The Sauk Centre herald., 1919-05-29
'OnlyOhJunk'
Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.)
3, oTTILIA 2. NFER


worthless, a vagrant-I don't be-
lieve in encouraging such characters
in idleness. They are only old junk.
Thus Mr.. Earl Hurst, lecturer, high
brow refOrmer and self-assertive au'
thOrity on community economy. Io
him anyone outside of the well-to-do
were anarchists in the making. His
scheme of life for the lowly embraced
sort of monarchial authority.
"But Smiling Simon is not vagrant
Mr.. Hurst" demurred pretty, warm
hearted Ina Bortell. "Nor is he idle
Everybody likes him, he is absolutely
sober and reliable and I have started
him in business and am glad of it."
"Hem! Ha! Just so. Well, hope
you do not rue the experiment.
Ina Bortell was the sweetest, most
lovable girl in the village and Simon
Price, "Smiling SimOn," stroller and
ne'er-dO-well, had been taken i'll with
fever, had been cared for in the hos
pital ward of the local Jail and had
been discharged unkempt, pale and
thin, to shift for himself. He had
started from the village but grew
faint, and had crept through the hedge
of the Bortell garden to rest on the
grass when Ina discovered him.
81 had to rest," he spoke with diff
Guilty. "Tll get on as soon as I pull
myself together. Just out Of the hos
pital, but I'll be all right in day OF
so," and he smiled up into the face OF
his interested hostess, ingenious and
confdingly as schoolboy. That sunny
smile was his sole capital and some
how it went to the heart Of the little
lady.
There's q hammock over near the
lilac bushes" she told him. Let Ae
help you that far"
"Oh! Miss"
Indeed you must, and you look as
if you needed food"
She guided the faltering steps e
the hammock and settied soft pil10a
under Smiling eimon's head. The
glass of ice cold cream she brought
was as nectar to SimOn's parched lips
It was followed by chicken broth. 1ns
listened sympathizingly to the simple
story of his life until the tired eyelids
closed, and with the accustomed smile
upon his face he was immersed II
blissful rest.
Thus it was that Simon Price fount
an oasis in life. There was an aban
doned barn on the Borte1l lot and il
it's loft he utilized an old cot. There
was no objection to his domesticatini
himself and as he grew stronger man!
and helpful were the functions he per
formed about the place.
There was the poor wreck of a wag
on in the barn which Simon mendet
up. Somewhere he arranged for tn
rent of a horse. He became the junl
man of the district, gathering up rags
iron, glass, rubber and the like, stor
ing 1t in his warehouse" until ther
was a carload, when he shipped tn
aggregation to the city.
There was a shy, retiring youn
man in the village named Dale War
rem, and to him Simon became like
wise attached. The shrewd diScernin
eyes of the humble junk gatherer ha
noted the budding of mutual love be
tween Ina and Warren. 1t was enOug
for Simon to know that the goddess o
his soul favored the young man, t
look upon Warren as worthy frienc
He decided that Warren, with all hi
retiring ways, must be good and brav
to win the attention of Ina, and on
night Warren indeed showed that ii
herent within him was true manlines
and courage.
Simon had hastened down town a
tracted by a great glare. The tow
hotel was on fire, and just as Simo
reached the scene he saw Warre
scale high ladder reaching to the to
window of the structure. He disal
peared through a window space
emerge amid clouds of binding smok
bearing little child in his arms.
fireman ran up the ladder and receive
the child in his arms and bore it
the ground. Then great cry went u
from the crowd at the sight of Wa
rem, overcome by smoke and fam
lying senseless across the window 81
aloft.
Simon sprang up the ladder, at or
place, breasting fierce flames pourin
from a window. Just as he reache
Warren the ladder bent, swaye
snapped in twain and, pushing Ware
into the room, he disappeared aftt
him.
Ten minutes later, miraculously e
Gaping through the fire-filled halls (
the building, Simon staggered I'M
view bearing across his shoulders tt
limp form Of the insensible Warre
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