The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-15
SPRING CLEANING
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

TIC. With sleeves rolled up over hel
plump elbows, her hair tucked Sc
curely under q blue dustcap and her
figure completely hidden by a bis
apron, she was reveling 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 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
GRAINED her neck just little to get a
better view of certain house on
the opposite side Of the street.
7 thought so. Sans outside. the
cranky, misery old sinner. It's a
shame. that's what it 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 Harley's got
a right decent position, and IL Sam
Martin wasn't as tight as fiddlestring
he'd give Betty nice. substantial wed
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 a grandfather. There
isn't another soul this side OF heaven
that could have kept house for him.
/ wouldn't for 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
SO mean as not to let them. Why.
Betty's BEEN"
Tho old mans eyes blazed.
you keep quiet, you meddler. It's
my business and not yours. Betty's
mother married poor man and | had
to keep him when he got sick. and
her, too, and after they both died It
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
tiers worse for the two she had been
SO anxious to help. The worst of
Sans meanness is" she reflected.
that he didn't make a cent of II him
self. 1t was merely an accident of
law that gave him that estate when
there was no will, and I never could
see why Brother Tom and I hadn't a
right to some of It,"
Harley, having delivered a paper to
client, went on his way back to the |
ONCE, and Betty, her errand finished, |
was ON her way home when they met |
under a blossoming peach tree that
spread over the fence OF the Collins |
yard.
1t was impossible to pass such a |
vision without stopping and whisper
ing word that brought the color fly
ing to Betty's cheeks. "Oh, Harley"
she protested, you know we prom
Used not to-not to-" She faltered
and her eyes filled.
Well. l was fool to promise any
thing SO impossible, and I'm going
right over and tell him so. This is
free country. and I guess I can talk
to whomever I please!''
But. II seemed he was to be spared
the trouble of n trip in order to un-
burden himself to Betty's irate rela-
tive, for the old man, crossing the
street to borrow trowel from the
Watsons, looked their way and saw
the lovers talking under the peach
tree. Changing his course, he made
straight in their direction.
Just then Miss Hannah, holding
yellow, much-creased paper in her
trembling fingers and trying her best
to convince herself that she was not
dreaming. happened to look out of the
window and saw exactly what was
happening.
Without hesitating an instant, she
ran downstairs and out Of the front
door, still holding the discolored bit
Of paper in her hand.
rSaml" she said. Sam, wait a
But. Sam didn't hear; at least he
lid not halt
SAM" she called again. And, 30
running and calling. she reached the
peach tree at the same instant that
Betty's grandfather stepped up and
hook his fist under Harley's nose.
Look here, Sam Martini" she cried !
sxcitedly, Il found grandfather's last
will up in the old chest, and Tom and
have a right to twothirds of your
money. I'm going to give my share to
hose two lambs this minute, and
here's going to be a wedding at my {
louise about tomorrow, or / miss my {
suess. There nowl You Just step
long back home out of my way, viii
Tou? I've got some things to talk
'ver with Harley and Betty before :
unchl"