Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1903-03-26

L be little
Florist
Y were neighbors.

1s1s11ss11s.faz1Hzsa111d
THEI were neighbors.
He was a florist. and had hopes
OF making good living. She was max
ing prosperous living by managing an
Inherited nursery. Hewas young. She
was younger. There similarity ceased.
He was rugged. uncultured, plain,
though with certain charm Of virile,
| forceful homeliness difficult to analyze.
She was pretty, college bred, aristo-
| cratic. He believed in Drawn and brain.
She believed IN blood and breeding
| They were, not neighborly.- She
| called herself a "horuiculuurist." He
was merely a florist OF course, Dick
Russell was bachelor, and in love-,
Why don't you stick up house on
your grounds" asked Uncle William
one night as he and Dick sat smoking
goodnight pipe in the porch
/ CANT afford it said Dick, curtly.
I'm putting every penny l can raise
| into that gas machine I'm building in
| the nursery"
Foolish, tool grunred Uncle VIII
| liam.
"Mebbe So" assented Dick, grimly.
t The months passed
| Dick said little. hut read a great deal.
| One day he Mortified Uncle William by
| requesting permission to Put in d tele-
| phone.
/ What for?" demanded he in a
breath
| "'Cause [ want it, said Dick.
| So, in spite Of opposition and dire
| predictions, the telephone was in
stalled, connecting the house with the
distant village Of Prittlewell. His
point won, and his crop money safely
| deposited in the bank, Dick threw him
self heart and soul into the compile
tion Of his queer gas plant. He bought
miles of slender iron piping, and many
tons of hard coal. He dug bitches and
laid portion of the piping around his
orchard and at regular distances
across it,. until the ground looked like
a gigantic gridiron., The unused pip.
ing (by far the larger portion) was
stored away in the gas house. When
filled in, curious neighbors comment
ed on the queer noAzles'' which showed
above the ground az intervals along the
straight rows of buried pipes.
| Coin to irrigate?" they asked.
"Mebbe," said DIX, grimly.
"How're you gu:n' to plow am har
row with them things a-stickin' NJ, il
that way?"
The gas machine itself, situated il
the center OF the. orchard, was, by az
of a stout building. stout shutters an.
portly paddock, made curiosity proof
No one went into this building excep
Dick and two trusted workmen.
TITS perfectly scand'lousI'' sniffe,
Aunt William one bitterly cold even
ing, as she sat by the kitchen fire mend
ing pair of Dicks socks.
which," asked William, looking III
from his newspaper absent mindedly
| "Dicks goin's-on.'
where's he goin' now?'' he asked
his mind still ON the paper.
+ Don't you know" she demanded
looking at him severely, that Dick il
a-sPending ev'ry penny he's got in TIL
world for a big black machine an :
lot O. rusty pipes?''
/ Uncle William looked crushed
I ''Listen!' she said, suddenly. boldins
up one of Dicks socks warnangly.
Il Borne On the crisp night air Their,
came the distant ringing blows of ham
mer upon steel
/ just then the telephone bell ran.
loudly
"Goodness mel" exclaimed William
almost dropping the lamp. Steppins
to the Instrument, he put the receive
to his ear,
Il rs Dick Russell phere?" asked an uu
familiar voice.
II NO., He's away at work ON his GA:
engine.
| "Will you take message to him a.
once?''
/ Whore you?''
Never mind me. Here's the mes
sage.-it s Important. Tell Russell tina
the weather clerk wires: Severe fros
Tonight. GooG-by''
/ Uncle William gasped and turned +,
his wife.
What's it ali about ?'' she spluttered
/ Severe frost tonight" repeated be
/ WHAT
/ That's what the man said persist
ed he.
He's crazy snapped Aunt William
/ ~Mebbe so. Mebbe. Folks saw Dick.
crazy, too Mebbe we're all crazy..,i
| And Uncle William reached for hi:
| boots.
/ What are you goin' todo?''
DO? Why cart this message Over
to Dick afore it gets froze on the way.'
/ A tramp of about 200 yards through
the snow brought Uncle William to- til,
"gassy madhouse" (as Dick $ neighbor
politely called the, structureI.
II Who's that?" asked Dicks yoic,
from Within.
Me-Uncle BILL
Whats up?"