The Washington herald., 1914-08-09
THE GRAND PROMOTER
When He Grasped a Situation.

When Mai. Crofoot went home to his
boarding house the other evening he
found his trunk in the hall and his land
lady seated on the trunk. It was a case
of freez out for nonpayment Of board
and it didn't take him over two seconds
to grasp the situation.
| My dear woman-my dear Mrs
| Roberts" he began as he took the key
| from her and unlocked the door You
must excuse me-you really must. l
fully intended TO write you out a check
yesterday. but I am positively over
| whelmed with business. You don't know.
my dear woman-yOu can have no idea. /"
What are you doing" she demanded
as he lifted her aside and bore the trunk
back into his room.
You can have no idea Of the thousand
| and one details have to look after. Sit
down, my friend. sit down. That is
| better. Now let US begin at the begin
ming You had confidence in me. You
trusted me. You felt assured OF my in
tegrity. Perfectly correct. ma 'am-peT-
has confidence in Maj Crofoot will be
rewarded a hundred times over. / think
you once presented me a bill?"
I've presented you about six OF them"
she replied.
And 1 must have filed each and every
| one Of them with my usual care and
tenderness. l never lose a bill. especi-
ally a board bill Each one is regarded
as a token of public confidence in my
integrity. Let me see? In return for
your confidence didn't I take you into
| two or three of my grand schemes"
| II you did that's the last I've heard
OF 'em. You've been promising and prom
Using for weeks. and now promises won't
go any further. I must have this room.
l don't suppose l shall ever get cent
Of what you owe me-
That is to say you have lost conf
dence in me-"
7 haver
We'll. we'll. but wouldn't have be-
lieved it. For weeks and weeks I have
| regarded myself as settled here for life.
I had consoled myself with the rehec-
ton that though all the rest of the world
should lose faith in me you would still
| cling. cannot think you are in earnest.
I cannot believe I have done anything
to shake your faith in my financial in
| tesrity."
You don't pay your board she blunt
| ly exclaimed.
! My dear woman! All. I see-I re-
member In spite Of favorable offers from
leading hotels I have remained right
along with you II seems to be my duty
to do so. II seems to be my duty 10
trust You and confde in you as you
have in me. Is 1t your wish to make
this a meTcenary matter? Do you desire
TO eliminate all sentiment and bring ii
down to dollars and cents?''
Il must have my pay was her firm
reply.
Very well. ma'am. As my check book
is at the Office I can't draw you a check
but here is a dollar in cash. It is not tc
settle my Indebtedness in full. but may
be taken as evidence that I will pay
you the balance tomorrow
II hope you don't blame me- said
the Iandlady as the sight Of the dollar
caused her to relent.
Not in the slightest-not at all" h
replied. as he held on to the money IT'S
the way Of the world. YOU know. Let's
see? You were taken in on two Of my
schemes I believe Haven't the first
quarterly dividends been paid YOU yet?''
7 should say not Everybody saws vour
schemes are all wind. and wasn't look.
ing for dividends"
Him, HIM. Queer about those divi.
d"nds- You must have been frozen or'
when We perfected the organization but
didn't intend that. My dear woman
Maj. Crofoot takes care Of his friends
In the last seven weeks have roatod
gigantic schemes. each one GoICorda in
Itself lnt today I got nv ideas for the
ei-hiH. its the climax-the can shoar-
the browning glory
II don't want to go into any schemes
except TO keep a boarding house" she
faltered
Naturally YOU don't. being \ tirni4
retiring woman. hut I shall insist-insist.
You have stood nv me and now I shall
stand by you. II I can help YOU make
million dollars-two-throA-r -FOUR mill
ion in the next year. il VII even us M.