The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-20
IT'S LUCKY NUMBER
BY MARY GARLAND KNIGHT.

ike inc IlC00bt mou ~ sAo
He did not start out on mao
spendthrift riot. That was not nis
natural pace. He had missed real
home life since his parents dieo TWO
months previously. Young Templeton
quietly set out to find wife. He was
not after style, money or position.
Some sweet humble little woman VINO
could appreciate q comfortable nome
was his ideal.
There seems to be none such IN
Elsdene,"' he decided, after every ior.
tune-hunting girl in the county mao
set her cap at him.
Business Is what you want to think
of, old boy" declared his lawyer,
young man who was really loyal to
his interests.
Willis considered many business
propositions. Then came wonderful
chance to increase his few thousands
to q million, according to Vance Traf-
! ton.
This latter was Q cousin. He had
been q scapegrace in his youth. Later
Willis had heard he had figured as
promoter and speculator. He had ap-
! peared at Elsdene about month after
his succession to the fortune. Willis
had been pestered to death with mean,
INDECENT and really deserving rela'
tives. He had more or less got rid OF
most Of them according to their de-
serts. When Traitor appeared, 1t was
an enjoyable relief to Willis to ind
J someone who was not scheming to
beg or borrow of him.
I'm north closing a big DEAL" re-
ported the fashionably dressed rela.
tive who bore all the earmarks OF
permanent prosperity. Went to Flor
ida ten years ago, bought one thou
sand acres Of swamp land at two dol
lars an acre. We've sold 1t all out at
twenty and I'm trying to buy tract
from q man in the city. You'd ought
to see how we've made the wilderness
blossom as the rose. Think of 1t
ninety thousand pineapples this
years crop, some Of them weighing as
much a. nine pounds. Juicy, mellow
I want you to come back with me and
see q real climate, Willis"
By degrees the willy, specious Traf-
ton worked on Willis until the latter
was actually anxious to buy an inter-
est in the wonderful proposition. 1t
was finally agreed that he should in
vest eight thousand dollars for one
fourth share In the new land about
to be opened up.
"Ill 60 to the city and arrange to
get the deeds for the land" announced
Trafton. I'm the meantime I'll have
choice half dozen Of our pineapples
shipped to you, just to show you what
magnificent fruit we raise"
In day or two along came crate
directed to Willis. AS he opened it,
wrapped in tissue paper were half a
dozen pineapples Certainly they were
superior and standard More than ever
In love with the proposition, the elated
Willis was about to hasten to distrib.
ute the luscious fruit among his
friends and possibly influence other
investors to 60 into the enterprise,
when he noticed a neat-looking card
in the bottom of the crate
Beside It lay an unstamped letter.
It was simply directed to Miss
LandOn." The card read: Acme
Fruit Co." and gave an address in
the city. At one end was the writ.
ten notation: Packed by No. AZ"
1T doesn't square up right" decided
Willis, and straightway started for the
city.
He found out where the fruit com.
pany named had its warehouse. II
was busy place devoted to the spe.
cialty of packing fine tropical fruits.
Willis saw the manager. He was
; soon convinced that the crate Of pine
apples had been shipped to him on a
casual order two days before.
They came from Florida?" inquired
Willis.
"Oh, no. We get all our primes from
Central America" was tho amazins
declaration.
And who was No. ~? All, yes-one
.. Of their fruit packers, Miss Landor
BY name. Could she be seen?-fo,
. Willis had opened the letter to find
!. that 1t contained an offer of marriage
from one Richard Martin"
J, Miss Landon was not at work. Ad
!. dress-yes. such and such a number or
; q certain street. Thither Willis pro
, ceeded.
A good-natured old lady was II
charge. She invited Willis in. saw
ing that Miss Landon would soon h,
home.
4 Certainly the refined homelike al,
o of the delightful little fat was sootb
ing. Willis fingered. Miss Landon ar
/, rived.
Bluntly he told her the whole story
He handed her the letter. He wa,
>. sorry, as her bright gentle face grew
0 upon him, that she had lover
e oh, dear!" she cried, as she re
l. ceived the missive. 1--WE wondere,
II where l ever lost it. II must hav,
l. fallen from my pocket into the crate
4 l am glad to get it A friend of m,
A. sister, gentleman friend, asked m,
IT to give 1t to her. Now I can straigb,
A. en- up tangle.''
If Then she, Lucia Landon. as Will
If soon found out her name To no wo
heart free! Somehow the discover,
e pleased him.
a. She IL the girl have been lookin,
Is Tor, he told the old lady friend q
v. Lucia one day.
ID why don't you tell her that,"
al I Will" resolved Willis. He al
of and the result was that he gained N
dearest little wife IN the world.