Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, December 3, 1913, Page 2

R I (. . S——— ( The Cost of Living is (ireat\ Unless You know Where to Buy Il ' You know The selection will be the best The variety unmatched The quality unsurpassed . The price the lowest All these you find at our store Just trade with us This settles the question of living / Sugar, 17 pounds ...... Cottolene, 10 pound pails.. ....... LSRR R Cottolene, 4-pound pails......... . sa sl A0 4 pounds Snowdrift Lard.. s i b o R Snowdrift, 10-pound pails......... R 8 cans family sise Cream ........ .. ..wvu oo e % @ cans baby size Cream......... e e L 1-8 barrel best Flomr ............ PRI RI T & | ] 18 pounds best Flowr..... ...oovviin vy vy (1) Octagon Soap, $for .......... 11 @round Coffee, per poumé ... ... ... ...e. s [~ ] o § gallone Kerosene . ... E. 6. TWEEDELL Sell your hammer and buy a horn! Enter with- out: knocking-=go out; Blow in your horn for Lakeland, THE town; Phoenix Barber Shop THE shop. The PHOENIX BARBER SHOP | iis the largest in Polk:County L. E. PEACOCK. MANAGER PLEASED CUSTOMERS Build up a solid, success- ful institution, which ac- counts for our phenome- nal growth ’ ’ 4 H Your patronage solicited end appreciated . . o AMERICAN STATE: BANK J. L. SKIPPER P. E, CHUNN President Cashier Mann Plumbingco OWYER RBRUILDING, 1 /F11/21 Best Wo' k and Lowest : he I’I‘iCCS Rush All Work Guaranteed First Class in Every Respect. Estimates Will B Furnished on Short Notice. ’ hone 257 Residence Phone 274 Red Place Your Ordes Now dn Avpid ' 1 | | | | | G ) P [ | erie. THE EVENING TELEGRAM, LAKWEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 1913. L e e e A e CECECEEEEECECEELEEEEEEEEES ESTHER'S PRODIGAL By CLARISSA MACKIE. When Esther Trent's Aunt Judith ! died and left her the little white house on the corner, Esther gladly left the | home of her father, where a step- | mother ruled supreme, and went to ! live alone in the little white house. Esther carried with her all the be- | longings of her own mother as well as her girlish trinkets and keepsakes. In time the little old-fashioned parlor came to look exactly as had the parlor | of her own home, even to the ancient | square piano that filled one corner. * “For land’s sake, Esther, are you going to settle down here and be a regular old maid?” demanded Loretta Campbell, who was prematurely gray and sewed for a living. Esther laughed. | “Ialways wanted a home of my own, | and if I waited till I got married, may | be I'd never have one. I can be just | as young living here as if I stayed at home.” “] don’t know, seems awful old- maidy to me,” insisted Loretta; “just like my having white hair when I'm only thirty-five—seems as if I had to stop expecting to get married.” “I'm thirty-nine,” said Esther gent- ly; “I don't believe it's any too young to set up housekeeping.” Loretta Campbell was thirty-nine, too, and she knew that Esther was aware of it, but she had a cheery bold- ness that carried her through very em- barrasing situations, “I'm never going to be any older than thirty-five, ' she said significantly. “Now, Esther, how you going to have this neck fixed? High or low?” After this important item had been discussed and Loretta had returned to the sewing machine, the little dress- maker paused in her furious pedalling and turned her sharp face over her shoulder. “Did you know Emmy Slocum was going to be married?” “Yes—some time this month, it “The nineteenth.” Then after a per- ceptible pause Loretta added: “I won- der if Ed Slocum will come hame to the wedding?” “Im sure I don't know.” “T heard they didn’t know what part of the world he was in,” pursued Lor- etta, now that the delicate topic was opened. “Indecd?” “Yes. I heard his father told him he neednn’t .never come home until he’d made enough money to pay back some of that he'd ill-spent. I call that pretty hard of old Jim, Slocum—Pa says he was a limb when he was a boy and made no end of trouble for hig folks—yet old Jim is hard as nails on poor Ed. Why, Ed can’t be a boy any longer—he must have stopped cutting up tricks long ago.” Esther was silent. “Ed wasn't what you'd call bad—he was just full of cutting up, but it seemed to cost his father a lot of money. Well, they drove him from home and 1 guess his ma broke her heart over it. I blame it all on old Jim Slocum—mean as all get-out!” “I wonder what Mr. Slocum will dc after Emmy's married?” said Esther. “Nobody knows—Dexter won't have him live with them—he's ,as much as said so. Keep house for himself, I guess.” : “Why, he can’t do much. He's real feéble—he must be seventy years old,” protested