The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-29
THE GRAND
PROMOTER
By QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

MAJOR CroIoot STOOD looking out or
one Of his Office windows with his
hands thrust deep In bis pockets and a
look Of meditation on his face. He
was meditating about bis landlord.
He was now $40 In arrears for his
room and board, and when he came
home to dinner he might find his trunk
In the hall
Then, too. here at his Office he ex-
pected every day to be bounded for
Office rent long In arrears.
In the midst of his meditauons the
major felt a touch on his elbow, and
he turned around to behold his land
lord with hand outstretched and to
hear him say:
Major Crofoot, your back rent of
this office now amounts to $50. Come
DOWN.
"Only $6Ow smiled the major after
swallowing hard for half a minute.
"Why, thought it was near a hum
dredl It won't take me over five min
utes to ill out bond In your name.
/ shall make one for $500"
'N0 bonds-no checks-no promises
the cash in handp warned the land
lord.
"Have you lost confidence In meY'
asked the major. with a worried look
on his face.
II lost 1t long ago. SIR"
II am sorry-very sorry. I was go
ing to I'LL you out a bond Of my Egg
Forcing company, and the bonds stand
at premium, and you can take one
over to the bank and sell 1t at par and
carry the gold home In your pocket"
mo bonds" repeated the landlord.
well, Mr.. Blake. have Just sent a
thousand dollar bill over to the bank
to get changed If you will sit down
for five minutes the boy viii be back. "
Mr.. Blake sat down. There were sew
eral looks of doubt on his face. After
one minute he was uneasy and shufied
his feet After two minutes he was
more uneasy and got up and walked to
the door and back. After FIVE minutes
he looked out of the window to see If
the majors boy was coming on the
run with the handful of money.
Mr.. Blake waited for twelve minutes
and then rose and said:
"Major Crofoot, l believe you have
lied to me!'
II am getting uneasy myself" was
the reply. do you think it possible.
Mr.. Blake. that the boy cribbed the
money and has run away with it?"
Il think 1t possible that this office
will be vacant within an hour" And
Mr.. Blake stalked out of the room and
downstairs. while the major sat down
to his desk and said to himself with a
great sigh of relief:
well. that is off my mind for an
other three months. Mr.. Blake Is not
the man to climb four flights of stairs
for few dollars back rent"
Forty minutes had passed away and
then the landlord. deputy sheriff and
two husky men entered the room, and
legal paper was served on the major.
who read it and replied:
Gentlemen. have you called to see
about investments7 I have large list
of them and none that pay less than
per cent"
The landlord and the others paid no
attention to this statement, but seized
the furniture and carried it down.
stairs to the sidewalk. The task was
quickly over. There was only the old
desk, an old swiveled chair and two
oounynox, nhoiro xuifl, Iax,,. lorrc uvho~e
was also small coal stove which had
been deathly cold nearly all winter.
The major was a man who felt that 1t
was cheaper to be frost bitten than to
buy a quarter Of ton of coal.
He made no objections to the remov-
al Of the furniture. but followed down.
stairs and calmly took seat at his
desk and began writing out protest
The landlord and the men went away.
but crowd gathered and there was a
block of the sidewalk. Pretty soon a
policeman came up and asked:
"Is this an eviction for nonpayment
Of rent?"
at has that appearance" was the
reply, "but, it being warm, balmy
day, shah continue to do business as
usual"
"But you can't" was protested.
'-This crowd has got to be dispersed.
II you don't find room somewhere to
move your things into / shall have TO
call the patrol wagon and have them
carried to the station house"
II viii look for room, sir" said
the major. with proper dignity. "If
find one shall hope that you win
come around soon and let me show
you my list OF investments. There Il
some that sell to policemen only"
The major rose up and walked half
block and then to the shop where his
clothes cleaner did business. He went
In and told the men how he was axed.
He was a German. and. having heard
bis story. he said:
"But you vhas owing me bin Of 81
and can't get her"
I'VE win cali It So" said the major,
with liberal smile. ''and / win pay
you next week"
"You always say next week when I
comes about my bill"
"But next week / shall probably sell
$4,000 worth Of stock"
"vhell. maybe you WILL" said the
cleaner, after taking two minutes to