Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-10-09
THE WINNING SIDE
BIZ LOUIS Oliver.

neaQ, formed q FOOT Oh DFlSHL yellOW
green. All around was spring, from
the white and pink orchard on the hill
side to the robins nest indifferently
hidden under the caves of the house.
Just as he stepped on the porch the
front door opened and girl came out.
Tom was very much surprised. He
had hardly expected this. She was his
next-door neighbor in the city, and
their relations may be guessed from
what followed. At first neither spoke.
Tom politely lifted his hat and the girl
raised her chin about two inches.
Then the silence became embarrass-
ing. Tom asked: 'Ts Mrs. Caruthers
at homer"
'1es, she IS" answered the girl stiff
ly.
'Do you think / could see her~
"You probably couldr'
81 mean, may 1 see herr"
81 suppose you may. VIII you come
inp
ooh, I'll just wait out here. thank
you" he said,
Oty MIS-. Val NIlCu ALbllhs
rushing upstairs where an old lady
was quietly knitting
eyes, my dear! see we have COM
pany. 1 was just going down. Can't
you stay q few minutes longer? It's
early and"
mo, I can't stay, thank you, but
shouldn't if 1 could. I know who that
man is, Mrs. Caruthers, and l want
to warn you against him. He's come
to get an option or something on your
lanC. I don't know what it is, of
course, but l feel sure he's up to some
thing"
'How 10 you happen to know so
much about him, Edith?"
'sThey live next door to us in town,
and dad had an awful time with them
about the line between the lots. Dad
had to take it to court and the Will
sons acted awfully mean about it."
"But why are you so hard on the
young man, dear? Perhaps, in fact
most likely, he Ind nothing to do
with It."
at don't matter. / don't ever in
tend to have anything to do with any
of them, if can help 1t, and I really
think you ought not to, either. You'll
see. He'll sell you bogus stock or
something. But / think I'll slip over
home the back way now. Do you care
IL / go through the orchard and get
some blossoms?"
Certainly not, dear; help yourself.
There! l must go down now and see
my visitor"
Edith could not reach many bios
some from the ground, so, since the
trunk of an apple tree was crooked and
bent, she crawled up into the branches.
Then suddenly she realized that
someone was below and looking down,
she recognized shat Wilson man." He
had spade and a box and was look
ing cautiously In every directiOn-ex-
cept up. He didn't dream of her near
| ness, evidently.
81 knew it ~ thought Edith, triumph
antly. 81 knew he wasn't here for any
good. Now, what do you suppose it is
money or the fiat silver? He'll come
back some night and dig it up. I'm sure
| he has taken something's
Tom began to dig-not very deep,
| but little hole just big enough for the
| box. Then he covered it over with
dirt and departed.
Edith waited until he had gone, and
then, forgetting her blossoms, slipped
down the tree-and dug up the loose
| earth with her bare hands. The box,
of light pasteboard, came up easily, it's
contents featherweight. Now what
I'm the world do you suppose? Bonds,
maybe-or perhaps paper money.
"Tll go right down and tell Mrs. Ca
ruthers," she declared. wen call him
In and confront him with the evil
| dence."
But Tom was already in the house.
'T-I COW Vnn burVinR this In the
orchard, Mr.. Wilson," said Edith, ac-
cusingly, coming into the living room
with the box. She handed it to Mrs.
Caruthers.
"You open 1t, dear. / can't see very
we'll"
"Do you mind Tiff / go out on the
| porch?" asked Tom. 1T might be bet
ter for everybody"
"No. 1 think you'd better stay
here" said Edith firmly, taking off the
lid.
Edith picked up an envelope-the
only thing in the box. 1t was adj
dressed to her. Queerl She opened
1t and read:
"Dear Miss Edith: I saw you 60 up
into the tree. l hope you won't come
down until get this written and post
ed (O Grandma says you don't like
me. knew it before. But we Will
sons always get what we go after, and
I've made up my mind that 1 love you
and am going to marry you. hadn't
a chance in town with the families
scrapplng, but with grandma on my
side we're going 20 do what we can to
get you.
"If you'll only give me a little hope
I'll see that the pater digs up the hedge
in town and gives yours the six inches
Surely that is IN inducement. For
| further reference see grandma. Yours
devotedly. Thomas Caruthers Wilson"
Ruth had a sense of humor She sat
down and laughed Historically.
i've fallen into my own trap" she
acknowledged ruefully. And then:
''What do you think of him. Mrs. Ca
ruthers? Do you advise me to fight
the case or give In at onceF'
"Suit yourself, dear. But, remember.
| the Wilson's never lose"
| Copyright. 1917. by the Mcclure Nawspa-
per Syndicate-)
PIun1baco Mines.