The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-18
r,s LUCKY NUMBER
BY MARY GARLAND kN's"'

fronyright, 1915. by w. ". pI.tor
When the uncle of Willie Templeton
a,od leaving ten thousand dollars 10
h;s beloved nephew" the latter fe't
lie the richest man in the world.
He did not start out on q mao
snendthrift riot. That was not n's
natural pace. He had missed ies'
home life since his parents died TWO
months previously. Young Tempieton
quietly set out to find a wife. ne was
not after style, money or position.
some sweet humble little woman VINO
could appreciate comfortable nome
was his ideal. :.
"rbere seems to be none sucn IN
E,sdene" he decided, after every Tor
tune-hunting girl in the county nao
set her cap at him.
"Business is what you want to THINK
NJ old boy" declared his lawyer
voung man who was really loyal 10
his interests
willis considered many business
propositions. Then came wonderful
chance to increase his few thousands
to a million, according to Vance Traf-
ton.
This latter was a cousin. He had
been a scapegrace in his youth. Later
Willis had heard he had figured as
promoter and speculator. He mad ap-
reared at Elsdene about month after
his succession to the fortune. Willis
had been pestered to death with mean,
INDECENT and really deserving rela-
tiyes. He had more or less got rid OF
most of them according to their de-
serts. When Trafton appeared, It was
an ENJOYABLE relief to Willis to find
someone who was not scheming to
beg or borrow of him.
I'm north closing 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 it all out at
twenty and I'm trying to buy a tract
from a man in the city. You'd ought
to see how we've made the wilderness
blossom as the rose. Think of it
ninety thousand pineapples this
years crop, some of them weighing as
much as nine pounds. Juicy, mellow
I want you to come back with me and
see a 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 a one
fourth share in the new land about
to be opened up.
I'LL 60 to the city and arrange to
get the deeds for the land" announced
/ Trafton. I'm the meantime I'll have
a choice half dozen Of our pineapples
shipped to you, just to show you what
magnificent fruit we raise"
In day or two along came a crate
directed to Willis. As he opened it,
wrapped in tissue paper were half q
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 go into the enterprise
when he noticed neat-looking card
in the bottom Of the crate.
Beside It lay an unstamped letter
1t 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. A."
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 a busy place devoted to the spe
cialty ct packing fine tropical fruits
Willis saw the manager He was
soon convinced that the crate Of pine
apples had been shipped to him on q
casual order two days before.
They came from Florida ?"'inuuired
Willis.
"Oh. no. We get all our primes from
Central America" was the, amazins
declaration.
And who was No. ~! All. yes-one
OF their fruit packers, Mis- Landor
BY name. Could she be seen?-fo,
Willis had opened the letter to fint
that 1t contained an OFFER Of marriag,
from one Richard Martin"
Miss Landon was not at work. -Ad
dress-yes. such and such a number OF
certain street. Thither Willis pro
oeeded. NV
A sood.natured old lady was 1,
charge. She invited Willis tn saw
Ing that Miss Landon would soon b,
home. ~ "
Certainly the refined homelike nj
OF the delightful little nat was sootb
Ing Willis fingered. Miss Landon Ar
rived -
Biuntly he told her the whole story
ne handed her the letter. He wa
sorry, as her bright gentle face grew
upon him, that she had a lover
On. dear" she cried. as she re-
ceived the missive. I've wondere,
where l ever lost it. It must bav
iailen from my pocket into the crat,
! am glad to get 1t. A friend Of M
sister, gentleman friend. asked m
70 give 1t to her. Now can straieh,
en- up tangle.'
Then she, Lucia Landon. az Win,
soon found out her name to he wa
neart free! Somehow the discover
pleased him.
Sne is the girl have been ,ookin
Ior, he told the old lady friend :
Lncia one day. '
Why don't you tell her that.