The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-16
Where TO. for goodness sakef"
Back to the old home"

Where TO. for goodness sakef"
Back to the old home"
why, Johnl'
Not a word now" directed Bridges.
with 9 decisive wave Of his hand.
Cant you see through a milestone
with hole in it? I'm poor. don't you
understand-poori poori poor!" and
there was vengeful. gloating satisfac.
tion in the emphatic repetition.
IL think | see. JOHN faltered
Mrs Bridges, but. oh! what a tearing
up"
Worth it, IL it scares away this
scamp of a dukeI" declared her hus-
band. "0hl I'll make it real to the
public-to Hazel and this precious
sprig Of nobility of hers. Poverty,
bowling. grinding pauperisml Now
then-no sentiment. Well furnish up
the old house just as bare and unin-
viting as it can be done. As to the
meals. no fatted calf, wife! Give his
ludship a genuine workhouse diet. It
will take some of the grand notions
out OF him."
So the plot was laid. The new neigh
bors Of the Bridges pitied their sud
den fall from afiuence" The old ones
back at the home town commiserated
them for making costly splurge only
to come back to even more humble and
restricted surroundings than before.
And one day bride and groom ar
rived. At the sight OF the sunny happy
face Of winsome Hazel. the mother
broke down and the fathers heart soft
ened. To the duke. however. the moth
er was distant and the father fairly
uncivil.
Duke Edward" however. broke the
ice Of severity. despite his gloomy re-
ception. He praised the meals, he was
like some high chevalier In his respect
for Mrs. Bridges, in his love for Hazel
Early the next morning he strolled out.
side to join his father-in-law on the
porch.
Mr.. Bridges" he began in his brisk
animated way. Hazel was telling me
that you had over two hundred acres
in your place here"
"0h, yes, such as it is" growled the
old man. Not much good without
capital to work It."
Why" enthused Duke Edward
there you are mistaken! I'm up or
soils and you've got the right sort
here"
What do you know about it?'
queried Mr.. Bridges charity
"Oh, my principal course at one time
was scientific farming. It would Just
delight me to join you in good hare
work, making this wilderness blossom
like the rose. Say, won't you let m,
try it-father?"
John Bridges WINGED. Then the bar
rier broke down. The duke had disap
peared. The hopeful, helpful real maj
had become manifest.
Heard your daughter had married
prince or something like that, Bridges,
observed a neighbor to her father
few days later
That's right" assented the prou,
father-in-law-"a prince of good fel
low!"
, Then he went home with O happ
,, smile on his face. He started whistlin
as he saw his son-in-law out in tn
fields in true farmer garb. hoe in hand
, Hazel nuttering near by.
Il say, son." he called out as h
,, passed them by, we're going to NOV
, back to. our real home tomorrow" an
then he told where It was and VIII
they had left 1t.
. You're the right sorti" declared tn
BLUM old fellow heartily, "and l recko
, smart enough to hold q good bushes
. II start you in at 1t with the capita
hey? Call the scientific farming quit
, and let's all settle down to enjoy iii
. together!"
Copyright. 1916. by w. @. Chapman.)