The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-04-05
HONEY SWEET

BY Macy JORDAN GARTH.
downright. 1918, Western Newspaper Union.J

snaps of the great ledger. He was
through with business-all through.
After ten years of striving, speculating
manipulating, leading the feverish, un.
certain life of the average broker, he
had arrived at a point where every
dollar he had In the world must go to
meet his honest obligations, or he must
stand forth in the world q dlshonored
bankrupt.
lowing nothing, owning nothing" he
mused, with a half whimsical smile.
81 wonder what will open volume two
of my life. Come In"
A rare good friend, Tom Daley, had
tapped at the half glass door, peered
in and came in, throwing himself into
a chair and strangely viewing the
trusted and beloved chum of a full
decade.
ITS true?" he asked, dismally.
you've sold your membership"
Daere nodded. gravely but serenely.
There was a certain joyous satisfac-
ton in feeling a load of debt lifted
from his shoulders.
"You don't want a position-back-
ing, maybe a loan?" persisted 'gener-
~ous-hearted Tom.
Not a bit of 1t. The game hasn't
been worth the candle. 1 have no
thought of renewing it. Good old fel-
low you were one of the true ones"
"What's your plan?'
81 have Lone.
Tom m~editated, modify surveying
his friend with real pity. He did not
like the sheer resignation of his mood.
II seemed a~mbitionless.
"oh. by the wayl" he spurred UP
abruptly. 'Tve a draft for you. It's
only one hundred and seventy-five dol
lars. but it may be the f%orerunner of
a regular income"
Daere glanced ove the document.
II was dated at Hopeton. 1t was
signed Abner Wade.
Must be a mistake" he submitted.
81 know no Abner Wade"
"You've forgotten, that's ALL" OBJ
served Tom. "One of your many Kind
deeds. Remember my coming to you
four years ago telling of an honest,
worthy old fellow named Wade, at
Hopeton, who had a little place and
wanted a thousand dollars to expert
ment in bee cultureT"
"Why, yes" dimly acceded Daere.
'There was a broken-down old man
who had been a professor of ento-
mology in a college and his daughter,
Muriel. l vouched for repayment and
YOU never even asked for details. Well,
this morning l got their first check.
1t seems that every dollar you loaped
those worthy people, and every dollar
they have made has gone into a heat
ing plant to provide for the bees in
winter and a lot of other new-fangled
contraptions, invented for bees spe-
cially by the old professor. They have
lived, got out of debt, the place is
clear, prospects dazzling, and you can
imagine the delight of those square,
deserving people to be able to begin
paying dividends"
"Why, there couldn't be more than
the usual 6 per cent interest" began
Daere.
1.-THE professor insists differently. He
has placed the title to the whole busi-
ness in your name and has settled on
an equal division of the profits. You
can't bulge him OF that, so, in the
midst of this abominable poverty you
seem to take a joy in adopting, you
are not only a landed proprietor, but a
partner in a most promising business
81 declare !" muttered Daere, really
interested, you give me something to
think about"
He thought so much about 1t that
morning saw him headed for Hope
ton. 1t was a pleasant diversion to
weave a fancy picture of rural fe-
licity, to feel as though he had an
anchor settled somewhere. He made
an inquiry at the general store at
Hopeton as to Wade's bee farm.
That's it," explained the man In
charge, and pointed to a written adj
vertisement tackled onto a bulletin
board: "Wanted-Man for light work."
and there followed the route to the
bee farm in question.
If Van Daere had found a grabbed,
self-absorbed old fossil and a captious,
suspicious old maid daughter at the
bee farm he might not have stayed.
Instead, he came across the most de-
lightfully intelligent old fellow he had
met in a year. AS to the young lady,
as to Muriel-she was beautiful and
attractive as her own sweet, modest
name.
So Daere "hired out" Within a
week he was as deep In the science of
bee culture as the old professor. The
business possibilities of the venture
appealed to the true commercial sense
In his nature. AS Muriel daintily
taught him how to handle the little
gatherers he >evinced a fas-
cinatlon beside which money ~grubbing
In the city was dull. sSrdid work.
They were seated. those two, on a