The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-29

! lin was under suspicion, but an In.
+ ves cation settled the fact that the
h,g, had been struck by lightning.
house was of course not insured
50 ii it Was a total loss. There was
-'at squeeze in lumber just at that
OWNS to the formation of lum-
t.: trust or forest fires or both, so
| II sam had to stand around for
n..a and watch Jim.
Ina went ahead with his house. He
put fancy little cupOla on it that
every one said was lust too sweet"
Even the lady. the beloved of Sam and
Jim. went into ecstacies over it, and
clapped her pretty hands wistfully.
From this. and other little things in
her manner. Sam saw that Jims house
was triumph. and that it had thrown
the balance in his rivals favor for
ever
That night he did not want to cit
upon the porch with Jim and Molly
He knew that he was not wanted.
That was the night Of the dreadful
storm. 1t was the heaviest rain storm
that the valley had ever known.
BUSINESS was suspended the next
day Everyone went over the country
to see the damage wrought-the land
slides. the dreadful gullies, and the
property washed away.
sam hurried out to take a look over
his farm and overlook Jim and Molly
on their way to look at their future
hcar They joined Sam for a look
al his farm.
B,hold' They were paralyzed and
duab'
3!4 sans farm stood beautiful,
81 gahed-Windowod, and semi-goth-
I'D larm house Of the most approved
design Il was al complete, and al
iAoa-h it stood uppn Sans farm right
on The site where Sans house had
stood it had a strangely familiar look
in looked at Molly, and Molly
leattG At jim. rol.. made wry lit.
H. lace II WIS evident that she
would have to larry Sam.
The three picked their way along
and came up close 10 ;he house for
more thorough inspection It VAS GER
fairlly complete. 1t was even furnish.
ed
i'hey walked through the front door.
into the hall The hall led into
cozily furnished parlor, and the parlOr
into a dining room. From the dining
room they strolled into the kitchen.
The kitchen was furnished with all
that was necessary in the way Of do
nestle happiness, for besides every
thing in the way Of utensils. there was
dainty, domestic blue.aproned
housewife
Whose wife?
She blushed painfully when the
three entered
Why. Annie Boggins." cried Sam.
lung ing forward and grasping her
hand "Where did you come FROM"
slipped down hill last night" ex.
planned the little lady And | don't
see how am ever going to get my
house up again on my own land"
Jim and Molly stepped outside and
gazed In wonderment at the slippery
path down which the Widow Boggins'
house had come the previous night.
some place" said Jim.
Il thought witches had done it,"
declared Molly
Meanwhile, sam was busy talking to
Mrs. loggins. telling her he had loved
her even before she had married Phil
Boggns. and arguing that the fates
had brought her to him, and he was
not going TO let her so.
Annie i'cs ms answers to Sans ar.
guments were bushes and stammer-
ines. and they did not convince Sam
that his ~ lmants were poor ones.
tiy way Of further argument he kissed
her on the cheek.
Will" they were discussing the mat
ter OF her remaining. Jim and Molly
returned from looking at the land
slide. and the situation was explained
to them
We'll. laughed Jim. 1T isn't every
man that wakes up in the morning in
possession of house furnished even
with a wife,"