The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-03

, cove-tly Y. she knew thst strawberry
vss worth fortune
Il k-ow <hat you want 70 chow ne
Gear. tz.d Nina KS that funny
s,eck!.c strawberry. isn't IL: / no
,iced IL Ills morning"
Yes ny dear" snEwered John n a
CHOKING vnce AID pleAee remember
ia, {, & - be preserved very care
fully" IL, tAOuga be seemed calm
e.ous. Z. wsE srgry with Price. What
rigt, Tad The I'D fogy inEiruat!ng that
Nina Wis"
He kew gty he gaE angry. Price
lad :. ygested that NINA was mental
ly Elow. AID Johu kew II was true
Pre,t. G!aIa Hilton vas Lot an intel
lectua, woua1 though che lads none
The acrEe wife for that.
Al! Hight. JoaILy," answered Nina
But really ttiak you might have
waited till after dinner. However,
kaow how Interested you are IN the
garden"
She turned Oh her heel little hufhly
AID John EurMised that Ehe had seen
Prices nudge. Nina vac not very
ioLd q! Henry Price; she tolerated
Tin for her husbands sake
John" said Price, ag he stood al
the door. saying good-by. I'm sorry If
! accidentally"
%. that's all right, old man" an
swered John His good humor vas
completely restored BY that time; he
never bore grucges very long
But, John. persisted Price, 'for
heavens sake don't say q word abou,
(, 70 anybody You understand, don I
you? /. the story 70; about, what with
the interest il Bergback's expert
ments, our garden would be racked
fine az toothcomb on the first dark
night. John, you have fortune In that
single plant
Certainly il did seem as though the
only safety lay in absolute silence The
single fruit was Invaluable. Berg
backs experiments had shown con-
clusively that the blended straw berry
would produce fruit only from the
seed, not from the runners. And there
had been only one fruit thus grown.
The fruit was 10 be plucked as care
fully as though 1t were the last hair
from tho Buddhas head, and placed in
pot. and Price was TO convey 1t to a
greenhouse. and
1t was. In short. remarkable con.
spiracy against one poor strawberry.
Thursday was the day get for the ex-
pertinent. and on that afternoon Price
came to tea. Nina made them have
tea before going into the garden. But
both men were too much absorbed in
thought to eat much. In vain Minna
tempted them with her scenes and
cakes.
Wont you try a little more Of my
)am? she asked Price coaxingly.
You know. It was you and Johnny
who are responsible for It,"
How is that. my DEAR" John asked.
Why. I've made 1t from the best
fruit In the garden" she answered,
and l put the blended strawberry in.
Just as you told me"
"What!" yelled both men in chorus.
Dear me. how excited you both
are." said Minna loftily. Didn't you
tell me. Johnny. that 1t was to be pre-.
served carefully"
You-you put the strawberry-the
strawberry In that 1am?" inquired John
Hilton. gazing at his wife stonily.
Yes. Johnny. Wasn't that righty"
20. yes. It was right enough" re.
piled her husband. "Only-well, you
have lost us fortune. Minna, that's
ALL"
Henry Price glared at the poor won.
an and then. without a word, dashed
out into the hall and thrust on bis hat,
A moment later the garden gate
slammed to behind him.
This sound, Indicative OF his final de.
parture. relieved the tension of the sit.
uation. M!nna put her head down
upon her folded arms. John rose up
awkwardly and came behind her and
put his arms about her.
Never mind, dear" he said. 1T was
my fault, and you couldn't have
known. Ill try again. Minna. Don't
cryi"
The tears were streaming down
Minna's face. but she was not crying;
she was laughing Historically.
20. Johnny" she said, "I-it-well,
1t wasn't true!"
Not true! You didn't put the blend
ed 6trawberry-"