Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-03-10

Grandpa Harding went down to the
bank that day and drew out the five
dollars he had accumulated, and, put
ting them In an envelope, sent them
back to Ethel.
You ought to know better than to
do trick like this" he clustered in
MS letter. You use the money for
yourself, and don't let me hear another
word more about paying it back.
guess | can stand a loss Of $780,"
Needless to say, it was returned to
MIN promptly, with letter which fair
~ brlstled with Indignation Grandpa
Harding grew quite red-faced with an.
ger when he read it, and pulled and
grunted about it.
Ungratefulw he muttered-which
he did not mean at all. He put the
money in an envelope again, and wrote
"EthePs" on it, and put it in a special
drawer Of the table. There was ONLY
half dollar the next week, and he
looked long at the stamps which
brought 1t. 1t seemed so pitiful. He
was just beginning to appreciate the
closeness Of the grinding that could
only spare fifty cents instead of a dol
lar.
At last he put that too, in the en-
velope, and then he sat for a long while
at his desk.
"EthePs" envelope was fat by FebrIl-
airy. There was a good deal more than
one dollar for every week Of the win
ter. Perhaps Grandpa Harding had put
in few dollars of his own for good
measure. He sometimes took the en-
velope out and looked at it and
chuckled.
Fine grill" he would say THAT'S
the old Harding spirit through and
through. All, it's worth having lived,
to have such granddaughter :"
Sometimes he gave Billy his due, too.
But he did not know Billy so we'll. At
last, in the middle Of February, things
came to crisis. Grandpa and Grand
ma Harding were to celebrate their
golden wedding Everyone was to be
there-all the kinsfolk for a hundred
miles round, and some even from away
out West. The note of invitation for
Ethel and Billy Dawson Grandpa Hard
ing wrote himself, and it was both ur-
gent and affectionate.
The answer came back promptly, ard
contained a twO-dOllar bill.
Dear grandpa" it said, 1--WE should
like ever so much to come to your we'd
ding, but we made it our invariable
rule not to go to any extra expense,
even when we wanted to most of all
We feel that anything we can spare
should go on our debt. We send you Il
wealth of love and good wishes for The
occasion, and inclose remittance"
When Grandpa Harding read that,
there was a storm in his Office. Pig
headed little brutes ~ he roared. 90
stinate donkeys!"
Then he put the two dollars in the
envelope for Ethel, and telephoned to
Grandma Harding that he was going
down to the city on business, and would
be gone overnight. Toward noon be
Crandon & Stokes, and asked for the
senior partner.
Hello, GEORGE" he said, when he
came into Mr.. Crandon's private office.
Mr.. CrandOn sprang to his feet.
Tommy Harding!" he exclaimed,
catching his hand. "Old Tommy Hard
ing Now let's give three times three
for AL"
"All nonsense :" grumbled Grandpa
Harding; but moment later the two
old classmates were deep in recollec-
tiOns Of boyhood.
But that's not what I'm here for
said grandpa, after q while. you've
got young chap named Dawson work
ing for your"
Yes, William Dawson. Know him?'
Not William-Billy. Ought to know
him. He's my grandsOn-by marriage
You ought to be proud of him. He's
a good worker"
Don't 1 know that?" Then grand
pa told the story of the Harding-Daw-
son loan.
That's the kind Of a man he is" he
ended, land that's the sort of wife he
mas. Don't you feel pretty mean pay
ing that sort Of a man only ten dollars
a week 2"
Nov that you mention it, 1 do,
agreed Mr.. Crandon. Il need a young
man can trust right here in the office,
and | guess I'll try him. I'll start him
on 81 400 a year. Suppose we have him
in now and tell him about it,"
mot much," said grandpa. "I've got
to persuade them to come to my gold
en- wedding before they get too proud.
Tell him tonight"
Grandpa Harding lost no time in go
ing out to Leeville that afternoon. The
snow lay deep all along the road from
the station to the cottage on the desc
late edge of town. But the cottage was
cheerfulness itself, with it's simply cur
tanned windows and its wreath OF
smoke curling up from the chimney.