The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-05-23
DEAL AND IDEAL
BY RUDOLPH TRESSINGHAM..


L
process. Joseph Trull an ideal. The for
mer was popularity designated as
keen, practical business man, the lat
ter as visionary and dreamer. Ma
ture had formed both with strong in
dividual intellectually.
Clancy Wyeth was floor broker for
a big firm on the grain exchange. Its
offices were a rare glitter of gilt ana
plate glass. Joseph Trull had desk
and narrow office in an obsolete busl-
ness block, where he did translation
work for the foreign departments of
local banks.
Il have pretty idea in mind" he
told friend one day. "You know our
old family homestead, fifteen miles
from the city of Fendale, is mine. 1t
has not been occupied for two years.
They have built up some palatial
homes near to it, and have been wait
| ing, expecting to get good offer for
| II. Well, the house is old, but it can
be made habitable. There are fifteen
bearing cherry trees in the orchard.
I'm going to have crowd of these lit
tie ones out for week, soon as the
cherries are ripe"
Excellent! grandw commented his
| friend.
81 shall pick out fifteen of the most
| deserving children" continued Trull,
land apportion to each tree. 1t will
be their tree to dream over, to long
for, weeks before the visit. l will keep
| the fifteen for week, hire cook and
a nurse. One week end the mother of
each little one will come out and pick
one tree, and / will see that the cher
rles are delivered by wagon at the
| city home"
Just this plan Jasper Trull put into
| operation. The mothers who came out
with the little ones, were provided
with ladders and baskets, and went
home happy and content. There was
one little tot, the youngest of the
group, a girl not yet three years of
age. She and the others were allowed
to roam freely about the place.
81 cannot find little Dora" the
nurse informed Trull one afternoon
| near dusk, and he started off in search
of her. Nearing a high hedge that
separated the grounds from those of
fine mansion occupied by family
named Crosby, he caught the echo of
voices, and paused. He noticed a hole
in the hedge, and peering over its top
| his eye took in lovely picture.
Upon the grass was seated beauti-
full young woman, whom he doubted
not was Miss Eunice Colby. She had
little Dora in her lap, and had woven
garland Of flowers for her. The
| prattling tot was beaming with de-
| light.
"Please excuse me-" spoke Joseph,
Out the nurse is anxious about this
wandering little charge of hers, and 1
promised to find her"
"Oh, you are Mr.. Trull," spoke the
young lady, arising and kissing little
| Dora and then handing her through the
| hedge. 81 have heard so much of
| your noble work. VIII you not allow
this sweet little mite to come over
again tomorrow? The rest of the
family are away, and she is rare COM
pany."
Joseph promised. The nurse herself
| the next morning took Dora to the
hedge and consented that she should
remain all day in Miss Colbys charge,
| as the latter wished.
Now, by strange freak of fate,
| Clancy Wyeth visited the Colby home
| that day. He had only casual ac-
quaintance with Miss Colby, but he
had her in view as prospective heir
| ess and hoped to make an impression.
For his IDEAL" looked fine.
"The little brat ~ he fairly Kissed,
after devoting an hour to Miss Colby,
he found her devotedly engrossed in
entertaining her little visitor and act
ing rather bored ut his presence. He
went away dlsgruntled.
"She won't be so Indifferent, when
I make my pile on the DEAL" he NUT
tered.
'Please keep a little back from the
hedge, Miss Colby" Trull said one eve
ming. Little Dora is down with fe-
yer. The doctor says it is infectious,
and that we must quarantine the
house. Do not run any risk. l will
have the nurse keep you informed as
to how Dora gets along"
But there was no nurse the next day.
They had taken the alarm, as well as
the cook. Both had departed. Trull
had cooked the breakfast himself, and
was attending as best he might to the
three who had come down with the
fever when n knock at the door sent
him thlther. He opened it to confront
Miss Colby. She had a suitcase in
her hand and started TO come in.
"You must not" he told her. at
would be only to expose yourself to
the contagion."
'But l have come to stay" persist
ed the determined little lady. "Please
don't scold or deter me, Mr.. Trull," she
pleaded. 81 have sent for two nurses
In the village, and, If you will iso-
late and care for the well ones, we
will attend to the sick little charges"
One month after that, Clancy Wyeth,
the man of the deal, found that the
information he had paid for as to the
potato crop was fraud. The market
broke, his firm failed, and his dream
of opulence ended.
About that same time there was a
grand jubllation at the Trull home
stead, for Eunlce Colby and her aids
had brought the invallds safely
throu0h tbnIr or1noI