Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, January 2, 1915, Page 7

HE NORTON LEGA By PETER ROTHENBERG. (Copyright, 1914, by W. G. Chapman.) Lily Norton, seated in the big arm- hair, faced Charles Tremont calmly. “You mean to say, then, that I own pothing of my grandfather’s estate?” he inquired quietly. “The use of this house and garden, nd the income from his lands for a year and a day,” replied the young awyer. Then, hesitating, he added: 'No doubt your grandfather left every- hing to your cousin, Mervyn Ferrand, n the belief that you would marry pim. The young lawyer felt uncomfort- ble as he said this, for it is hard to peak of her forthcoming marriage to pretty girl, whom you yourself se- retly adore. And Tremont and Lily had become very good friends of late. Everybody had expected that Lily nd Jervyn would marry soon. Their | ngagement was believed to exist. nd Tremont had other qualms on THE EVENING TELEGRAM LAKELAND, FLA. JAN. 2, 1915. Bave been amazed at the s ot | e violence oll She knew that Mervyn Ferrand ' | meant to play false with her, now that he had obtained the legacy. He had deceived her into thinking he cared, With his soft-spoken ways and ele- gant manners. She had found out his subject, knowing, as he did, that; errand had been mixed up in some hady deals at college, and had not led an exemplary life even after his ngagement. “He inherits it unconditionally, T be- fieve?” asked the girl. “No,” replied Tremont. “It is sub- ect to a condition, but not even 1 now what that is. The sealed paper s not to be opened for a year after our grandfather’'s death.” “Thank you,” replied the girl, and jhe lawyer, having no excuse for re- paining longer, took his departyre, When he was gone Lily Norton sank ack in her chair and gave way to jassionate grief. Everyone who knew he quiet, self-restrained girl would FETOFOEOTON0 | “No Doubt Your Grandfather Left Everything to Your Cousin.” that it was her prospective money he wanted; but before she could en- lighten her grandfather old Mr. Nor- ton had died suddenly, and the will was found to he based upon the beliet that Lily and Mervyn were to be mar- ried. The chivalrot posed to have would hesitate 1s old man sup- feared that Mervyn to_ask a rich girl to Just Because Christmas Is Cver Is no sign gonod Things to Eat are not in style, especially during the remainder of the Holiday season. We have Turkeys, Chick:ns, Country Hams, Pound Cake, Fruit Cake and many other Try Richelieu Can Goods They are the best money can buy. Farmers and Truckers will please remember I am head quarters for SEED POTATOES and all other Seeds. D. B. Dickson QPP OBPTBTFOVOBO OB OO Delicacies AR SOIO IO BABOE OLOGOBOH S SPECIAL SALE For THIRTY DAYS we will Make a Special Sale on the New Improved White Rotary Sewing Machine Thirty Dollars Cash Just one-half the usual price Takes one of them Don’t let this opportunity pass without upplying your needs. imited. Come at once. The quantity is When they are one we can't duplicate the order. We need THE C. Our interests are mutual. achine. ASH. You need the Come let us Serve you. | pa | of th use, | fel sald: ~ marry him, niless, As a matter of fact, old Mr. Norton had been slowly reading into Mervyn Ferrand's character. But the old man had hesitated to credit the stories that had come to his ears—and then he had died. Lily, disillusioned, had ceased to care for her cousin, but she shrank from the gossip of the small town that she knew would follow the breach of their engagement. She knew that Fer- rand was infatuated with a vaudeville actress of the neighboring city; let- ters had been placed before her, and, | rather than tax Mervyn with their au- thorship, she had waited quietly. | She could not tax a man whose de- | votion to her had never actually taken | the form of a marriage proposal. 1 As the weeks went by Mervyn's vis- its became fewer in number and fre- quency. Lily ignored Mervyn more openly. She all but cut him on the street. He ceased to come to the house at last. And then it was that! , When he Nlmselr was pen- , Charles Tremont began to be a fre-| quent guest. “Miss Norton,” he said one day,' “excuse me if I seem impertinent, but ing said that an estrangement en between you and Mr. Fer-| rand. Lily bowed her head quietly. “Then do you intend to marry him?" asked the young lawyer. “Never, aid the girl impulsively. “In that case. Mi Norton,” pur- sued Tremont, "I am privileged to spe to you in my professional eca- As you know, your grandfa ther was the soul of honor. He was certain that you and Mr. Ferrand meant to marry; otherwise he would undoubtedly have willed everything to you. Now—what will you do when your year is ended? For then Mr. Ferrand will acquire the ownership you know, and all the income “Subject to a condition,” suggested But that is probably I faney your ther had lu ard some thin at the condition I use he makes of his share ot property during these 12 mouth 1 have thought over the matter,” answered