
Saturday night came, but it was safe
to say he would forget all about
counting a million unless somebody
reminded him.
But Fred, who was a different kind
or boy, soberly and seriously did his
chores, soberly and seriously carried
10 MS room a peck of beans and an
armful OF his mothers fruit Jars. and
soDerly and seriously began to count.
All the imagination he possessed
had been stirred by a debater's
chance remark about "the immensely
OF million" To measure oneself
against immensely, to feel that one
really comprehended the volume of n
million units, would be rather inter
esting, Fred thought. Therefore the
beans. And he stuck to his task
early and late, Thanksgiving Day and
all, until just before bedtime Satur-
day, when he presented himself at the
wilkins house and called Berry TO the
door.
Hello! can do it," Fred an
nounced
Hello, Fred! DO what?1
Count a million beans before the
middle OF January. You said I
couldn't do It in three months. and
/ said / could do 10 i'm about half that
time, and j cant"
Blako's tone was rather aggressive
perhaps lie had worked hard. and
felt as If he was entitled to crow y
a little So Berry naturally took the
same tone and fell back on his de-
lenses.
u meant count straight. you
know" he said 81 don't call It count
ing q million to have fifty or a hun
dred out of the way. If YOU were
counting money like that, you'd get
I'm trouble"
The whiting calculator drew him
self up and spoke with dignity.
I'm counting straight" he re-
joined There won't be any beans
over or underi" But Berry laughed
in superior and Irritating fashion.
Maybe not" he said. "Tel1 You
what I'll do. If you count the beans
without making mistake, IN eat
'sm all Ia two weeks u YOU over.