The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-08-04
The Penny
By ELoISE BENNETT
q. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WHIT Garvfca


Laura McElroy settled her
small and aged body back comfortably
against the taupe velours OF her car.
surveying with satisfaction the assert
ment of small packages Dy her side
Between the thin, veined forefinger
and thumb of her left hand she held
a penny After her eyes had wandered
appraisingly over the packages they
turned on the penny.
II was an Indian head penny. II
mad come into Mrs McElroy's posses
sion not two minutes before in the
change from the iig-saw puzzle she
had bought. 1t would do for the days
gift to ten-year-old Bobby.
Every afternoon. unless extreme
weather interfered. Thomas. the Me-
Elroy chauffeur for twenty years. took
Mrs. Anthony McElroy. senior, on a
shopping expedition from the house
where she lived with her son and her
grandson. On this expedition she did
such small errands as the various busy
members of the family needed. And
always. at the end of the trip, there
was one final errand. some knick
knack for Bobby, her grear-grandson-
Thomas fidgeted slightly. Quite
sure you're finished, Mrs. McElroyw
he questioned.
'Yes, thank you, Thomas. Oh
you're thinking of Bobbyl Yes, I've
an Indian head penny for him. He's
collecting coins. you know"
Thomas chuckied. "Yes'm. And
stamps and cellophane and old pipes
and"
Mrs McElroy went on: Yes. And
specially Indian head pennies He
wants to make a fortune with them.
Hes heard they're worth more than
a cent now and he's trying to corner
the market so that when they go up
he can sell them"
Thomas. relieved, LET the car out
a bit and Mrs McElroy turned the
penny over in her fingers and looked
at the date. An old one, 1865. She
closed her eyes.
She had been-let's see, ten years
old. in 1866. On a June day in that
year she had found a penny. too. She
remembered that she and John Martin
had been walking home together from
school. How the city had changed
since theni There had been country
lanes where there were city pave
ments now. And where she had lived.
up near Fifty-ninth streets, there had
been little pond that all the children
loved. Choked under cement. now, of
course, the springs and streams that
fed it. She and John had loitered In
the shade at the side of the pond on
their way home.
81 wish we had some candy" John
had said
would you divide?' she had asked.
I'D give you more than half" John
mad said.
Would you. John? Oh, thank you.
Oh. look! Some money!"
And there in the grass at their feet
she had spied a penny-bright and
new and shining. Look. John. Wen
go buy some candy. You carry the
money"
So John had taken charge of their
find. ITS our special penny" he had
said. "TH mark it for ours" And
then they had sat on the grass while
he scraped away with his knife at
the edge of the penny to mark it for
their own.
Its brand new" he had said.
"Look-it has this years dateI"
He let her feel the ridge with her
finger nail, right in front of the tip
of the Indians nose. Now let's go
buy some candy"
Laura" John had Dragged, I'm
going to re rich rome day when grow
up. I'm going to have piles and piles
of mOneJ. And I'm going to marry
you and give you half of it And
We'll have candy each day."
John Martin-well. he'd been right.
He'd laid The foundation of the great
fortune that his grandsons we're work
ing so hard to hold together today.
She turned over the worn old coin in
her fingers Her nail caught In
worn ridge at its edge. She opened
her eyes and looked, with a little
breathless start of interest. There 1t
was-the deep ridge. right at the point
of the Indians nose, worn smooth and
even.
This was the same coin.
John hadn't forgotten. He had gone
West to win his wealth. He had asked
her to wait for him and she had half
promised. But then Anthony McElroy
poor. then, too. though he did well
enough later on had come along and
she had forgotten John and her half
promise. And when he had come back
from the West with small fortune al
ready his, he had found her promised
to Tony.
But there was that coin In her hand.
a paIt of Johns struggle. The very
same coin.
Thomas" Mrs. McElroy said to the
chauffeur. Perhaps you'd better not
go home yet Go back to Winships
and III buy Bobby that new stamp
album he wants. I'll keep this cid
penny"