The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1915-05-22
iaoW JOHN WAS CURED

] ~ 0tsARLoTTg coHDEIL
tcopyvsght. 1914. By W. q. Chapman)
Thsro comes TO every middle-aSe0
man time when he feels that his HE
has been failure. At forty-seven John
| Gardner was. beginning to feel thaf
wv.
A successful architect, with charm
Ing wife and four children. earning
| enough money to give him 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 rosy halo In the past
Forgotten were the hard knocks. the
early struggles, the eagerness to get
l away to the big city. where he had o
last succeeded.
ELLA" he said to his wife. Il believe
| m auto down to Gravehurst next Sat
urday, spend the night at the little
| place and return on Sunday. 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-
ucent about the chief purpose OF his
trip. He wanted to see Lucy Bates.
n Had she waited for him, as she had
sworn to do. remaining solitary old
maid In the old-fashioned homestead?
i Il was 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 q mile ont 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
mp.
John put up at the little shabby no.
tel and made himself known to the
landlord. The landlord. 81 Higgins,
had been one of Johns old friends.
john did not recognize him at first,
and Higgins himself seemed a little
haxy about John.
They were talking over old times
when John reminded the landlord OF
TON Elmer
II suppose he's successful minister
now" ne said.
What, Tom Elmer-Widow Elmer's
SOM" shouted the landlord. Used to
wear his hair In a 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 lurched blear-eyed
! ragamnfin Of about forty-seven. who
came up with a surly scowl.
"Tom, remember John Gardiner
who went to Miss Blythes school with
ns :" the landlord asked.
"Sure I do. Sort of sneaking, COW
ardly little cuss he was. wasn't he?'
asked Tom. breathing out q 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
speak to you in private a moment? 2
he continued, taking John aside. I'm
behind with the rent this month
and"
John handed him five-dollar bill
and Tom, looking at it in surly spite
made his way back into the stable.
II was with some diffidence that
: John approached the subject OF Lucy
What has become OF Lucy Bates 2
3 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 dirty
apron. well. what is 1t nowT she
asked.
Remember Johnny Gardiner" in
CURED the landlord, with a grin, in.
dicating John. Come back from the
city to look up old friends"
Il A faint flush crossed the tired WON
ans face as she extended limp hand
yes, we've been married seventeen
years." said the landlord. 81 was her
first beau. too. We used to 60 to-
gether when we was children. Lucy
never had no other beaux. did you,
Lnce?"
Nope" said the tired woman, shak.
Ing her head and looking straight into
John's eyes.
We'll. I'm pleased to have seen
you," said John. moving out toward his
automobile. II guess Ill have to be
starting back now" he continued. as
he got In. He had changed his mind
about staying in Gravehurst by tho
way, there was another old friend r."
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 ross 70 md . black
browed, nashily dressed stranger low.
ering at him from his car.
/ You've knocked my lamp all a.
kew!" he snarled. why IN thunder