the girl, “and 1 inteud to go into the hospital and study to be a nurse” The thonght of the girl losing every- thing emboldened the young man to make an appeal to Ferrand, hopeless | as he knew the result likely to be.' He sent him a letter asking him to mll at his office, s, it was lu('l(y the old man left everything to me,” said Ferrand, after Tremont had brmu,lu up the matter of l the will. “Lily won't have a penny, ! except what she has managed to save this year. It'= hard, but that's the way the world wags.” | “Mr. Ferrand,” said Tremont, “has it ever occurred to you that you will inherit this property owing to a mis- conception on the part of old Mr. Norton, and that it might be only fair to make a settlement on your cousin?"” Ferrand laughed uneasily. “I'm no philanthropist,” he an- swered. “No, sir. What I get 1 hold. Why, there isn't a man in town would | do such a crazy thing.” | “Perhaps—perhaps not,” answered | Tremont. “However, since you take that point of view, there is no more to be said. I wish you good day, sir.” The months sped by, and, before the year was ended, the day came when Tremont asked Lily Norton to be his wife, “l can't take care of you in the style to which you have been accus- tomed,” he said, “but I love you with all my heart, and if you will be my wife I will love you all my life. And later we will be rich—" They were such dreams as lovers have, those visions that he recounted. And Lily, who had become as deeply attached to the young lawyer as he was to her, agreed to marry him on the day when the year came to a close. | There was another formality to be merely andfa- tbout him, ipon the | gone through, and that was the open- | ing of the sealed paper. Farrand, Lily, and the other legatees to small sums assembled at the young law- yer's office and watched him break the seal. “The condition upon which the aforesaid Mervyn Ferrand becomes my heir,” he read, “is that be mar- ! ries my granddaughter, Lily Norton, within one year from the date of my death. Failing which the property | shall become the possession of my | read it. said granddaughter, Lily Norton.” For a moment Mervyn Ferrand stared at Tremont chrndulously.i Then he snatched at the paper and Suddenly an inspiration came to him. “When does the year end?” he de- | manded o'clock | Poet, | water. “At seven o'clock this evening,” an- swered Tremont. “Then there's still time,” babbled Ferrand, and turning to Lily. “Will you—won't you—" he began. 0o late,” said Tremont quletly. “Miss Norton became my wife at ten this morning.” , you the doctor's ! Ledger. | going out of i dinner?” he exclaimed. | church alone and we ol 8aldz ~ “Well, I'l gfve I, and pay for the well and the court expenses, too—but on one condition. drink of the water from the well in question.” his hip pocket a flask of dirty yellow water, and after extracting the cork, passed it over to the well driver. One' glance was enough. He thrust the bottle aside with a disgusted look, and strode out of the court room with an angry growl Billiard Tables Rest on Rock. Billiard tables, supported on solid | rock are among the novel features of a 36-room concrete residence located on one of the islands of the San Juan archipelago in Puget sound. Each ta- ble rests on a massive concrete base which extends through an opening in the floor and has its footing on bed- rock, and is therefore as solid and as free from vibration as if it were a part of the island itself.—Popular Me~ chanies. Quits. “Your boys were in my appletree again,” observed the first suburbanite, “If you say anything more abdut it,” declared the second ditto, “I'll send bill."—Philadelphia THANKSGIVING DINNER By MARY DARLING. (Copyright, 1914, by the McClure, per Syndicate.) * said Forest Harwood, re isn't anyone 1 Newspa- medi- can “I have ked my brain, too, so I guess we'll have to eat our Thanks- giving dinner without guests this year,” said his wife, “I'm sorry Bess and John couldn’t come, but they seemed to have planned something their own,” Harwood went on. iliey're oing to be married in the spring, I believe?” “Um-hu,” mumbled Harwood, as he became interested in his morning paper. On the morning of day Mrs. Harwood announced she was going to church, “All right, dear; go ahead and I'll run down to the pond and have a try at the ice. If I find any woebegone- looking individuals who seem not to be expeeting a bite of turkey, may [ bring them along?” he asked his wife as she left for the village church. “The bird is big and there are plenty of ‘trimmings,’” Mrs. Har- wood replied. Harwood reached the pond to find of Thanksgiving that | it already black with crowds of skat- ers. He joined them, and was about to go home after an hour's good ex- ercise when his eyes fell upon John | Adams. “You, John? town for 1 thought you were Thanksgiving “l—yes, 1 had intended to, but it ‘all fell through,” the young man re- turned “Come along up to the house then, and have dinner with us. Where is