Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-07
CHAPTER XIV (CONTINUED1

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=, Why, | can't believe It'll" Miss
Maggie fell back with puzzled
irown
sold them! Why, | should as soon
think of his-his selling himself"
cried Mr.. Smith Il thought they
were inseparable."
We'll, they ain't-because he's sep
arated EN-" Miss Flora was rocking
a little faster now.
But why" demanded Miss Mag
gle.
He says he wants rest. That he's
worked hard all his life, and it's time
he took some comfort. He says he
doesn't take a minute of comfort now
cause James bounding him all the
time to get more money, to get more
money. She's crazy to see the inter
est mount up, you know-Jane is. But
he says he don't want any more
money. He. wants to spend money
for a while. And he's going to spend
1T. He's going to retire from business
and enjoyhimself."
well" calculated Mr.. Smith, this
is piece of news, indeedp
Il should say it was," cried Miss
Maggie, still almost incredulous.
How does Jane take it,"
ooh, she's turribly fused up over
it, as you'd know she would be. Such
a good chance wasted, she thinks,
when he might be making all that
money earn more. You know Jane
wants to turn everything into money
now. Honestly, Maggie, l don't be-
lieve Jane can look at the moon now
adays without wishing it was really
gold, and she had it to put out to in
terest!"
ooh, Flora" demonstrated Miss
Maggie family.
We'll, it's So" maintained Miss
Flora. so faint any wonder, of
course, that she's upset over this.
That's why Frank give in to her. |
think, and let her buy that Benson
stock. Besides, he's feeling especially
flush, because he's got the cash the
stores brought, too. So he told her
to go ahead"
I'm sorry about that stock"
frowned Miss Maggie.
ooh, it's perfectly safe. Mrs. Ben
son said t was,' comforted Miss
Flora. "You needn't worry about
that And t will pay splendid
when did this happen-the sale of
the store, I mean?" asked Mr.. Smith.
Mr.. Smith was not even pretending to
work now.
'Yesterday-the finish of it. I'm
waiting to see Hattie She'll be
tickled to death. She's always hated
it that Frank had a grocery store. you
know; and since the moneys come
and she's been going with the Gay
lords and the Pennocks, and all that
crowd, she's felt worse than ever.
She was saying to me only last week
how ashamed she was to think that
her friends might see her own broth
er-in-law any day wearing that horrid
white coat and selling molasses over
the counter My, but HATFIELD be
tickled all right-or Harriet | sup
pose / should say, but I never can
remember it"
But what is Frank going to-to do
with himself" demanded Miss Mag
gle. why, Flora, he'll be lost with
out that grocery store"
oh, he's going to travel, first. He
says he always wanted to and he's
got chance now. and he's going TO-
They're going to the Yellostone Park
and the Garden of the Gods and to
California. And that's another thing
that worries Jane-spending all that
money for them just to ride in the
cars"
rs she going, too?" queried Mr..
Smith.
ooh, yes, she's going. too. She says
she's got to go to keep Frank from
spending every cent he's got" laughed
Miss Flora. II was over there last
night, and they told me all about it"
when do they go?" ~:
Gust as soon as they can get ready.
Franks got to help Donovan, the man
that's bought the store. a week till
he gets the run of things, he says.
Then he's going. You wait till you
see him." Miss Flora got to her feet,
and smoothed out the folds of her
skirt. "He's as tickled as boy with
a new jack knife. And I'm "glad.
Frank has been terrible hard work
er all his life. I'm glad he's going to
take some comfort, same as I am"
When Miss. Flora had gone, Miss
Maggie turned to Mr. Smith with
eyes that still carried dazed unbelief.
Did Flora say that Frank Blaisdell
had sold his grocery stores"
"She certainly did! You seem sur
prised."
I'm more than surprised. I'm dunn
founded"
why? Don't you think, like Mrs.
Jane, that he ought to enjoy his
money, certainly"
"Oh, no. He's got money enough
TO retire, if he wants to, and he's GER
tainly worked had enough to earn
a rest"
Then, what is it,"
Miss Maggie laughed little.
I'm not sure l can explain. But, to
me, it's just this; while he's got
plenty to retire upon, he hasn't got
anything to retire to"
And what, pray, do you mean by
that"
why. Mr.. Smith, I've known that
man from the time he was trading
jacknives and marbles and selling
paper boxes for five pins. | remem-
Der the whipping he got, too, for
flching sugar and coffee and beans
from the pantry and opening a gro
Gerry store in our barn. From that day
TO this that boy has always been
trading something. He's been abso-
lutely uninterested in anything else,
, don't believe he's read book or
magazine since his school days
unless Il had something to do with
business or groceries. He hasn't a
T. L~k L.,