琼斯先生是那样单纯而又执著，他坚持要帮助几个女孩完成她们的梦想，并建议开办20家剧院。实际上如果要完成这个计划，需要一笔大得惊人的开销。约翰叔叔试图阻止琼斯，而琼斯却一再坚持要帮助她们。大家不禁纷纷猜测起琼斯的真正身份。他究竟是谁，又怎么会拥有数不清的家产呢？
It was the youthful Sangoan who first broke the silence.
Glancing at the ？gures he had made he said：
"It is estimated that if twenty picture theatres use any one ？lm—copies of it，of course—that ？lm will pay for its cost of making.Therefore，if you build twenty children's theatres，instead of the one or two you originally proposed，you would be able to manufacture your own ？lms and they would be no expense to you."They gazed at him in bewilderment.
"That is all simple enough ！"laughed Arthur."Twenty picture theatres at twenty thousand dollars each—a low estimate，my dears，for such as you require—would mean an investment of four hundred thousand dollars.A ？lm factory，with several producing companies to keep it busy，and all the necessary paraphernaliaa of costumes and properties，would mean a million or so more.Say a million and a half，all told.Why，it's a mere bagatelleb！""Arthur！"Severely，from Louise.
"I advise you girls to economize in other ways and devote your resources to this business，which might pay you—and might not，"he continued，oblivious to stony glares.
"Really，Mr.Jones，"said Beth，pouting，"we were not joking，but in real earnest.""Have I questioned it，Miss De Graf ？""Mr.Jones was merely trying to show you how—er—er—how impractical your idea was，"explained Uncle John mildly."No；I am in earnest，too，"said the boy."To prove it，I will agree to establish a plant and make the pictures，if the young ladies will build the twenty theatres to showthem in."Here was another suggestion of a bewildering nature.Extravagant as the offer seemed，the boy was very serious.He blushed a little as he observed Mr.Merrick eyeing him earnestly，and continued in an embarrassed，halting way："I—I assure you，sir，that I am able to fulfill my part of the agreement.Also I would like to do it.It would serve to interest me and keep me occupied in ways that are not wholly sel？sh.My—my other business does not demand my personal attention，you see."To hear this weak，sickly youth speak of investing a million dollars in a doubtful enterprise，in spite of the fact that he lived on a far—away island and was a practical stranger in America，set them all to speculating anew in regard to his history and condition in life.Seeing that the boy had himself made an opening for a logical query，Uncle John asked：
"Do you mind telling us what this other business is，towhich you refer ？"A.Jones moved uneasily in his chair.Then he glanced quickly around the circle and found every eye regarding him with eager curiosity.He blushed again，a deep red this time，but an instant later straightened up and spoke in a tone of sudden resolvea.
"Most people dislike to speak of themselves，"he said，"and I am no exception.But you，who have kindly received me as a friend，after having generously saved me from an untimely death，have surely the right to know something about me—if，indeed，the subject interests you.""It is but natural that we should feel an interest in you，Mr.Jones，"replied Mr.Merrick；"yet I assure you we have no desire to pry intob your personal affairs.You have already volunteered a general statement of your antecedents and the object of your visit to America，and that，I assure you，will suf？ce us.Pardon me for asking an impertinent question."The boy seemed perplexed，now.
"I did not consider it impertinent，sir.I made a business proposal to your nieces，"he said，"and before they could accept such a proposal they would be entitled to know something of my ？nancial standing."For a green，inexperienced youth，he spoke with rareacumen，thought Mr.Merrick；but the old gentleman had now determined to shield the boy from a forced declaration of his ？nances，so he said：
"My nieces can hardly afford to accept your proposition.They are really able to build one or two theatres without inconveniencing themselves，but twenty would be beyondtheir means.You，of course，understand they were not seeking an investment，but trying，with all their hearts，to bene？t the children.I thoroughly approve their original idea，but if it requires twenty picture theatres to render it practical，they will abandon the notion at once."Jones nodded absently，his eyes half closed in thought.
After a brief pause he replied：
"I hate to see this idea abandoned at the very moment of its birth.It's a good idea，and in no way impractical，in my opinion.So permit me to make another proposition.I will build the twenty theatres myself，and furnish the ？lms for them，provided the young ladies will agree to assume the entire management of them when they are completed."Dead silence followed this speech.The girls did some rapid—fire mental calculations and realized that this young man was proposing to invest something like fourteen hundred thousand dollars，in order that they might carry out their philanthropica conception.Why should he do this，even if he could afford it？
Both Mr.Merrick and Arthur Weldon were staring stolidlyb at the floor.Their attitudes expressed，for the first time，doubt—if not positive unbelief.As men of considerable financial experience，they regarded the young islander's proposition as an impossible one.
Jones noted this blank reception of his offer and glancedappealingly at Patsy.It was an uncomfortable moment for the girl and to avoid meeting his eyes she looked away，across the lobby.A few paces distant stood a man who leaned against a table and held a newspaper before his face.Patsy knew，however，that he was not reading.A pair of dark，glistening eyes peered over the top of the paper and were steadfastly ？xed upon the unconscious features of young Jones.
