The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-30

; Nc" lorh- Il distant bell told hin
that a service was about 10 take place
In the church. and he siro.lcd forth In
that direction Children were stag
. silnS into the guild room for Sunday
school. Sanford saw u woman emerge
. from the Treusdail farmhouse and 20
toward tue church. She entered il
ana Sanford followed her In. taking a
back seat. The woman went up on 10
dais and conducted the school
something about her convinced San.
lord 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 unmistakahle
evidence In her manner.
sanford remained in his seat while
the school was in session. and when n
collector came to him for his Easter
Offering he folded a 500 bill I'm bit
OF paper, on which he wrste 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 iii.
rection of her home on the hill when
! he Joined her.
Pardon me-" he said: IL am Il 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 idcnti.,
II was dispclled There was the same
kindly, honest look in them he had
seen as Il boy and which had CON.
tributel 10 change him from a ragged
boy To prosperous man
That farm" he continued pointing
10 the hilltop-"why is it not PROSPER
Gus? Is there anything the matter
with the sOil:"
Nothing. My father. who formerly
owned IT, had n succession of bad
years on account of the weather. He
left the property to me encountered.
and 1t has since been all 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 II difficult to loan at
D. How much is the mortgage?"
Five 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 a stranger here" said !
Mary. II should be pleased to have !
you dine with US"
Sanford accepted the invitation. The
family consisted Of an aunt OF Mary's
and a younger sister. In whom the
guest saw duplicate of the girl who
had befrlended the ragged boy. After
dinner he made an inspection OF the
farm. or pretended to inspect 1t. and
when he returned to the house asked
Mary II she could give him the amount
or the principal AMI interest due on
the mortgage She did so. and lie said
to her
II will consider ii "A favor IL You viii
allow me to add this to my other
loans"
Mary was puzzled. She was not
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 her
she asscntcd As soon as she hid
done so Sanford whipped out pocket
checkbook and wrote her a check for
the amount telling her that the papers
in the case could he executed the next
day
Sanford did not seem inclined to
hurry away. and the afternoon was
well spent before he made move to
depart Then Mary said that. being u
stranger in strange land. he had
better take tea with them. and this In
yitation. too, was accepted, During
the evening he and Mary were sitting
together before a little blaze on the
hearth. for the nights were still cool. |
when she suddenly said to him;
Did you put that hundred dollar bill
in the Easter offering at Sunday school
this mor1ingT"
II did
What did you mean by what you
wrote on the wrapper!"
Ten years ago today little girl,
the daughter of a prosperous farmer,
met ragged boy on the road. tool,
him to sunday school and afterward
loaned him the amount she was to
have given for an Faster offering. You !.
are that farmers daughter, and am :
that ragged boy"
Mary's eyes were fixed on him for 9
some time without speaking. ST. was
trying TO recall the incident Present
~ she said: Il
1T Is coming back To me"
THAT Easter sunday" he contin-
ued. "a revolution took place In me. II