Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-03-29

school. Sanford saw q woman emerge
from the Treusdail farmhouse and go
toward the church. She entered it,
and Sanford followed her in, taking a
back seat The woman went up on to
IL dais and conducted the school.
Something about her convinced San
ford that she was the girl who had
made him an Easter loan. There was
enough Of the child left in her to de-
note this, and there was unmistakable
evidence in her manner.
Sanford remained i'll his seat while
the school was in session, and when a
collector came to him for his Easter
offering he folded a 500 bill in a bit
of paper, ON which he wrote in pencil,
principal and interest Of an Easter
offering that should have been made
ten years ago"
The contributions were handed to
Mary Treusdail, but what became of
them Sanford did not know. He left
the place with the children and stroll
ed about near by till he saw Mary
emerge. She was moving In the di-
rection of her home on the hill when
he Joined her.
Pardon me-" he said; ~ am stran-
ger here. Perhaps you can give me
some information that need"
She turned her eyes upon him. II
he had had any doubt of her identity
it was dispelled. There was the same
kindly. honest look in them he had
seen as boy and which had con-
tributed to change him from ragged
boy to a prosperous man.
THAT farm" lie continued, pointing
to the hilltop-"why is it not prosper
Gus? Is there anything the matter
with the soil?''
''Nothing. My father, who formerly
owned it, had succession of bad
years on account of the weather. He
left the property to me encountered,
and it has since been all l could do to
pay the interest on the mortgage"
Il am an investor in farm mort
cages" said Sanford. "What interest
do you pay?'
six per cent"
Indeed. find 1t difficult to loan at
). How much is the mortgage?"
give thousand dollars, but there is
also an accumulation of interest, which
brings the total up to something like
sixty-six hundred"
BY this time they had reached the
farm, and Sanford paused.
'Since you are stranger here" said
10 CHI ln ynlno cod n have
you dine with us.
Sanford accepted the invitation. The
| family consisted of an aunt OIL Mary S
| and younger sister, in whom the
guest saw duplicate of the girl who
had befriended the ragged boy. After
dinner he made an inspection OF the
farm, or pretended to inspect it, and
| when he returned to the house asked
Mary if she could give him the amount
| of the principal and interest due Oh
/ the mortgage. She did SO. and he saiG
to her:
81 will consider it favor if you will
allow me to add this to my othel
loans"
Mary was puzzled. She was moi
aware that the loan was especially de
sirable as an investment. However,
since the stranger asked as a favor
what would be an advantage to hel
she assented. AS soon as she hat
done so Sanford whipped out poke
checkbook and wrote her check TO
the amount, telling her that the paper
in the case could be executed the mex
day.
Sanford did not seem inclined t
hurry away, and the afternoon wa
we'll spent before he made move t
depart Then Mary said that, being
stranger in a strange land, he ha
better take tea with them, and this il
vitation, too, was accepted. Durin
the evening he and Mary were sittin
together before little blaze on til
; hearth, for the nights were still coo
when she suddenly said to him:
did you put that hundred dollar hi
in the Easter offering at Sunday schot
this morning."
II did,
what did you mean by what yo
) wrote on the wrapper"
Ten years ago today little gin
the daughter of a prosperous farme
met ragged boy on the road, toe
him to Sunday school and afterwal
: loaned him the amount she was
! have given for an Easter offering. YC
are that farmers daughter, and | a
that ragged boy
Mary's eyes We're fixed on him fl
, some time without speaking. She Wa
trying to recall the incident. Presen
ly she said:
1T is coming back to me-"
THAT Easter Sunday" lie conti
! ued, "a revolution took place in IN
: and you were the cause of the chang
| needed heartening, and you gave
The heartening brought courage, tt
courage resolution to take hold {
: the world and win. | am not vel
rich man, but have a-plenty to retul
!. your loan with interest. The rest-tl
most valued part of what you did fl