"I'm not so sure of that. I have some very strong doubts on the
subject. It's my opinion that the buildings I contemplated erecting
will be far more to my advantage. Be that as it may, however, I am
decided in selling for nothing less than six thousand dollars."
"We are only authorized to pay five thousand," replied the committee.
"If you agree to take that sum, we will close the bargain on the spot."
Five thousand dollars was a large sum of money, and Smith felt strongly
tempted to close in with the liberal offer. But six thousand loomed up
before his imagination still more temptingly.
"I can get it," said he to himself; "and the property is worth what it
will bring."
So he positively refused to sell it at a thousand dollars per acre.
"At twelve hundred, you will sell?" remarked one of the committee, as
they were about retiring.
"Yes. I will take twelve hundred the acre. That is the lowest rate; and
I am not anxious, even at that price. I can do quite as well by keeping
it in my own possession. But, as you seem so bent on having it, I will
not stand in your way. When will the council meet again?"
"Not until next week."
"Very well. If they then accept my offer, all will be right. But,
understand me; if they do not accept, the offer no longer remains open.
It is a matter of no moment to me which way the thing goes."
It was a matter of moment to Smith, for all this assertion--a matter of
very great moment. He had several thousand dollars to pay in the course
of the next few months on land purchases, and no way to meet the
payments, except by mortgages or sales of property; and it may
naturally be concluded that he suffered considerable uneasiness during
the time which passed until the next meeting of the council.
Of course, the grasping disposition shown by Smith became the town
talk; and people said a good many hard things of him. Little, however,
did he care, so that he secured six thousand dollars for a lot not
worth more than two thousand.
Among other residents and property-holders in the town, was a
simple-minded, true-hearted, honest man, named Jones. His father had
left him a large farm, a goodly portion of which, in process of time,
came to be included in the limits of the new city; and he found a much
more profitable employment in selling building lots than in tilling the
soil. The property of Mr. Jones lay at the west side of the town.
Now, when Mr. Jones heard of the exorbitant demand made by Smith for a
five-acre lot, his honest heart throbbed with a feeling of indignation.
"I couldn't have believed it of him," said he. "Six thousand dollars!
Preposterous! Why, I would give the city a lot of twice the size, and
do it with pleasure."
"You would?" said a member of the council, who happened to hear this
remark.
"Certainly, I would."
"You are really in earnest?"
"Undoubtedly. Go and select a public square from any of my
unappropriated land on the west side of the city, and I will pass you
the title, as a free gift, to-morrow, and feel pleasure in doing so."
"That is public spirit," said the councilman.
"Call it what you will. I am pleased in making the offer."
Now, let it not be supposed that Mr. Jones was shrewdly calculating the
advantage which would result to him from having a park at the west side
of the city. No such thought had yet entered his mind. He spoke from
the impulse of a generous feeling.
Time passed on, and the session-day of the council came round--a day to
which Smith had looked forward with no ordinary feelings of interest,
that were touched, at times, by the coldness of doubt and the agitation
of uncertainty. Several times he had more than half repented of his
refusal to accept the liberal offer of five thousand dollars, and of
having fixed so positively upon six thousand as the "lowest figure."
The morning of the day passed, and Smith began to grow uneasy. He did
not venture to seek for information as to the doings of the council,
for that would be to expose the anxiety he felt in the result of their
deliberations. Slowly the afternoon wore away, and it so happened that
Smith did not meet any one of the councilmen; nor did he even know
whether the council was still in session or not. As to making allusion
to the subject of his anxious interest to any one, that was carefully
avoided; for he knew that his exorbitant demand was the town talk--and
he wished to affect the most perfect indifference on the subject.
The day closed, and not a whisper about the town-lot had come to the
ears of Mr. Smith. What could it mean? Had his offer to sell at six
thousand been rejected? The very thought caused his heart to grow heavy
in his bosom. Six, seven, eight o'clock came, and still it was all dark
with Mr. Smith. He could bear the suspense no longer, and so determined
to call upon his neighbour Wilson, who was a member of the council, and
learn from him what had been done.
So he called on Mr. Wilson.
"Ah, friend Smith," said the latter, "how are you, this evening?"
"Well, I thank you," returned Smith, feeling a certain oppression of
the chest. "How are you?"
"Oh, very well."