The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1906-04-05
! couldn't stand that.

joe
"Oh. but Mary haven't touched
drop ln six monthslr hv responded ear
nestly. Aud please God. II you'll mar
y me IN never take another drink"
But she still shook her head. THAT
Isn't long enough Joe walt ak months
more"
Aud TO al bis pleading this was her
answer until Joe, Ia a burst Of disap-
poiDtment and wounded pride. declared
tie time too long to wait for any one;
there were Others: now
Mary wac a girl Of spirit. She tossed
her brown head and commended the
suiky Joseph 70 those ~others" He
could 90 to them; abe didn't want him
she was sure
II was a sore hearted and very an
uY Joe who found himself alone soon
after beneath the frosty winter stars.
the snow creating IN discords beneath
bis feet
ITS no use, be said TO himself bit.
terly mo one cares whether I'm on
the water wagon or not. That girls
Just been battling me on; she doesn't
care sor me- and be knew the thought
was untrue while he formulated It.
II know what I'll 90. IN 20 down TO
Joe Byers and get slOughed No use
trying 10 DO the right thing; nothing In
H. Mn. but drink VIII taste goodF'
II occurred to him that drink would
never taste as Il did before he met
Mary, though
Joes ugly reflections kept his eyes or
bis path. and Jqlt to his shoulder
brought him up standing. He had
walked under an iron stairway which
assembled TO the second story OF
quaint little brick store. an obstruction
which the stream Of progress had not
wished away,
An are light near by shone brightly
on the scanned and griszled wall. ABB
sentmlndedly rubbing his shoulder. he
was stepping back from beneath the
stairway when bis eyes sensed some
thing unusual on the wall, and be
stopped to examine It.
There. sheltered by the steps above
from the snow and the worst Of Che
frost, a little clump Of grass, bare
four spears, chung undauntedly- The
cold had withered the tips. but the
heart OF the plant was vigorous. No
earth was Visible. Il hourlshed, appar-
entity. on bare brick and mortar Tenn
! pie peered nj the grass, which stood
ont In mlnutest detail beneath the
strong electric light. until suspicious
policeman gruffly ordered him TO move
on.
When Joe had walked half dozen
blocks. ponderlng the phenomenon, be
began to 6nd a lesson IN L for himself
why" his thoughts ran. chat little
bunch Of grass has got more grit than
havel It's shy thinker to help Il
out even. The Lord put that seed on
earth to grow He didn't say, Find a
nice rich soil somewhere. grow II you
feel like II and quit when you get dis
eouraged. 40 sir. He just command
ed It to be what it's made to be. and,
By thunder, that seed didu't ask any
queetlonsl
"And here am" he went on IN
4 wholesome self scorn. "a great big
hulking guy with brains-leastways
I'm supposed TO have EN- laying down
like a hound pup when things don't go
to suit me. Mary, little sweetheart
that bunch o. grass was missionary
set to growing out OF brick wall Just
10 show me what chump am. Well
I've found out In time No booze for
mel And II you say slx years instead
OF six months I'll walt for you and be
proud to do H." with a light heart be
turned homeward.
Joe met a dimlnutlve messenger boy
at his own front gate. eyer name
TempieT querled the youngster This
Is fer you them
BY the lsght Of single match be
read the brief message:
Can't you come over. Joef Maybe We
can compromise- MARI
"Hey, you'll" shouted the boy in
amusement as Joe. after rapturously
pressing the note TO HIS lips rushed
down the street. "Any answerT
ayes, but I'll deliver Il myself" came
back to him.
Cautiously the youth tested with
strong teeth the dollar Temple had
given him; then a grin overspread bis
wizened face. and be reached up Into
the frosty atmosphere as II to pun on
rope. ''weddln' bellsr be comment
ed laconlcaIiy.