Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-06-17
Love, Tomatoes
and Finance.
BY EsTHLLE CLAYTON.
Copyrighted. 1903. by Associated
Literary Press.

grandfather had founded the town;
second, he had been a justice Of the
peace for some years; third, he had
received almost votes enough once to
send him to the legislature, and, lastly,
he was worth about $4,000
Mr.. Strong felt his bigness and ex-
acted respect accordingly. He did his
best to make his son Horace and his
daughter Maude feel their superiority
over all other human beings in and
around Strongsville. He succeeded
admirably with the daughter. but the
conduct of his son gave him no little
anxiety.
One morning he said to the latter:
Horace. am panied and humiliat-
ed to learn that for months past you
have been paying attention to the
daughter Of Scribner. the carpenter.
You have been riding with her, and
you have frequently called at the
house. What does it meanY
Miss Scribner is nice young wom-
an, sir" was the reply. "She is as
well educated as our Maude and has
as good manners"
"Tut. tut, sir! Make no such COM
parisons. If you forget who and what
am, you ought to be ashamed of
yourself. Being the son of man Of
position and wealth, with more wealth
and social prestige coming, you must
look higher, sir, far higher"
1t was true that Miss Nettie Scrib-
ner was the daughter of carpenter,
but as the favorite of her Aunt Hilda
Bascomb. rich old spinster. the girl
had been sent to seminary and en-
joyed exceptional opportunities. In
all but wealth she was the peer of any
girl in the county.
As a matter of fact the couple were
engaged. but keeping it a secret.
Horace had hopes that when the time
came to announce the fact to his
father it would be received at least in
a reasonable way, but the conversa-
tion of the morning showed him the
breakers ahead.
What Mr. Strong meant when he re-
ferred to more wealth and social pres
tige coming was the fact that he had
organized the Strongsville Cannery
company. The cannery building was
already under way. 1t was fertile
farming country around the town, but
with poor facilities for shipping fruits
and vegetables, and he had conceived
and entered on the idea of a tomato
cannery.
He had investigated until he was
certain that the profits would be large
He put in almost all the money and
controlled things. and what few other
stockholders there were did not belong
to Strongsyille.
As president of tomato cannery
Jacob Strong felt himself to be tan
gible object. He was right there and
all there in his pomposity. He didn't
propose to have any of his neighbors
feel that as stockholders they need
not have too much awe Of him.
OF course the magnate's son in
formed the carpenters daughter Of the
situation of affairs. Young Horace
was determined to disobey his father
at any cost; but, fortunately, Aunt Hill
da arrived on her annual visit. She
didn't exactly believe that all people
were equal. but she bowed to none.
Ii carpenter and blacksmith were
honest and respectable men they were
just as good in her eyes as magnates.
The Scribners attempted to keep the
secret from her, but she hadn't been
In the house day when she turned
on her sister and said:
"Mary, there's something going on
here, and want to know all about
it. | find Nettie looking piqued and
sorrowful, and she hasn't eaten enough
at three meals to keep bird alive.
No use trying to keep it from me.
What's the matter?'
She was told, and when she had the
ded her head. which showed that she
had made up her mind. Just what it
was she didn't say that evening, nor
did she tell it next morning when she
put on her rusty old bonnet and sal
lied out She said merely that she
had a business matter to attend to.
Mr.. Magnate Strong had business
Office in the town, of course. Aunt
Hilda made straight course for it
and plunged herself down in chair
in front Of the great man to say:
Jacob Strong, my niece and your
boy were attracted toward each other,
and they have fallen in love and are
engaged. l understand that you op-
pose the contemplated marriage"
with all my soul, and If you are
here to say anything in favor Of it you
may as well save your breath. Won
der that you had the impudence to APP
pear at ALL"
"And what are your objections?"
quietly asked Aunt Hilda as she got
strong hold Of her temper.
you have no right to askp' he shout
ed at her. "But / will tell you at least