E-text prepared by Annie McGuire from scanned images of public domain material generously made available by the Google Books Library Project (http://books.google.com/) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 34423-h.htm or 34423-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/34423/pg34423-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34423/34423-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through the the Google Books Library Project. See http://books.google.com/books?id=WmoCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false JACK AND THE CHECK BOOK by JOHN KENDRICK BANGS Illustrated by Albert Levering [Illustration: THE WISH BROUGHT ABOUT THE MOST ASTONISHING RESULTS--See page 54] Harper & Brothers New York and London 1911 Copyright, 1911, by Harper & Brothers CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. JACK AND THE CHECK-BOOK 1 II. THE GREAT WISH SYNDICATE 36 III. PUSS, THE PROMOTER 74 IV. THE GOLDEN FLEECE 115 V. THE INVISIBLE CLOAK 157 VI. THE RETURN OF ALADDIN 195 ILLUSTRATIONS THE WISH BROUGHT ABOUT THE MOST ASTONISHING RESULTS _Frontispiece_ THE BEANS SCATTERED IN EVERY DIRECTION 7 THE OGRE COLLAPSED IN HIS CHAIR 23 "BLESS YOU, MY CHILDREN!" 27 "A WEEK'S VACATION IN LITTLE OLD NEW YORK" 31 WITHIN THE ANCIENT HOUSE SAT THE OWNER, RICHARD WILBRAHAM 39 "BALLYHACK! LAST STATION----ALL OUT!" 51 WILBRAHAM PAID BEFORE LEAVING THE COURT-ROOM 71 "I SUPPOSE I COULD SELL YOU, BILL" 79 "TELL 'EM TO TELL MR. BONDIFELLER THAT I AM TOO BUSY TO SEE HIM" 87 "GOOD-BYE, JACK" 93 "THE HANDSOMEST TOWER IN THE WORLD" 99 "COULDN'T MAKE IT THREE MILLION, COULD YOU?" SUGGESTED MR. DOBBINS 107 "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" 121 "THERE'S THE MONEY, SIR" 131 POOR GASMERILDA SAT WHITE-FACED 137 "I AM YOUR FAIRY GODMOTHER, GASMERILDA" 141 "THIS IS THE GREATEST CINCH IN THE HISTORY OF FINANCE" 149 "DERE ISS SOMEDINGS IN DOT SEADT, ALRETTY YET!" 169 "THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THE MATTER WITH MY NERVES" 175 "HUMPH!" SAID SHE, SCORNFULLY 199