The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-01

with himself. It will keep me from be.
coming . pauper and-it will make me
forget"
But adverse fortune seemed to pur.
sue the victim it had kept tramping
the streets for several weeks looking
for the position he never found.
He arrived at Allegan to find work
| at standstill and the railroad in the
hands of q receiver. Some two hun
dred workmen had dispersed, or were
dispensing about the immediate vicin-
ity. The farmers in the district were
hilarious over this vast influx of Ia
Dor, for they needed workers in the
fields, and under the exigencies of the
occasion were able to bargain at their
own figures.
Harley was quite glad Of the new
prospect opened. He preferred farm
work Then came a new disappoint-
ment. The railroad laborers had two
days start of him. The labor mar
ket was glutted. Every place at pillow
and harrow was filled.
"Oh, we'll, I shall have to strike out
for q new field, that is ALL" he told
himself grimly. trying to fancy he was
imbued with the optimism of an en-
thusiastic ambition.
Harley tramped It, brave as . Tro-
Jan, for two days. On the morning Of
the third he met his first bit Of en-
couragement. He had come upon .
desolate. starved-lookirg farm and
hailed its equally dismal owner water
ing lean, disconsolate cattle. The
man himself was grim-faced and dis
pirited in mien and talk.
Il might give you board and lodging
for weeks work." he said ungra-
ciously.
"I'll take that. If it's only to get my
hand in." agreed Harley cheerfully.
But say, what's struck the placer"
"A sucker!" growled the man, whose
name was Evans. THE sucker is me.
l lost my wife and wanted a lonely
life. I've got it. Traded q nice vii
lage home for this-farm, they called
1t. Look at it,"
1T does look forlorn, for a fact"
observed Harley, but what's the main
subject of Encouragement. All, l see
the SOIL" scooping up q handful Of
the loose, yellow dirt, scanned 1t
closely. tasting Of it, smelling of 1t,
and tossing it adrift with thoughtful,
"Humph! Got any loose capital?"
What IL have?" demanded the
farmer. surlily and with suspicion.
Because. II you have, and will in
vest 1t in lime and phosphates, I'll
make Q castiron contract to do the
rest that will make this place garden
Of Eden inside Of two seasons on a
basis of fifty and fifty"
Uncle wasn't So bad. after ALL"
many time later Harry soliloquized.
He threw schooling, energy and soul
into his first and grand chance at sci
entifc farming. At the end of two
years he had made a contented man
Of his employer and q proud, happy
man Of himself.
So proud and happy, In fact, that
one day. notwithstanding the fact that
he had put the past all behind him, in
an idle, whimsical mood he ventured
writing letter to Helen Wendell. He
told her the simple story of his en-
deavors, he told her that a hayward
impulse had led him to hope that she |
had not forgotten their old friend
ship and would be interested in know
ing that small but cheering measure
OF success had come to him.
He hoped for a reply, but none
came in the form of q letter. A week |
went by. and one morning as he start.
ed for the we'll farmers rig drove up !
and Helen Wendell alighted.
She was in mourning, a little care
worn, . little older, but the old true
eyes looked as earnestly as of yore
into the longing depths of his own, a.
he said:
rs this the promised response of
two years ago."
Am l welcome?" she asked simply.
His glowing lips. pressed to her will.
Ing own, answered.