Esther. “Don’t seem to make any difference how old one is—they get trouble just the same,” remarked Loretta. After Loretta had gone home that night, Esther washed up the supper dishes and then sought her Iittlc jar lor, where she lighted the lamp with the dangling prisms and sat down by the marble top table. For a long time she sat lost in rev- She was thinking of old Mr. Slo- cum so soon to be left alone, She was thinking of the prodigal, Ed, who had run away from home twenty years be- fore. She looked back on her own girl- ish grief over that event as one reads the story of a stranger. Once she had sat in the parlor at home, when Ed Slocum used to call upon her three times a week, just as she was sitting now. Then she was waiting §or him with flutiering heart and eyes that were tell-tale. How handsome Ed was—black-haired, black- eyed, light-hearted—the best fellow in the world, and it was this very easy- going nature of Ed’s that had led him astray. She still treasured the hasty fsn’t " | note in which he had taken leave of her. It seemed to be the delicate rosy thread that held her to her youth and hope. Some day he might come back. Some day he would return. He had loved her. - Esther’s brown head druvoped a little wearily at these sad memories, but she was a brave soldier and she lifted her chin and took up the photograph a2lbum and turmed to Ed's picture placed there opposite that of her i mother. Her eyes were dim when she laid it | aside. “He's my poor prodigal just the same,” she murmured to herself as biew out light and went up to bed T'wo we she t Slocun !\\.“\ Lary i was Ei}v € di masculine houseckee P ing of Mr. James Slocum. Of outside { hel would h none immy and her husband had gone west, and the presperous Dexter had offered to pay the wages of a housekeeper for his father-in-law, but Mr. Slocum had curtly refused. One December day Esther met old A et @ e | | ! (Copyright, 1913, by 2 / James Slocum hobbling toward home, carrying a heavy basket of groceries. “Can’t I help you, Mr. Slocum?" she asked timidly. “No, thank you, HRsther—when I can’t carry my own bundles it'll be time for me to lay down and die,” He sald, not unkindly. “I'm sorry you are all alone,” ven- tured Esther, feeling very sorry for the harsh old man who had driven his son from his door, and whose daughter had left him to make a home for her- oelf. “'Tain’t any matter!” muttered Jim; then, with a sudden change of tone he added in a broken voice: “ 'Tis some matter—Esther, I'd like to see my Ed before I die!” Tears came into Esther's brown eyes. “Of course you would,” she said gently. “Have you any idea where he is now?” | “No—I reckon he's dead,” sald the old man drearily. | “What makes you think that?” “I ain’t heard from him for a long while. Last time there came a letter, it was for my wife—he didn't know she was dead, and I just cut out the newspaper notice of her death and wrapped it around the letter and sent | | i | | ‘em to the address on the outside of | the envelope. Some place in Kansas —and I've never heard a word since, ' and that seven years ago—but I think he’s been here—I think he keeps track | of us.” ! “What makes ycu think so?” | “One Sunday Emmy and I went to| the cemetery to my wife’s grave and it | was covered with beautiful white flow-‘ ers—like nothing that grows here-| abouts—and ever since then on her| birthday there’s always white flowers on the grave, Emmy and I don’t know, | but we guess Eddie did it. It hurts me, Esther, that he’s afraid to meet me face to face.” He sighed heavily. “If he only knew, Mr. Slocum, I am | sure he would come.” “We can’t find him, Esther. I can’t| remember the name of that Kansas| town and there came a wedding pres- . ent for Emmy—a beautiful set of! knives and forks. There was no name attached and the postmark on the box! was blurred. We could only guess it' was from Eddie.” | It was after that that Esther Trent, took upon herself a mighty task. She bought postal cards by the dozen and on each one wrote an appeal to Ed-' ward Slocum to return to his aged father, who needed him. These she: sent to many towns and cities in the state of Kansas, in the hope that she might by chance strike upon the place where Ed Slocum made his home.' These postal cards she carried to the postoffice in the next village. ] Weeks passed and there came no re- sponse to Esther’s anonymous appea.l.; There had peen one town which bore | her own name, “Esther,” and she had ' cherished a fluttering hope that FateE might decree that there was magic in! the name of his old sweetheart. ! No news came from her dear prodi- gal, and at last Esther