The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-11
Eucning Story
RosaIind's Money Makers.
BY r. RAY BAKER.

are due to lack OF business ability on
the part of the husband. In these
dollar-chasing days no sane woman
should consent to marry man who is
unable to prove the possession of bust
ness acumen."
The speaker occupied the platform
in Crabtree Center's town hall. He
was a prominent retired banker, tour
ing the country on a Chautauqua cir
cult. Crabtree Center was INDUCING
in an intellectual fling this season,
and jealousy directed at the neighbor-
ing village of Potato Springs was the
cause of it.
For three years Potato Springs had
supported lecture courses, and now its
leading citizens were Boosting that the
community was the mecca of culture
for all Sand Lake county. When the
wealthy retired farmers who were
spending their declining years in Crab
tree Center heard of this they became
righteously indignant and Immediately
furnished the wherewithal to place
their community in the arena to fight
for the blue ribbon honors.
Rosalind Menthorn, belle of the viii
lage, went home that night with "busi-
! ness acnmen'' ringing in her ears. She
had never thought of the necessity of
such a. qualification when considering
available supply of prospective hus-
bands.
Only recently she had put her two
most promising knights to the test of
bravery with the understanding that
the one most valiant should have her.
Felix Spriggins. who was 200 pounds
heavy, had been victorious over Jose
phus SmartloX, 1875 pounds light, in
This deeds of valor contest.
Rosalind dreamed that night of
business acumen and the next morning
she made a decision Bravery was a
secondary consideration. Next to
moral rectitude business acumen was
what counted.
No sane woman should consent to
become the wife of a man who could
not prove possession of such acumen,
and Rosalind considered herself sane
Her father was an ideal example OF
the perfect husband, and he owned
the bank in which Felix and JoSephus
worked.
"Fm sorry. Felix" she told her fat
sutton. but I can't marry you after
all-until you prove you have business
acumen. That lets Josephus in for
another chance"
Felix groaned. Against Josephus he
feared he would stand little show in
contest of wits, for Josephus was
tricky and Felix was guileless.
Josephus smiled with confidence
lost He felt he could turn the trick,
altho he had no idea how to go about
/ it.
Luck seemed to be with him. On
the way home that night from Rosa
lind's home he came across Slim Jim
relic. who claimed to be a Nhundred
years old, and his bronzed face bore a
! thousand wrinkles as testimony to the
veracity of his assertion.
Slim Jim was looking hungrily thru
| the window of Happy Hanks restru-
rant, where roast chicken reposed on
an island of green things.
| Got quarter?" Jim grunted, ac-
costing Josephus. Had no eat three
/ days. Been working lumber camp,
but not paid yet. Ready to starve.
Got Quarter?"
Josephus was in a benevolent mood.
I so he produced a coin of the specified
! denomination.
Thanks" said Jim. He started for
: the restaurant door. but came back
I close to his benefa ctor and said in a
! low tone:
! You keep me from starvingN tell
you big secret. Ottawas' treasures
/ buried on old Larkin place. Treasure
, is under rock that looks like horses
| head at base of oak tree, the mid
die one at north end of land. Take
! from me, kid: 1 know. You do me
good turn. Now We square"
Josephus turned this information
i over in his mind as he walked the
remainder of the distance home. The
moEe he turned it the better it looked.
He knew the Ottawas were supposed
! to have buried their treG sures in the
neighborhood, and there were many
j pieces of tand that resembled sleeves
due to the work of fortune hunters.
1t was two days later, after the
bank had closed in the afternoon, that
Felix Spriggins called on Rosalind.
displaying a face that looked happier
1~than usual and more rounded than
4 usual, il that were possible.
/ Rosalind. 1 win he announced. 81
/ h1S
You know the old Larkin place was
the only inheritance from my father.
The land is so poor you couldn't raise
tin cans on it, and it's so full of rock
you couldn't make an excavation for
| a house.
Here's where my business acumen
! comes in. Sylvester Gordon caTre to
me today and offered to buy the Lar
kin place. Ordinarily I'd have let him
have If for fifty dollars. but l thought
of this acumen business and set my
price at two hundred. Sylvester snap
ped me up, and here's the two hun
bred to prove I'm a regular business
| man. What Gordon wants the land
for is a puzzler, but I should concern
myself about that"
That same night Josephus paid his
respects.
Z win he said, unfolding his thin
form on the davenport. You want
business acumen, and 1 can prove l
possess it. On the old Larkin place is
buried the fabulous wealth of the OF
tawas. 1 was let in on the secret of
just where to find it, and yesterday ]
investigated and found the trees and
rock that had been described as the
markers. So I bought the land, Civ
ing Sylvester Gordon five dollars to
act as my agent so 1 wouldn't be hell
iup for a steep figure because of my
connection with the bank. 1t cost me
three hundred, all I'd saved; but it's
worth it: and tomorrow I'll dig up the
treasure, and then you're mine"
Rosalind was noncommittal. 1t did
look, tho, as If Josephus was the win
ner, even if Sylvester Gordon had ex-
hipited some business acumen of his
own and profited a hundred dollars
by il