IMAGINATION 425this man's secretary, in particular, would be apt to be out at lunch, Dr.
Harper nonchalantly strolled into the office. Finding no one on guard at
the outer door, he walked into the office of his intended "victim;' whom
he surprised by his appearance unannounced.
"My name is Harper," said the doctor, "and I am president of the
University of Chicago. Pardon my intrusion, but I found no one in
the outer office [which was no mere accident] so I took the liberty of
walking on in.
"I have thought of you and your street railway system many, many
times. You have built up a wonderful system, and I understand that you
have made lots of money for your efforts. I never think of you, however,
without it occurring to me that one of these days you will be passing out
into the Great Unknown, and after you are gone there will be nothing
left as a monument to your name, because others will take over your
money, and money has a way of losing its identity very quickly, as soon
as it changes hands.
"I have often thought of offering you the opportunity to perpe-
tuate your name by permitting you to build a new Hall out on the
University grounds, and naming it after you. I would have offered
you this opportunity long ago had it not been for the fact that one
of the members of our Board wishes the honor to go to Mr.--
[the streetcar head's enemy]. Personally, however, I have always favored
you, and I still favor you, and if I have your permission to do so I am
going to try to swing the opposition over to you.
"I have not come to ask for any decision today, however, as I was
just passing and thought it a good time to drop in and meet you. Think
the matter over and if you wish to talk to me about it again, phone me
at your leisure.
"Good day, sir. I am happy to have had this opportunity of meet-
ing you:'
With this he bowed himself out without giving the head of the
streetcar company a chance to say either yes or no. In fact the streetcar