The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-12-28
AN HONEST LAD

BY LoRA slMMs.

- BY LoRA sIMMs. -
Vhhnnn - - hnn ~
4rs. Mapes always referred to her
two Bokharas and the Royal BAluch-
istan AZ ''the rugs that Dustin ate up -
and lest anyone who heard her might
surmise that Dustin was q sort Of car
pet moth, she would 60 on to explain
just how on that August day, a half
dozen years before, Dustin had first
come up her poplar-lined driveway
staggering and STOPPING under the load
Of the rugs.
He approached her like any other
peddler and proceeded to open his pack
before her as she and the golden-haired
Ida sat stringing beans for dinner.
But right from the first Mrs. Mapes al
ways insisted she could see that there
was something different in Dustin's
face. There was honesty and ambi-
tion. She knew it from the start.
Mrs. Mapes had heard the tale Of the
student working his way through COL
lege 50 often that there must have been
something unusually earnest about
Dustin's appearance to have made him
rouse her sympathies as he did.
"You wanted to enter this year?" she
asked. feeling Of the silky fineness Of
the rugs before her.
Eyes, yes" he faltered. II am lit
tie older than the average freshman
but you see I am alone in the world
genuine vegetable dyes all the way
through" he continued more glfbly. II
can let you have the large one for
hundred dollars-just what 1t would
cost at wholesale. That smaller one
could go at fifty. I'll give you the lot
for $4OO."
Mrs. Mapes tried to conceal the look
that must have indicated her despair
even at the thought Of possessing that
much ready money. Then the inspi-
ration flashed through her mind. She
gave look at her daughter-Lida was
seventeen then.
II can't afford to pay you that mon
ey for them," she said. But I feel
that must have those rugs. How
would this scheme strike your We have
q large house here and we are near the
campus. I could take you in and give
you board and lodging for two years in
payment. You could eat out the price
Of the rugs"
Dustin was embarrassed, especially
because he knew that the golden
haired blue-eyed girl was watching him
intently. He hated to reject the offer.
II am afraid that wouldn't go very
far" he said, however. II had hoped
to make enough on these rugs to put
me through college,"
Mrs. Mapes, with her glasses on, was
inspecting the threads Of the reverse
side of the rug. Apparently the weave
suited her. swell, then, make it board
and lodging for four years." And be-
fore giving the poor student time to ac-
cept or reject this offer Mrs. Mapes
was dragging the rugs through the long
French windows that opened between
the veranda and the drawing room Of
her old-fashioned house.
So Dustin Lorrey went to board with
the Mapeses and so the romance that
was inevitable began between Dustin
and Ida. Ida was just the sort Of
blue-eyed, golden-haired lassie that
might have been college-town belle.
between the ages Of seventeen and
twenty-three or so. had 1t not been for
Dustin.
After graduating, Dustin induced
Mrs. Mapes to listen to his story.
which was about as follows:
"When you made that offer to take
me in," he said, looking between
phrases back to Ida for encourage
ment, II tried to get out Of II, and
then-then I looked at Ida sitting be-
side you. It came to me that the best |
thing could do was to accept your Of
fer and stay right here. So I let the
gang know-told them If they made |
any fuss about the rugs I'd have them |
all exposed. And so I stayed. The |
rugs-well, they aren't exactly what |
I cracked them up to be. They aren't |
antiques and they were smuggled. |
Ida knew that-I told her. But It |
was Ida that made me stick It out |
and finish here before I told you. and
when graduated and left here I told
Ida that wouldn't come back till ! |
had made good and until I could pay
you on the level for that long board /
bill"
Mrs. Mapes had thrown her fat arms
around Dustin's neck. II always
knew you were an honest lad" she
said. II knew 1t the first time I saw
you. It wasn't half SO bad to stick me
with those rugs as it would have been
to 60 of and leave Ida here with q
broken heart. That's what people
here say you did. But I knew you'd
come back. But don't you fret about
the board bill. Unless you've got to
send the rugs back to the customs
people they're good enough for me-"
Copyright. 1917. by the Mcclure Nswspa-
per Syndfcate.)