Calmly and coolly I took a mental survey of the whole situation during
a moment of silence between his arguments for Sunday opening. In
addition to the Aquarium, we also had a joint interest in four giraffes
and five small elephants. The Aquarium was worth at least half a
million dollars, as it included the two acres of land at Coney Island,
on which was located our storage and supply aquarium, from which the
exhibition house was replenished with attractions.
Suddenly, as if waking out of a reverie, I fairly startled my partner
with the exclamation:
"See here! we can never agree on this Sunday business in the world.
I'll stump you to flip a penny to see which one of us shall take those
giraffes and elephants as his portion and walk out of this place next
Saturday night, leaving the other in full possession of all the
Aquarium property."
"All right," he calmly answered, and led the way into the private
office. There he drew up a brief statement embodying my proposition. We
both signed it, and then I reached into my pocket and drew forth an
old-fashioned copper cent.
"Heads I win, tails you win," said the German, as I poised the coin on
the nail of my thumb. As I nodded assent to this I realized that not
only my fortune, but the dearest dreams of my life depended upon the
fall of that copper. More to me than this, however, was the thought
that my wife had become intensely interested and strongly attached to
this undertaking--so much so that it was her personal pride and joy.
Still another consideration which flashed through my mind at that
instant was the realization that if I lost it would mean months and
years of the same sort of homeless wandering life that I had lived
while building up the fortune invested in the Aquarium. These thoughts
and many others flashed through my mind in less time than it takes to
tell them. After scarcely a moment's hesitation I sent the coin
spinning into the air. It dropped upon the desk, and I can now see just
how the light fell upon the fateful "head" which transferred my fortune
to my partner! Instantly I executed to him a bill of sale, covering my
entire interest in the concern.