gave up Impei and turned her attention to making| James Slocum as comfortable as he| would permit her. There was noti much to do, for the old man was, proud; he had plenty of money to keep him in comfort. { One bitter night when James Slo- | cum, almost helpless from an attack of rheumatism, had been compelled to accept Esther's aid, the Slocum Kitch. | en was aglow with warm light from | the stove. Hsther was moving around | bent on household tasks, and Mr. Slo-' cum, his helpless foot propped on a' chair, was reading by the light of a green shaded lamp. The supper dishes were washed, ! and Esther had prepared the old man’s bed in the little room off the kitchen. She untied her apron and reached up to the hook for her kuitied shawl when | there came a knock at the door. Esther answered it to admit a slen- | der, erect man, wihose sparkling black ! eyes searched her face eagerly and | then darted to the wrinkled face of the old man. “Father!” cried the man, and he weunt past his old sweetheart and knelt beside James Slocum. ( It was several moments before the old man could command his voice to speak. i “Son,” he said, “it was Esther Trent ' who brought you back.” L “I know it, father,” said Ed humbly. But when they looked around Esther had disappeared. “Never mind, I'll go around afterher | in a little while,” said Ed “There are | a few things that must be discussed first—and I want your blessing, fath- er.” Esther was putting out the light when there came a ring at her door- bell. Trembling in every limb she| turned up the wick of the parlor lamp and went to the front door. | Ed Slocum stood there, his keen, eager face upturned to hers. “May l: come in, Esther?” he asked. | Esther smiled tremulously. What could she say to bim after all these years of waiting? Within the little parlor, familiar be- cause it held so many well remem-: bered things, Ed Slocum’s face worked strangely. At last he held out his' hands to Esther. ‘Esther, I've meant to come back all | theee years; I've kept myself straight for you and mother. I—I went to a place in Kansas—I picked it out be- cause its name was the same as yours, and your postal card reached me at last. | thought they didn’'t want me here, and | stayed away, but when the card ne, I knew. I disposed of my | business. [ am here. Are you going | to welcome the prodigal son?” He smiled down wistfully at her. ‘l kuew you would come back some day,” whispered Esther, her head om his shoulder. the McClure News- paper Syndicate) WEDT P aim ay (RR° P & Rings Pins Broaches Charms :: LaValiers boughtrightand sold right CUT GLASS This week we will open up and display the largest line of eut glass we have ever bought. It is from the best manufacturers and will be sold at a price that will interest you. SCOUTS COMPASS WATCHES (good gift for the boy) | Repairing promptly ana carefully done and all work guaranteed H. C. STEVENS The Lakeland Jeweler A. C. L. Watch Inspector OUR TOOLS ARE MADE FOR Hard Service BcSenh Y It is the quality of service our tools give that will make them own your friendship. You will do better work with them, with greater ease, and ip less time, It is the quality of work you cafl do=-~the ease with which you can do it--and the length of time the tool will last that sets its value. Judged by these points,our carpen- ters’ tools are the cheapest you can buy. The steel is the best made. They fit the hands just right. They give you your money’s worth with a good margin, You run no risk in buying tools here for they are all guaranteed. L r————— —— T ——— Wilson Hardware Co. Phone TI Opposite Depot An Announcemznt of Direct Intere to Builders and Contractors. e e———————— We are large manufacturers of building materidls, haviag one c. &7 largest and best equipped plants in the South, employing over 200 me After catering for seventeen years to wholesale trade, we now Wal's the trade of Florida. We know local requirements and we are in & ¥ sition to save money for our customers. ‘ We shall be pleased to work through local channels of distributiod™s but if such connection s not found, we invite correspondence from Joth consumers for our mutual advantage and profit. Being 'manutacturers upon a wkolesale scale, we are in a positior ¥ meet all conditions ef price and quality. ¥ We manufacture Cypress products, veneered products, mouiding: 4 general line of milling. In fact, anything that may be required /= * ‘costruction of a house. : We invite you to come to our plant or send your plans for estis ¢iving us a clear idea of your requirements and you will be gla' " learned of us. Selden Cypress Door C« .Pala Fla.