The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-04-19

put " price on the property. which he
vas 10 agree to pay. no matter how
mueh the amount.
iilsio" visited the bungalow and
was told that Miss Edserton. the roso
euitNator, was in the Office of tbe con.
serVatory. He went there and fo,n.t
yer! inherent person from what he
'iau expected. He supposed he wonl5
sc young woman OF plain exterior
serious. businesSlike. and whose cos
tune would lie suitable for ber worl
MISS hugerton was a very pretty wo-
tidh, dressed in excellent taste and in
lashion. Her assistants. who wera ali
vi her own sex, were the only ipdico-
ZION mat the owner was of the now
woman order. She received Mr. wins.
low with an engaging smile and lis,cn-
eu 70 an Introduction to his subject
"hich was an account of his preno m .
lloh Tor the agricultural profession and
ms having settled upon the branch of
rose culture. From this he explained
'nat lie desired TO purchase a plant
ready for production and ended by suy.
costing that he would like to buy hers
MISS Edgerton listened TO what no
had TO say. then told him OF her own
ambition, adding that her property was
not Tor sale. An effort 10 get her To
put price on it was not successful
lhere was nothin: left for Rowland
TO do hut tackle the lioness in her den
himself. Upon Win>low's report Of her
personality he resolved first to ATTEMPT
10 win her favor. then adopt such n
plan as might seem best To huy her
property As To Concealing his identity
az multimillionaire this was now he
yond hope
Rowland had 10y this time got into
MS country home He sent her some
Strawberries from his gardcn-great.
luscious fellows-with a note of well
come TO his new neighbor. lie receiy-
Ell note Of thanks in return and an
invitation to call. The call was made
In due time. and the visitor devoted
himself to pleasing the hostess. lie
said not n word about buying her
plant. On the contrary, he expressed
his satisfaction at having SO attractive
property near him. He left with the
belief that he had made very agree
able impression
1t was not in Mr.. Howland's plan to
lead Miss Edgerton to believe that she
had made a conquest Of him This
would rather hinder than facilitate his
purchase of her property. He wished
merely to secure her good will. hoping
that she would accept two or three
times lis value, or that he might place
her in n position of standing in the
way Of friend. While he layishcd
upon her every favor she would ac-
ccpt, he neither looked, spoke nor hint
cd love. His aim was merely TO play
the good neighbor.
When he had fully established
kindly entente he one day told her that
he wondered that she had not selected
a site for her rose plant where she
would have had better facilities for
transporting her goods to market. To
this she expressed herself well salts
fed where she was. Later he inform
ed her that he owned splendid site
for her plant nearer the city and on a
railroad by which she could ship her
goods. If she wanted 1t he would ex-
change 1t for her property, build new
me- fnr hnr nd eyitn har
triple the value OF her present proper
~ to boot
She appeared to take the matter into
consideration. But she never came to
decision-at any rate, no decision
that she revealed to the would he pur-
chaser of her property.
Disappointed In this move. Rowland
resolved TO try what virtue there
would be in loyemaking. He would
try to win the property through the
heart. II he must wound the heart
he would heal the wound with gold.
for he had no doubt that If there was
enough gold bestowed any such breach
would he stopped by il. But How
land had been SO beset by women to
marry him for his fortune that his
ideas on this point had been somewhat
warped.
So he began by first looking a little
love. then acting u little love and final
ly speaking u little love. A beginning
having been made. he doubled the guam
titles. Miss Edgerton received his at
tentions coyly She was always tribe
behind him in this lovemaking New
ertheless the affair developed.
Then one day Miss Edgerton told
Rowland that she was thinking of tax
ing a partner in her business. How
land took fright at once. and when
swell from the city came to the rose
factory and hobnobbed with the owner
Rowland discovered that the factory
had become of small importance to him
in COMPARISON with the owner. The
moment the swell departed Rowland
went to Miss Edgerton and told her
that IL she would not marry him he
would commit suicide.
That's the end of my story. The two
were married. the Conservatives were
taken down. and the land on winch
faaHa mart of How