Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-01-02
Starting Something
in Pellton
BY JANE OSBORN
Copyright. 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate,)

start something in FELTON," was the
way Lucy Brown, reporter, society
writer and second mate of the Pellton
| Sentinel, explained her call at the old
Pell homestead. "The idea is to send
copies of the hometown papers to the
boys at the front and there are some
hundreds of our town boys who will
be getting the Sentinel Now. you
know how it's been with the Senti-
mellow it's been with Pellton, In fact.
There's never anything doing, and the
boys over there don't want to read
just a rehash of the news from the
front that was stale to them a month
before. They want local news. They
want to know what's going on in
Pellton'
''But nothing is ever going on in
FELTON," said Mr. Francis Pell indul-
gently ITS a conservative little
place that stopped getting excited over
itself some fifty years ago. There's
never anything doing in Pellton."
"No, that's just it," said Lucy, the
color coming to her cheeks and the
brilliance to her eyes at the thought
that she was being understood.
"Nothing ever happens in this place--
but I'm going to make something hap
pen SOS to put pellton on the map
and make the boys want to get back to
real live, enthusiastic, human sort
of place / thought I'd begin by get
ting interviews with some Of the local
characters like you. | went up TO see
old Silas Smell yesterday. He's a hun.
dred and three-all the boys know
him-used to call him Crazy ST. Wen,
he's got some bullets and things from
the Civil war and some old clothes he
wore seventy-ive years ago. I'VE per-
suadcd him TO put them on exhibition
down at the bookstore, and | can
make story about that. Then there
Is Miss Hawkins that's always kept
the cent shop.-used to sell candy to
the boys that are over there now, and
she's promised to do something to
make story, and there's the pot
cheese man and the old sexton"
Mr.. Pell was hardly BATTERED at be-
ing put In a class with these local &C.
centres, and had Lucy Brown had as
much tact as she had enthusiasm she
might have made her appeal in an
other way But the fact was that Mr..
Francis pell, whose ancestors had
founded the old town, was quite as
much of a character in his way ~ was
either the toothless Silas Smell or the
little Spinster who had always Kept
the cent shop" Although scarce forty,
and although no one had ever deem
him counting out bags OF, money. lnor
had he ever been known to be crafty
or shrewd in money matters, he was
regarded as "the old miser." There
were fabulous accounts Of the extent
OF the Pell fortune, which had once
glittered large in the minds eye of
Pellton mammas, but had long since
ceased TO be regarded as in any way
available.
So Lucy paid her first call on Mr.
Pell and was very politely shown to
the door after she had made herself
quite clear, and she went away feel
ing as much confused aud disheart-
encd as she had some seven wears be-
fore. when She went out on her first
assignment for The big city paper. For
Lucy was not native Pelltonite. If
she had been She would have known
better than to try to make news out
of anything that Francis Pell might be
doing. But she knew he was one OF
the most gossiped about personalities
in town. Failing To find anything
more fertile for discussion about him,
the women discussed the size Of his
grocer billS-though they were per-
fectly normal--or kept close track of
his harmless old nanny housekeeper
or the new coat of paint on his house
or the condition of his apple orchard.
But these things wouldn't make news
items for the Sentinel.
Lucy was rebuffed the first time. po-
litely but effectively, and went away
perhaps more upset over o certain
gracious courtesy that Mr.. Pell had
shown toward her than because of the
actual rebuff.
But Lucy had not been reporter
for seven years FOR nothing, and once
her checks had stopped tingling from
that first call she decided to make an
other. She would get some sort OF
story out Of hhn--that she determined.
Il was on her third call that Mr.. pell
showed signs OF weakening.
'lou say YOU want me TO do some
thing 10 make q story about he began
cautiously, looking amusedly into
Lucy's eager face and studying the
nervous twItching Of her sim girlish
HIPS "What sort of thing would you
Suggest-nut of course, that | intend
to do IT,"
Lucy chose 10 take him entirely serl-
uusly. Make some Gift to the town"
She announced Every one thinks you
have loads OF money, out"
Il know" smiled Nj Pell. "they cali
me the old miser Ithas always amused
me But | choose 10 keep my hene-
factions to myself I win tell you con-
tidenuglly that | have just sent
rather important contribution 20 un
astronomical observatory m Labrador
that my father endowed, and The hos
"a sHN