Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-01
The Daily Story
THE STRANGER-BY DoRoTHEA HALE.
Copyrighted 1918 Dy Associated Literary Bureau

Kindly give me writing materials"
replied the stranger without answering
her question land will prove to you
that am right"
He wrote a letter offering to accept
$500 IN settlement for his claims. ask
ing an immediate reply since he was
about to leave the place from which
his offer was made. Though he re-
manned there two weeks longer, no an
swer came.
II wonder how in the wide world
you knew all that?" remarked Jennie.
But the stranger did not seem in
clined TO explain things. When he
was strong enough he went away, Civ
ing heartfelt thanks to all his bene-
factors and bidding Jennie a tender
goodby.
Now, remember" he said at parting
with her, IF l send to you for that
$500 you won't so back on me, will
your"
But didn't that offer you made spoil
it all ?" she asked.
Yes: it worked in that way. but
there are other ways"
man, who seemed to know so much
about railroad methods, was perfect,
and she promised to send the money
when called for. Then the stranger
went away. and they heard no more OF
him for months. Spring passed into
summer and the early autumn came.
Then Jennie received a letter from
the stranger. saying that he was using
her legacy without really having IT in
his possession. He explained that he
was doing it on the credit system.
which made it just as valuable to him
as cash This was all Greek to Jen-
ME, but she remembered how he had
foretoId what the auditor of the rail
road would do, and she wrote back
that 1t WAS all right. She was glad he
was getting the benefit Of her money
and hoped he would make the railroad
company pay at least his doctors bill.
During the summer the stock OF the
said company began. to so up and
down, sometimes jumping five points
at a time, then sinking ten points.
Sometimes it would remain at fixed
price for weeks, then gradually settle.
these changes. ii sank from par to half
that value. Everybody wondered what
was going on behind the scenes" to
cause such fluctuations and such re-
cession of price. But nobody seemed
to know. After awhile it began TO
rise and went back topaz
When the annual meeting of the di-
! rectors came around an unknown man
walked into the room where 1t was
held and showed certificates to the
! amount of 90 per cent of the capital
! stock He presented the names of
new board and. holding a majority of
| the stock. elected every one Of them
Most of his votes were by proxy.
You are asked the astonished
president of the man who held them
Il am vice president of the R. T. and
G.. line, on the Pacific coast Last
spring / came east on business for my
+, road. | was robbed of my pocketboolS
on entering a train on your road and,
having neither money nor tickets, was
| put off in a storm by your conductor.
| l contracted pneumonia and came very
near dying. Subsequently 1 offered to
accept $500 for my claim against your
company, but no reply was made to
my offer. On my recovery l made n
! study of your road and formed a plan
to unite it with its feeder. ! interest
ed my hackers on the Pacific coast and
/ obtained from them the necessary
financial equipment. AS chairman of
the new board call upon the officers
of the company for their designations"
Not a person present had ever heard
of the 500 claim for damages. The
president said that if he had known
OF it he would gladly have settled the
claim. paying a just amount. The
! chairman of the new board said he
was glad the president did not know
OF It, since the investment under the
new scheme promised to be a very
profitable one.
A few days after these Developments
Jennie Livermore saw the stranger
coming up the walk. She ran out to
meet him.
"Pve won my suit against the rail
road company" he said.
You don't mean itr'
Eyes. and l must pay you for the
use of your legacy. which helped me
to win it."
How much did you getT'
"Your share is In this check"
He handed her a check for 5000.
She failed utterly to grasp what 1t
meant. Then the others of the family
came out to welcome him. and he told
them how he had secured indemnity
from the road for having been put of
train and made i'll in consequence.
There were additions to the story
which interested them far more than
the recital thus far. He had also de
posted with his broker a check for
what he deemed the payment for his
stay with them while he was sick
s1,OO0-and had bought and sold with
1t the stock of the railroad company
he was manipulating. That fund now
amounted to over $4,000.
The stranger made another visit to
his benefactors. and when he went
away he took with him Jennie Liver
more.