The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-13
SPRING CLEANING
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

tic. With sleeves rolled up over her
plump elbows, her hair tucked Sc
curely under blue dustcap and her
figure completely hidden by a big
apron, she was reyeling in houseclean-
ing.
The warm, sweet breeze blew In
through the open windows and with
it came the perfume Of apple blossoms.
In her line of vision directly across
the street, two figures passed one an
other. and Miss Hannah paused in her
scrubbing. To a casual observer moth
ing had happened except that q young
man and a young woman had bowed
to each other. but to Miss Hannah,
with her sharp eyes and her knowl-
edge of things and people, a tragedy
had occurred. And knowing this, she
craned her neck just little to get a
better view of q certain house on
the opposite side OF the street.
Il thought so. Sans outside. the
cranky, misery old sinner. It's q
shame, that's what 1t is. They are so
dead In love with each other they'll
never be a mite o. good till they get
married, and there isn't any good rea-
son why they shouldn't. Hariey's got
right decent position, and IL Sam
Martin wasn't as tight as fiddlestring
he'd give Betty q nice, substantial we'd
ding present and say, God bless you.
my children
Miss Hannah wiped her eyes. my
heart aches for the poor dears. Dear
] knows Betty has been an angel to
that old crank OF grandfather. There
isn't another soul this side of heaven
that could have kept house for him.
l wouldn't for a million dollars. II he
is my very own cousin"
SO worked up was Miss Hannah that
housekeeping had lost its charms. De-
scending to the first floor, she went out
and across the street where the enemy
was working in a flower bed by the
porch.
Good morning, SAM"
What do you want? Another aid
baby needin' help? Nope, not to-
day."
Just wait till you're asked before
| you refuse, please. came to see
about Betty She and Harley want to
get married, and there isn't reason
on this green earth why you should be
30 mean as not to let them. Why,
Betty's been"
The old mans eyes blazed.
"You keep quiet, you meddler. It's
my business and not yours. Bettys
mother married poor man and had
to keep him when he got sick, and
her. too, and after they both died II
was the girl. And now she wants to
marry a pauper. tn be the same thing
over again! What do you think am
an institution for the down and
out"
Miss Hannah went home crestfallen
She felt that she had only made mat
ters worse for the two she had been
so anxious to help. THE worst Of
Sans meanness is" she reflected
that he didn't make cent of 1t him
self. 1t was merely an accident Of
law that gave him that estate wher
there was no will, and l never could
see why Brother Tom and hadn't 6
right to some of It,"
Harley. having delivered a paper Il
a client, went on his way back to the
Office, and Betty, her errand finished
was on her way home when they me-
under a blossoming peach tree thai
spread over the fence of the Collins
yard.
II was impossible to pass such {
vision without stopping and whisper
ing a word that brought the color fly
ing to Betty's cheeks. ooh, Harley,
she protested, you know we prom
ised not to-not to" She falteret
and her eyes filled.
well. / was fool to promise any
thing so impossible, and I'm goinI
right over and tell him so. This II
. free country, and guess can tall
to whomever ] pleased"
But It seemed he was to be sparet
the trouble of trip in order to un
burden himself to Betty's irate rela
tive, for the old man, crossing thu
street to borrow a trowel from tn,
Watsons, looked their way and saw
the lovers talking under the peacl
; tree. Changing his course, he mad
, straight in their direction.
Just then Miss Hannah. holding
yellow, much-creased paper in he
trembling fingers and trying her bes
to convince herself that she was no
. dreaming, happened to look out Of tn
, window and saw exactly what wa
happening.
Without hesitating an instant, sh
ran downstairs and out of the from
; door, still holding the discolored bi
. of paper in her hand.
SAM" she said. Sam, wait
: minute"
But Sam didn't hear; at least h
: did not halt.
SAM" she called again. And, 8
running and calling. she reached tn
. peach tree at the same instant tina
} Retty's grandfather stepped up an
shook his fist under Harley's nose.
/ Look here, Sam Martini" she erie
excitedly. Il found grandfathers las
t will up in the old chest, and Tom an
t have a right to two-thirds OF you
t money. I'm going to give my share t
those two lambs this minute, an
} there's going to be wedding at m
: house about tomorrow, or l miss m
E guess. There nowl You just ste
along back home out of my way, wi
> you? I've got some things to tai
- ....al. IIa-In.r nnd Rott,. hnfnr.