The Washington herald., 1919-10-11

Of all foes in his path. and achiever
Of the impossible.
Lucina Merritt had come home
from school, and he had seen her
in church. Lucina Merritt was q
very great beauty. and her father
contrived to deck her out like one.
He bought a little white horse for
her. Then Lawrence Prescott came
home, and was often seen cantering
about with Lucina, on blooded
horse his father owned.
jerome worked harder. Occasions
multiplied during which he and
Lucina met. At flrst she wondered
at him obviously with dilating blue
eyes. then she began to blush soft
H.
Jerome's looks at her could have
but one meaning.
In the meantime, Elmira Edwards
had her own little romance with
Lawrence Prescott, but it promised
&c be an unhappy one. Lawrence
was threatened with disinheritance,
and Elmira dismissed him. Then
she fell i'll. and that night was in
. high fever. Lawrence came and
she did not know him. Lawrence
went home and had q scene with hts
father.
As under the circumstances Prescott
could not be employed. q doctor from
Westbrook was sent for. Emira was
i'll several weeks. Lawrence. and his
mother were assiduous in care and at
tention.
Her illness cost so much that Jerome
had not been able to make good the
deficit caused by a loan to Ozias
Lamb, to prevent a foreclosure OF
mortgage on his little home. The loan
had postponed his mill. Sometimes
Jerome reflected with bitter amuse-
melt upon the bet made in the village
store a few years ago. Egged on by
some village wags. Doctor Prescott
and Simon Basset had signed before
Lawyer Means a document whereby
they promised to pay for the benefit
of the poor. 10000 apiece, IL Jerome Ed
wards should ever have $25, 1000 and
give it all away.
Jerome thought II the safest busi-
ness deal in all creation. Meanwhile
he worked so hard he seldom saw
Lucina- He had not the time to call
upon her. He was cure that they un-
derstood each other although no for
NAL engagement had been made. He
vas sure that Lucina understood that
he could not call because he was
working so hard for her sake. But
Lucina did not understand. She grew
thin ard pale. and her parents fear
ing q decline. sert her West for a
change.
But he was not sure when she re-
turned from the West looking bloom
ing ard sent him a little note. inform
ing him sweetly but firmly they would
be friends but nothing more.
Eva- than Yor0vna rot hA1fs-s
His faith in the girl was almost sub
lime. However. he made no attempt
to see her. and did not answer the
letter. He worked harder and harder.
The mill was built, and work began.
Jerome set himself a certain sum to
be earned before he went to see Lu-
ctEa.
One day the village was startled by
the news that Col Jack Lamson had
como into a fortune of s65.o 900 from
some old mining stock, and had gone
to Boston with Lawyer Means upon
business connected with II.
Shortly after that the village had
another shock. Abel Edwards came
home. He had been all the time on
q farm fifty miles away and had
brought home all of his earnings In a
tir OK.
But nobdy In the village knew that
the tox had been robbed in a coun-
try tavern where Abel had stayed
ever night. and Jerome had replaced
the stolen gold with some from .
secret hoard Of his own.
Jerome was prospering, when one
night there came a rain that was
almost a cloudburst, the brook ran
in flood, and the next morning the
mill was carried away.
Jerome for the first time gave up
hope, when Col. LAmson suddenly
died, and left $4,000 to him. 10000
to Lucina, $4,000. to Eben Merritt,
$4,000 to John Jennings and $4,000
to Lawyer Means.
People at once remembered the old
bet in the store. Would Jerome give
away the money? He soon set all