Bess?" Harwood asked tactlessly. Be Ah—oh, she's having din- ner with some relatives, I believe,” John Adams managed to answer., Come on! Helen will be delight- ed. She's at church, as usual.” And Harwood fairly dragged his friend home, When Mrs. Harwood was smiling broadly as her husband opened the door for her. e found a guest for dinner! Guess who?” “I'm not a good guesser—but 80 have 1.” “Mine is Marian Peck. She was in sat together. It s that she was to dine at her uncle's—John's stepfather, you know, but for some silly reason about Bess arrived she she wouldn't go at the last minute. ' So I asked her to come to us.” Forrest began to look worried. said nothing. “What's tl pleased, dea iously. “Oh—ah, yes, but my guest is none other than John Adams, so if it's din- ing with him that Marian is trying to avoid, she's strictly in it.” Mrs. Harwood laughed. “All we need now is Dess to make it a truly suC sful dinner party, eh, dear? Next time we'll let well enough alone and dine alone.” The telephone rang and the young wife ran to answer it. She returned in a moment wringing her hands “Worse and more of it. It's Bess She's in te; ays she and John were to have had a cosy little din- ner at some romantic inn they both knew about. Her family hadn't been able to get home from Europe, you know. But some way or other she— Bess—discovered that John would be breaking up a family party at home, a party of which his stepfather's nlece, Marian, you know, was to be a He Aren’t you Helen, anx- matter? asked | member, and she refused to go with FURTHER TALK NOT NEEDED Defendant in Lawsuit, Pro. duced Seemingly Unanswer- able Argument. Among the many anecdotes told of Joseph Viktor von Scheffel, the man poet and novelist, the following from Hagliche Rundschau is one of the most amusin In a place ¥ there was One | allow | only him on the water h drinka his work, b up would deliver was a {%.ck yellow liquid; so the poet refused to pay for the work. | Finally the matter was brought be- | fore the court, and the poet and well r stood side by sile before the to present 1 r respective cases. Doth arzued their sides so well that the magistrate was plainly puzzled to know which was actually right in the matter. At length, weary of the affair, Schef- him. They quarreled, had words about Marian, and she’s heartbroken, and lonely and is coming to dine with us! There! Can you beat it “It'll be some Thanksgiving!” Har- wood remarked in current varnacular. “Marian, the bone of contention, Bess and John, the quarreling lovers! Fine company!” returned Mrs. Har- wood. When all three guests w house, Bess Burleson ups taking off her outer wraps, Marian Peck in the living-room by the fire, and John Adams scowling in the library, the host and hostess met in the hall “They’re here,” whispered in her husband's ear. Forrest nodded. 1w “I'm going to let it work itself out,” explained Helen. And at that moment Bess descend- ed the stairs, Marian stepped from the living-room and John appeared in the library door. beolu in the Helen “Don’t I know five look rom cne What a jolly Forrest, boldly Oh—ah—yes—very jolly, very s jol- echoed John Adams, My op-| The poet then crew from | ““And then and there there were ex- planations. And with that, thanksgiving and ponent shall, before our eyes, take a ' congratulations were mingled so close- ] ly that they could not be separated. Turned Down. “Last night 1 hot-footed around to old Mr. Blowster's house and asked him for his daughter’s hand.” “Well?” “Then I cold-footed back.” Quite So. “Young Whitcomb should get on in the world. He's a plugger.” “Yes. Wh he doing?" “Dentistry.”—Philadelphia Ledger. GARDENS AND THE GIRL By HARMONY WELLER, (Copyright, 1914, by the McClure Newspa- per Syndicate.) The gardens in the little suburban village that nestled at the foot of the Chiltern hills were beginning to show the lack of care. The war had robbed those tiny cottages and left them stripped of masculine hands. Wives and mothers and sisters who were left behind to grieve and toil had no | time for gardening when there were children to care for and homes to keep tidy against the day when the soldiers would once again be wel- comed back. However, there masculine hands might not because his found far too weak uous life of (he was one pair of | in the village that | fire shots at the enemy ' rh al body had been to stand the stren- | battlefield. George Bassington grieved sorely that he was | unfit to go with fight the great fi there must be s could be of hind I could he fellow men to but he r ized | his i, service to th left be- take care of those g pondered as he walked | wough Laurel lane and witnessed the candition of growing things. “Perhaps it will help the struggling women as much as the outdoor work will bene- fit my own body.” AL the end of two weeks George 1 ineton had done wonders with six small gardens. Flowers again raised joyful heads, vines clambered over gate posts and vegetables con- tinued to add table necessities