The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-26
HOW JOHN WAS CURED
BY CHARLOTTE coRBETT.

A successful architect, with charm
ing wife and four children, earning
enough money to give him a comfort
able home and send the boys through
college, he looked back on his high
hopes and felt that the promise of
youth had been fallacious.
The little village where he had been
born, the early sweetheart whom he
had not married, his boyish friends
all assumed a rosy halo in the past.
Forgotten were the hard knocks, the
early struggles, the eagerness to get
away to the big city, where he had at
last succeeded
Ella" he said to his wife, Il believe
I'll auto down to Gravehurst next Sat-
urday, spend the night at the little
place and return on Sunday. l want to
look up some of my old friends"
You'll enjoy the trip, DEAR" an
swered his wife, beaming fondly on
her husband.
But John Gardiner had remained re-
ticent about the chief purpose of his
trip. He wanted to see Lucy Bates.
Had she waited for him, as she had
sworn to do, remaining solitary old
maid in the old-fashioned homestead?
1t was a mellow afternoon when his
automobile stopped at Gravehurst.
John had some difficulty in recognizing
the place at first. A huge factory was
vomiting smoke all over the landscape;
however, it was a mile out of town,
and the old-fashioned village itself
was little changed, although an annex
of cheap frame houses to supply the
needs of the factory hands had sprung
up.
John put up at the little shabby no.
tel and made himself known to the
had been one of Johns old friends.
John did not recognize him at first
and Higgins himself seemed a little
hazy about John.
They were talking over old times
when John reminded the landlord of
Tom Elmer.
81 suppose he's a successful minister
now" he said.
What, Tom Elmer-Widow EImer's
SOM" shouted the landlord. used to
wear his hair in sort of pompadour?'
That's him." answered John, the
memory all coming back to him.
Hi, Toni" the landlord called, and
out of the stable jlurched a blear-eyed
| ragamuffin of about fortyseven, who
came up with a surly scowl.
tom, remember John Gardiner,
who went to Miss Blythe's school with
us?" the landlord asked.
"Sure l do. Sort of sneaking, cow
ardly little cuss he was, wasn't hep
asked Tom, breathing out a fresh
aroma of Kentucky rye.
This is him." said the landlord.
Come back to look up his old friends. !"
Glad to meet you again, Johnny"
said the stableman, unabashed. Gould
1 speak to you in private a moment?"
| he continued, taking John aside. I'm
behind with the rent this month,
and
John handed him a fve-dollar bill,
and Tom looking at it in surly spite,
made his way back into the stable.
1t was with some difidence that
John approached the subject of Lucy.
What has become of Lucy Bates?"
John managed to say presently.
Lucy Bates?'' inquired the land
lord why, there never wasn't but
one Lucy Bates. Hi, Lucy!"
| A disheveled-looking woman came
in, wiping her hands upon a dirty
1 Ill ,hof io oh
asked.
| Remember Johnny Gardiner" in
CURED the landlord, with a grin, in
dicating John. Come back from the
city to look up old friends"
A faint flush crossed the tired wom-
Yes, we've been married seventeen
years." said the landlord. Il was her
first beau, too. We used to go to-
gether when we was children. Lucy
never had no other beaux, did you,
Luce?"
Nope" said the tired woman, shak-
/ ing her head and looking straight into
Johns eyes.
well, I'm pleased to have seen
you" said John, moving out toward his
automobile Il guess I'll have to be
starting back now" he continued, as
he got in. He had changed his mind
about staying in Gravehurst. by the
way, there was another old friend I"
| But he got no further, for with an
unearthly honk an automobile came
tearing down the street and struck
Johns fairly and squarely, shaking
! him from the step where he stood into
the road He rose to find black
browed, fashily dressed stranger low
ering at him from his car.
you've knocked my lamp all as
kew" he snarled. why in thunder
| can't you look where you are going?"
And leaving John speeches. with
| modification he whirled away.
| Manager of our factory" explained
! the landlord. One of the big men of
Gravehurst. Hurt your eye, amt you,
Johnny? Looks as if it was going to
blacken up"
Yes" said John, nursing his SWELL
ing optic. Il guess that mans name is
Will Jones, isn't it?"
/ Correct agreed the landlord.
sWe're sort of proud of him in Grave
hurst. Must you be leaving?'
IF l can get this machine to rum,
answered John.
And, after little aid from the local
| bIo OBJ I1hu Gardiner chUQQ00