Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-01-28
CORNER LOTS.
N nosssr HOWE ,1r,u,m


A year and q half have ELAPSED. 10 l.
Christmas Eve. Oncs more Tulita Il watch.
ing the sun set, but this time from another
home, where Point Iona does not intsrvsus
Its huge bulk, where abe can So the soldan
the Pacific and the blue Of tie own
appears. Then the soft warm atr- fhhsd
with rich color as the afusrxlow seaiis ky
and water with its hues. Turning away.
Tulita proceeds with her occupation OF
gathering roses which this celestial pageant
had interrupted, while the air grows heavy
with their perfume. Behind Tulita Is a large
% called Queen Ammo" cottage, and on tn.
veranda sits her mother, lazily rocking and
tanning herself. Next to the sonora sits
an elderly gentleman, and on the back Of the
elderly gcntle1nan's chair leans Mr.. Brown,
Of Philadelphia. As Tulita passes the side Of
the porch, shc dexterously losses a rose to the
elderly gentleman, and laughs, as he success
fully catches it, and presses it to his lips with
a gallant bow.
well, we'll, well" he says, breaking the 81
lcncc, ''i,nagine being out Of door without q
wrap, gathering roses on Christmas Eve. And
You rcal!y. mean to tell nc, Frank, that this
place l:&s been sct out only q ycart'
ives, sir" replied the young man, '.just
about. You sec, father, in this country water
Is cvcrything. II you can only get plenty Of
water, things grow like magic. I remember
thnt is what worried Us most when we put
Lunavarita town lots on tho market, water
was the great question, and we were afraid
we would have to pipcit from town. But ns
soon Us we struck that artesiau we'll VIC were
fixed. The property doubled in value In
twcnty-four hours, and we sold enough LOTT
tho first week to pay for laying out tho town,
putting down water and sewer pipes, and
substituting a street car line to run q motor
out here. After that tho people used to come
and stand i'll limo all day long at our Office
waiting to buy lots. We raised tho price IT
ligiously on tho first Of each month, and now
you can't buy q lot In Lunavarita for less
than $500. Water is king In California. There
isa company formed to ilume it down from
tho mountains about sixty miles from hero;
it il q good scheme, too"
at must cost a great deal, !" said the elder
Mr.. Brown, doubtfully.
"Oh, no" said his son, "a million ought to
do it."
IA mere t%rifc,r said tho old gentleman,
mimicking Franks airy tone. Upon my
SOUL" he continued, with sudden energy, "if
I stay hero much longer l shall DO as stark,
staring mad as all of tho rest Of you arc. Why,
they tell mo that that peninsula over these,
with that absurdly big hotol, which they will
ncvor I'LL IN tho world"-"All Of tho rooms
are engaged already" murr,urcd Frank, but
his father, with a snort Of in%cledulity, pro-
coded without needing him-"with its
parks, and Its drives, and It's geological gar.
dons, and God knows what, begging your
pardon, madame, they tell no that that was
a sase brush desert last year. fdont be.levs
i'll won't believe I'll"
my dear fathcr,r said his son, 1.-TWO OF
three years ago San Diego itself was little
more than that-you could have bought
pretty near tho whole place for q short bit
But a railroad came In hero and that brought
people, and when tho world at largo began
to find out what q magnificent harbor"-
"Thero, tacrol" exclaimed bis father,
hastily, 'don't get started now. I have
heard all about tho harbor."
"And tho glorious clinate'"
"Yos," said Mr.. Brown, emphatically,
''and tho climate, too"
II an afraid you don't appreciate It,
though" said his son, roproachfully. "Just
think Of the Boston east wind Tonight aud
compare it with this dir, whore you can fec
your lungs grow. Why, I believe I have
sprouted an extra n myself since I have
boon here"
II believe TINT you have, my dear boy
said tho old gentleman, chuckling, "from The
amount OF talking that you do, Ibelieve tha,
you have. Eli, sonora, I rather think I got
him thero7 Did you hear that, Tulita, my
dearl Ha! l,a! hal"
AT this moment a carriage was soen coming
up tho hill toward tho house.
"Ah" cried Tulita, 'hore comes Aladdin
The carriage stopped, and Benton descend
I'd. Tulita, waving tho bunch Of roses before
his face, bado him good evening".
"Well, sir, said the elder Mr.. Brown, land
how many towns have you built todayin
mot many" said Benton, laughing. Then
drawing from his coat pocket q package Of
papers, he handed 1t to Mr.. Brown, saying:
"Here arc your deeds aud abstracts; they arc
all right"
What" shouted Frank. FEATHER, have
you'-but here he burst out laughing.
"Fatb"r," he continued, regainiug bis gravi.
ty, %"fnther, Look me In tho eye. Is 1t possible
that you, you, a conservative merchant of
Philadelphia. have, at tho present ruinous
prices, been indulging In wild, insane specu.
lation, that you'll
There, there, Master Frank said his
futher, joining in the laughter: Two all know
that you have sprouted an extra lung"
"Don't mind him, Mr.. Brown" said Ben
ton. you have got o bargain. Az soon ~
you got your vines we'll under way one years
crop Of raisin grapes will pay for it,"
Job, Of course, Of course" said tho old
gentleman, cit is a bargain. They al are.
Though to my mind" he continued, putting
his arm around Tulita and drawing her to
his side, this is the best bargain ever got In
southern California"
"Ycs," said his sou, looking at his vito
proudly, land to think that I only had to pat
up 81 for the option"
"Sfen are so oonceited, y said Tulita, CON-
f1dingly to her fathsr-in-law; 'that was not
the way Of it at all. 1t was I who gave q
dozen lavender sticks for q husband and the
town Of Lunavarita."