to the six tables. There was one lane that | over and th James Holid house on Laurel ington took infinite care the home of igton realized » way in which he | When You Thmk of Gents’ Furnishings You instinctively turn to the house with the reputation of high class goods i l | Our Hart Schaffrer and Marx Suits are selling better this Fxll than last. Now is your time to get one. Also, our Boys’ Suits are extra good in Quality and Low | in prices. Come in and look over our Stock and convince yourself as to Price: and Quality of our Merchandise. tart Schatfner and Marx Geod Clothes i | ! Don't forget to ask;for your Calendars for 1915 ¢« 4 - LeVAY THE HOME OF that because of the inmate he found | himself lured there in spite of him- self He supposed the fair woman within to be the wife of Holiday be- B e B L LT cause she tended Holiday's two tiny | ¢ children and seemed ever busy with household cares. So busy was she that Bassington had ne short 1y in the garden, had than a word or two of conversation with her. s “I can hardly ask her if she is Holi- | ¢ temporary | da wi laughed gardener to himself, As weeks slipped past Bassington began to regain the health that had escaped him. The recruiting offices would not turn him back again, he felt, and with that thought in view he once again went into town in or- der to offer himself for active service. This time he was not sent away from his medical examination witl drooping head He had been accepted for active service and he was to join his old regiment and leave for the front with them. It was approached the little cottages in Lau- rel lane and told each of his now ex cellent friends of his success. It was going to be a trifle difficult to tell Jim Holiday's wife, and as he dropped the shining brass knocker of her door he braced himself as if for the first volley of shot from the enemy. Once inside the trim little house Bassington looked long and earnest- ly at the fair girl who seemed ever to elude his level glance. “I am going to the front,” he said in his straightforward manner, “and I wanted to tell you that I have ar- ranged for another man to e for the dens. 1 am off on Saturday.” “Oh!"” ped the girl, “then you are not a shirker! 1 have been think- ing you were coward not to enli when all our brave brothers and hus- bands have gone to fight for us.” A deep flush spread even up to his temples at the girl's words. “I am sorry you- thought me shirker, Mrs. Holiday,” was all said The quick apology in Jean Holiday's eyes was mingled with amused pr a ho sur- “But T am not Mrs. Holiday told him, “I am Jim's sister, Holiday has gone down to be near Jim as long as possible before he goes to the front. He's in camp now.” “Not anybody's questioned Bassington, and realized that he would change that situation when he re- turned from the war. “I am sorry vou thought me a shirke he s; “and that [ thouzht you a wife mother. Otherwise we might ha spent many wonderful hours here in the shadow of the Chiltern hills— just you and 1.” The hills Jean said wife?" will " with d had spite of herse here vays be here, frankness, be- Jassington in expect to be inty cause she loved too, oon,” both of her proffered arm clasp and raised to his lips. “Until that dded softly them in tu day,” he Both in Sad Condition. Sublin isfaction in one’s own powers must be a very delightful con- dition, but a celebrated English mu- sician, Doctor Arne, who flourished in the first half of the seventeenth cen- tury, for once wittily turned the ta- bles on sing of this type. He was ed to decide on the re- ted ent n their X After hearing them Loctor Arne said to one: “You are the worst singer I ever heard in my life. Then, exclaimed the other: “I win.” “No,” answered the just judgs, “you can't sing at all.” with joyful heart that he | r, during his | more | Extends to you The Congratulations of the Season And Best Wishes for 1915 PSPPI PPEP We Sell Dry Goods Lower Prices on Ford Cars Lffective August 1st, 1914 to Augustist, 1915 and guaranteed against any reduction during that time. All cars tully equipped f 0. h. Detroit, Runabout. . . Touring Car ........490 Town Car. .. ..690 :Buyers to Share in Profits Al retail buyers of new Ford cars from August 1st, 1914 to August 1st, 1915 will share in the pmfits of the company to the extent of $40 to $60 per car, on each car they buy, FROVIDED: we sell and de- fiver 300,000 new Ford cars during that pe- riod. \sk ue for particulars FORD MOTOR COMPANY Lakeland Aute and Supply Co. POLK COUNTY AGENTS. ..$440 Bassington Do PH. FISCHER & SON . ESTABLISHED SINCE 1894 ith Mode we are able to do Notice. We Best Material and Guarantee all W ork at Satisfactory DPrices. Also a fine line of RATTLESNAKE 1““ fiLuGfiTOR BELTS. POCKETBOOKS. Shoes, Hand Bags, Etc. Work Called for and Delivered arcel Post wav, on 1y II!!\-‘\!('[iVY" to \\l 00 or over PH FISCHER & SON La. AVE Electrical Ma- your Repairing By St Equipped w chinery at Short We pay | charges one Work 1y s PH) i