The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-25

house fitting the plans that he had
seen; its roof simple to avoid snow
pockets, its caves and porches wide
to afford shade in summer, its lines
simple and squat for the fiat grounds.
The ornamentation, massed against
broad. plain surfaces. was exquisite
in its suggested detail and placed
with consummate art. Meade, as the
last strokes were put down. could
scarcely wait.
Look at that" he exclaimed in
triumph to his friends. Harper
couldn't make a drawing like that in
two years."
As young Conrad added q chimney
and lined in the wide porch-steps.
Meade was for jerking the sketch
from under his fingers, but the artist
held up his right hand solemnly.
you shout watt" he calmly com.
manded; and. with a few deft lines.
suggested sidewalk. lawn, some
trees and clouds; then, having drawn
waving line about 1t to circumscribe
the plane Of his picture. he detached
the sheet from the block and handed
1t over, with the pencil upon it.
The three bent over it in profound
respect.
That is certainly some house." pro-
nounced Hyde.
Il don't know how to say lovely"
drawled Eastman. but I'm willing to
pronounce that. mighty decent de-
sign"
Decent" repeated Meade. Its
great"
! OF course they called him the
Dutchman" after he had become an
/ intimate part of the life of Holden.
for there was almost no foreign ele-
ment in the town Eight dollars a
week and his board Harper paid Con-
rad, and the boy was satisfied.
Il am more worth" he said. adding
philosophically, but it ISIS not here
the money. If you have not profit Of
my work that l do. then l am what
you call it?-no goot."
Harper, with whom economy was q
stern necessity. brought cot into the
ONCE, and for a week Conrad slept
upon this cot. taking his meals at .
nearby restaurant. During that week
Harper studied his craftsman closely,
and Mrs. Harper made two unobtru-
sive trips to the Office for the same
purpose. On Sunday Conrad was taken
to the Harper home and formally in
stalled.
Hes simply a revelation. SAM"
Mrs. Harper pronounced in surprise
after the first week. After you get
used to the dialect you begin to dis
cover that he's well educated he's
artistic to his fingertips. poet in
feeling. lover of severely good
music; he sings divinely, and little
Elsie fairly loves him. She makes
him rock her to sleep every noon be-
fore he goes back to work.
1t was the good-fellowship of this
couple, together with their unwaver
ing affection, which made Conrad turn
his admiration of them to the same
degree Of worship that he had already
bestowed upon four-year-old Elsie. His
lines were cast in pleasant places in
deed and he thrust his roots deeply
into the SOIL
At first he had to overcome the
same contemptuous prejudice that ha(
bestowed upon him the title of 'th,
Dutchman." Mrs. Harper introduced
him to some nice girls. but secretl,
they laughed at his broken English
and Blanche Reynolds, by whom HI
was at once speechlessly smitten
openly flouted him: whereat Mrs. Har
per wanted to shake her. With tn,
young men he was in somewhat le.i
constraint. though even here he wa,
still an alien until one evening when
in passing the library. one Of a grouI
Of young men made some laughing re
mark. loud enough to be overheard
about the Dutchman." Coma,
wheeled Immediately and came back
Not Northumberland" he de
clared. marching directly up to tn
one who had spoken. 1t was Prize
Reynolds. her brother. 1T ISIS not dis
grace to be Dutchman. either. but 1
is disgrace the way you say it. an
Dutchman no more! and you hear Il!
The other laughed.
Keep your collar on, Dutchy," b
admonished with amused tolerance.
Il am not Dutchman. l have said!
insisted Conrad. Il challench you'll"
They repaired to Hyde's barn. Here
Il
| tofore fights In Holden had been swift
unexpected, spontaneous affairs, am
they had been fought out with greo
vigor in an entirely impromptu man
f, ner; but this was a decided novelty
at which even the sworn officers of tn
peace w,nked complacentlv When tn
; battle was waged, an hour later
Hyde's barn was full to overflowinl
with enthusiastic spectators. Cando
compels the admission that Conra,
was worsted in the encounter. but tina
was not the point He had Tough
gamely from beginning to end
That was his initiation. From tina
day he was admitted to be a MAJ
among men, without any regard whal
ever to nationality or habit Q
I speech; and where the boys led. TO
= lowed the girls, Through them he ps
: tientfy plodded to Blanche Reynold:
D and having secured her frank fave
1 there was nothing more in this worl
that he wanted. He was the acknow
edged sutton of the handsomest, tn
v most brilliant, the most wonderful
endowed girl in all the world; he live