The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-22
The HackStaff
Case
A Story Showing 1ow JUS
tice May Err.
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

't'ts''tt'ti'ts''t''tttt
In the village Of Anterior lived a
widow forty years old who had heat
for business. She would buy an old
house cheap for cash. put It In com.
paste order und sell II ut q profit
Sometimes she would have several
houses under process Ut repair at the
same time. The widow attended to
the finances and contracts. but rele-
gated the superintendence Ut the re-
pairs to . young man not quite thirty
years old. named Jack Hacksta6.
One day 1t was announced that the
widow had married her employee. The
women exchanged glances. a. much a.
to say: what fool she u to tie up
With man ten years younger than
herself. She'll rue the day she did 1t"
The men agreed that any young fellow
OF thirty who married q woman Of
forty for her money paid high price
for tying himself up with an old W.
man.
However. the Hackstaff couple seem.
ed to get on very well. at least till Mrs.
Hackstar got tired Of repairing houses
and found better neld Of operation.
But even then there was no cause to
suspect TINT they were not getting on
together. Nevertheless such suspicion
was entertained by persons who noticed
that Hackstaff. having been deprived
Of active occupation. showed some dis.
content
'She had better have kept him busy"
said the women. HE owes his living
to woman" said the men. He'll
either try to get the funds into his
own hands or. II be has proper pride.
will dig out and shift for himself"
When Mrs. Hackstaf stopped turn
ing old houses into new. 0nss It was
observed that she had NOT sunk into
idleness. Had she explained what new
method Of making mouey she had tax.
en- on II might have saved q great deal
Of trouble. NF@ H% e'&
IL was po<iced that the Hackstatfs
were absent from home d gretl1 ieal.
but that they never went together.
When Nm. Hacksta6 was away her
husband was at hone. and wee versa.
Il leaked oat through banhU with
which Ma HackstA6's accounts were
kept-aftef hee marriage she continued
to do business anA keep accounts In
her own namezehat she was steadily
sccumulattng funds and was not only
using her capital bot all the credit
she could control.
During the autumn the Hackstaffl
were observed to be away great deal
When winter came they remained q
home together and appeared to have
very little to do. In the spring one
sometimes hoth-started out very ear
~ and remained away till summed
came. Once when M1. aacksta6
bought her ticket q neighbor stood b
side her and noticed that she purchas
ed q long string OF tickets on q round
trip through the southern states. Thil
the observer reported, and II addet
largely to the interest Of the pe0pl'
| Of Anterior In the Hacksta6 anairs-
The Hacksta6 place was on the out
skirts Of the village and surrounded b,
woods. One day Mrs. Hackstaf. walk
ing In these woods, encountered
skunk and received the contents o
its odor bag On her dress. Returning
to the house. she took on the dress
put on another and. giving the urs
to her husband, asked him to take
to the woods and bury It for the pui
pose Of deodortzing It This be did
A few days later the wife conceive
business scheme Of importance. an
both she and Hacksta6 forgot q
about the buried dresa- For seveEl
days she was busy arranging be
financial aftAixa. making arrangement
for the hoooring Of numerous daft
. ahe proposed to make ON her bankers.
Having arranged for q prolonged 81
sence. she and her husband talked on
matters Of domestic nature. Sufnc1sE
means wers locked In Q safe In TIE
house for his NE until her return. an
10 provide foe any contingsncy q
!, gisnsd .checks IN haank thet b mid