The Topeka state journal., 1908-09-14
TIE EVENING STORY
Obliging Jordan
(By w. F.. Bryant

SoAuah swung around In his |
ONCE chair. and regarded Sidney Har- |
ian with a portentous frown.
thought 1 told you not to bother |
me again about Vera until you had
money enough to support a wife,"
You did," assented Sidney. 'but
Il don't see you," broke in Jordan.
And ] have had an eye on YOU too.
SIR. You have some eight thousand
dollars in the bank drawing three per
cent. ! offered you an opportunity to
fused"
But you see, I thought"
THAT'S the trouble. You don't
think right" thundered Jordan. You
are afraid to risk it in a speculation
which, 1 believe, will do better even
than the ten per cent 1 prophesied.
Then you hang on to that absurd farm
which is bound to be valuable some
day because it is on the water front"
1T is valuable already" interrupted
Sidney. I'm year from now"
1T will be worth just as much as it
is worth today and will be the same
five years hence. A paltry bank ac-
count and a hundred acres of your
farm, and yet you insist that you are
entitled to come here and bother me
about Vera every six months. It's abb
surd. 1t wastes my time"
But this time" broke in Sidney
pleadingly.
Last time it was the rumor that
trolley line was to be built, and you
wanted to cut your farm up into build
of that land. I've got 200 acres more
than that. I'll sell you for your $4,000
cash. That's about $40 an acre"
'rll take you," agreed Sidney, as he
drew out his check book. Will you
have the transfer made out at once"
Jordan stared increduIously. 1t
seemed too good to be true. Though
he was rich man, Jordan was ter
ribly pressed for ready cash with
which to swing certain deals. and this
$4,000 would solve several financial
problems.
Rising he led the way across the
hall to the offices of his lawyers. in
structing them to make out deed to
Harlan, and the latter sat down to
wait for it, being assured that 1t would
require but few minutes.
The clerk did not explain that a SIM
iiiar deed had been drawn up only
few weeks before, when Jordan had
sought to sell the ground for half or
what he was getting from Harlan.
The deal had fallen through, and it
only remained to recopy the document
with the new name and terms. In
| twenty minutes Harlan owned the
property, and an office boy was on his
way to the bank with the check for
| Jordan
Harlan followed Jordan to his own
offices, but at the door the elder turned.
IF you think you have won my ad-
miration with any such grandstand
| play as this he said brutally, you
have made a mistake. You're paying
| twice what that land is worth, just to
call my bluff. That's not the sort of
man l want for a son-in-!aw. l want
| a man who can drive a bargain, not
one who can be fooled the way you
| have BEEN"
'If you will let me explain" began
Harlan, but with laugh Jordan shut
the door between them. He was still
| chuckling over the incident when
card was brought in, to be followed by
! a sharp, eager-looking man, local real
| estate agent.
| Uncommon cheerful you look" COM
mented the neweomber, as he took a
| chair unlimited.
Just been turning down my daugh-
ter's suitor and getting rid of lot OF
useless real estate by loading 1t on
him." responded Jordan with a
| chuckle. That's the seventh time I've
told Harlan that he couldn't marry
Vera"
And you sold him that parcel of
land out by the lake?" asked the other
| man.
Jordan nodded. And at forty an
| acre." he said with a grin. Got rid OF
| the WnOlS TWO A1S . oA
1 idea that some of these days the land
| is going to be worth something. knew
he had $4,000 in bank, and let him buy
the lot for just what he had. bet ne
can't even pay the taxes
! You haven't delivered the deeds yet
| have you?"
Did you think 1 was going to give
| him a chance to cool Off" demanded
| Jordan. That's not my way of doing
business. I just took him across the
hall and had the deeds drawn and
| turned over to him. The money is in
the bank now"
And you can't possibly get it back?'
asked the other man anxiously.
II couldn't be forced to take 1t back"
was the answer, followed by the rumb-
ling laugh. 1--WE put that parcel on
| poor Harlan so tight that it's going to
stick What's worrying you about it?'
| Jordan, Harlan didn't tell you that
he had given 40 acres of his land to
! the Mower and Reaper people old
he p asked the agent.
| They're going to take a site on the
other side of the river said Jordan,
| 81 picked up a few acres cheap Just
the other side of their plant. They
| employ several thousand people. and
there will be a fortune in sites for
homes for the workmen.
"They were planning to build over
| there" said the visitor slowly, but
| the cost of the land was run up when
| It was discovered who wanted it. Then
Harlan came along and heard of the
deal, and gave them 40 acres outright.
and looked to the other 60 to make
his profit. Now you've made him a
present of 200 acres for $40 when I
came to offer you an even 500 an
acre"
For a moment Jordan's face pur-
pled. He knew the ground, and he
knew that the 800 acres were about
ali that could be used by the factory
and the town that would arise near
by.
1t would be impossible to pick up
anv more land, for Harlan's holdings
were on a peninsula, and the Jordan
tract was Immediately behind that. On
the other side of the road was a marsh