The Washington bee., 1911-08-19

joseph Skater was IN the nguJnl0S
rod business. He could talk lightning
for half an hour with only four inter
walls for breath
When Mr. Slater got the job Of rod
ding a building he proceeded to cheat
and lie. He would cheat as 10 the
amount of the material used, and he
would lie about the protection that
might be expected He started in
poor man. and he got rich by lying
and cheating. Never for a moment
did his conscience trouble him. He
sang as he drove his wagon around
the country, and he whistled as be
worked away Oh the roof of house or
barn.
On one Of his happy jauntS around
the country Mr.. Skater discovered
widow. He discovered forty of them,
for that matter, but this was partic-
ular widow. She wasn't so very old,
but she was so hOmely as TO be star
Ting. He had seen tens of thousands
of women, but never one to compete
with the Widow Albright She knew
she was hOmely and she owned up to
it, and that was also something Mr..
Skater had never heard of before.
She had daughter eight years old,
and the girl was even hOmelier than
the mother.
How did your husband come TO
marry yOu?" asked the lightning man
in a voice tinctured with sympathy
HE was a little bit daft from BIRTH"
was the reply.
"YOu have a very tidy little farm
here?
'YeS. WidOwers and old bachelors
come and look the farm over, but
when they come to see me and Anna
they hurry away"
"Mrs. Albright, I shall take your
case under advisement. You are not
to blame for your looks. The hOmely
! people ought to have a fair deal l
shall try to get you one"
1t was curious that such a selfish
man as Mr.. Skater should think of the
interests of any one else. but as he
went his WAY the matter bothered
him. He kept thinking and thinking,
and it was two weeks before he came
that way again and said:
''Widow, you have a creek on your
farm. It rises from a spring in Il
marsh. You know what petroleum is,
of course. Petroleum is going to be
found in the marsh and creek"
But I have never seen any there
she replied
Because the psychological moment
had not arrived. 1t will arrive in three
OF four days. Three or four days later
than that men will arrive-yariOus
sorts of men. Would you care for
riches?"
Moo"
''Just so. You want some one to love
YOU and call you pet names. eh? Just
want to stay right here and take com
fort? 4 wise dariSion."
Il didn't say I wanted to get mar
ried again" protested the widow.
NO. no. bur none of lis can afford
to miss a good thing in this world
Love is greater than riches. Mrs. All
bright, YOU may be offered $1,000 for
this farm. which is worth about 81
COO"
Then II. take it,"
'Then don't YOU do anything of the
kind There will be an offer of mar
riage. What YOU want to do is to ac-
rept that You want to be petted.
That girl wants a father. A husband
and father is worth more than $1,000
No sale, remember. \ husband or
nothing"
But how is the petroleum going to
get into the spring." was asked.
Widow. there are many mysterious
things connected with the lightning
rod business. This is one of them.
The petroleum will appear in good
time So will the men So shall /.
One day nature sends us a thunder
storm; the next day it is a hurricane;
the next she causes the earth to quake
and pour out petroleum. 1t is for us
Ipoor mortals ia take advantage of
such things when possible"
The petroleum appeared Oh the
creek. 1t was Sui5fed and sighted by
Ia traveller where if crossed the high
iway. IN two days thirty men were
shifting and following the creek to its
source. They allied at the house All
1.-The widow could say was that the
petroleum baG suddenly appeared.
Those thirt.- men looked at the widow
iInd her child aHd turned away. Then
they urapi Lark to make offers to
lease the farm. to buy it outright, to
1ril for oil on royalty. No enthusiasm
On the part of the widow. She didn't
care for money.
The find" was announced in the
papers, and the thirty men became
fifty. There were gushers gushing
f.OO0 barrels of oil per day not fifty
miles away The widow was offered
as high as $4,000 cash for the farm,
but she shook her head. Men were
going and coming when Mr.. Skater
drove up with one seated beside him.
They went up to the spring. heard the
talk and then entered the house. The
imam started back at sight Of the wild
low. but recovered Il moment later.
An offer of S15.UOO had just been made
fu. tba farm Mr. Skater left the