Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-10
DAILY NOVELETTE,
CONVERSION
BY Lillian p. Leonard

~ imperous cry rang out on the hot.
sultry air. A man, bending over, fill
ing in the soil over seeds planted in
little hills, slowly and in jcrky fash
ion like springed mechanism, rose to
straight posture.
"Y.e-s!" he tried to call back. but
his voice broke on the high note into
cackle.
Sticking his hoe handle into the
ground he began TO hobble along be
tween the newly planted rows. Giving
glance up to the sun, he muttered
''Taint noon; wonder what Manda
wants. The sun was broliDg hot and
the field was long. and he made his way
slowly.
"Samu-e-," broke off as Samuel
came within sight of the woman stand
ing in the doorway.
"Wcll. father. you do look tuckered
out. Come in where it is cool and ]
will get YOU lemonade right away"
What do you want. Manda?' Sam
npl spoke querulously. and sank into
the chair Manda placed for him. IT
rnnt afford to run to the house right in
the middle of my planting. and 'tisn't
noon yet. The rest Of that row left un-
covered won't have a seed in it when ]
get back. Gosh hang those blackbirds
anyway
'Now YOU just sit here and rest your
self Samuel, while get the lemonade
40 wonder you are about gone. up
since 4 -
NTnnda : voice was grooming not much
like the shrill blast she had let out
when she called "Samuel.''
Samuel relaxed into the chair. and
mOodily and silently mathematical the
back to the land proposition.
1t had been Manda's doing five years
before These two middle aged tOw1f
people had kept modest notion store.
which nettcd them Il very comfortable
living But Manda had been born in the
hills and there came a time when
great nostalgia possessed her, then this
farm had almost dropped from the skies
into their hands at specially attractive
price. Selling their store, they had
clnched the bargain. But time had
racked and wrcnched their soft. unused
muscles until the beauty Of the place
had been lost in the hard work npCcs-
sary to carry on the producing. Help
was n priceless unknown commodity
impossible to find.
Wanda oor,o s,,ilir, fran, tbo kit,.hen
with tall. thin pitcher of amber liquid.
- 'I':,, ~. anins. nloss IN nno hand and
y. .to ethnr o. onon .hoot Of none,
!" ..Woi wv fa,han I.ro nood nArs for
i ' ;,,s+ +o1,a ro,r tir,o IN
YOU ""V ~" '',. -, tho hioo,.
o tot m +I,is t;,ao y,
O'ruS nave ','"' ""
Samuel SHuinted over 'he rim "i 'he
glass which, wlth deep appreciation ne
was slowly rmptylns: "ood news Is
it possible!
''Ges. You remember All ~f1"'ker' :
His father owned the tarm next TO
where ! was oorn Nell' All mas
written us and made proposition
which ] think would be wise Tor us 10
accept. and to accept oetore theS nave
a chance to change their MINDS. tie
has been recently married ana ms i;!'h
er's farm goes I" the younger orotntr'
so he wondered no" we were se''.is
along WIN our parsa'h' INV" 'As '.t
scarcity OIL helP ne WiSn'u !" S'o'i,,s
a pan 10 W. N.i,n '. w
or ieaV'' iie "''''.' '' " ~, eo,.Ian
10" at MS =" nI ta,,o oro, tbo
nn'' U. I"' Ja, ,n s',norri,;o, Of
."',' aIo"v WV =, no agread on
+ ..I otor ;f the nlsn works ONT all
,.;c,,t ha nro,osos to h,,y the farm we
rntoining his bonsr and whatever land
ve Jnsirod Or if we wished to re-
move to town. he would buy the whole
place outright. His wife also wishes to
help me certain days of the week
Samuel. it = a godsend to us just think
then we could take few minutes
to live"
4 slow smile had spread over Sam
upl'S face, he lifted his eyes to the
lovely vista seen through the wide wip
dow. The deep blue sky. with clouds
like ocean foam. tossed across it. the
birrhes bending and flashing their sill
, yer leaves against the Dlue' then he
, gave deep sigh:
Yes, Manda. 1t surely is a godsend
town. Never, This is the most beauti =