The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-10-13
SsJEROME''
SJEROME''
BY E.
Condensation
of tn Condo Novels


for the mill.
In those days he worked like a tiger,
for he was in love. That meant he
had become a conqueror of all foes in
his path, and achiever of the impossi-
BILE.
Lucinda Merritt had come home
from school, and he had seen her in
church. Lucinda Merritt was a 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
Lucinda, on blooded horse his father
owned.
Jerome worked harder. Occasions
multiplied during which he and Lucin-
da met. At first she wondered at him
obviously with dilating blue eyes, then
she began to blush softly
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 to
be an unhappy one. Lawrence was
threatened with disinheritance, and
Elmira dismissed him. Then she fell
i'll, and that night was in a high fever.
Lawrence came and she did not know
him. Lawrence went home and had a
scene with his father.
AS under the circumstance Prescott
could not be employed, a doctor from
Westbrook was sent for. Elmira was
i'll several weeks. Lawrence and his
mother were assiduous in care and at
tention.
Her illness cost so much that Jerome
! mad not been able to make good the
deficit caused by loan to Ozias Lamb,
to prevent a foreclosure of a mortgage
on his little home. The loan has post
poned his mill. Sometimes Jerome re-
t1ected with bitter amusement upon the
! bet made in the village store a few
years ago. Egged on by some village
wags, Doctor Prescott and Simon Bias
set had signed before Lawyer Means a
document whereby they promised to
pay for the benefit of the poor, ten
thousand apiece, if Jerome Edwards
should ever have twenty-five thousand
and give it all away.
Jerome thought it the safest bust
ness deal in all creation. Meanwhile
he worked so hard he seldom saw Lu-
Gina. He had not the time to call upon
her He was sure than they under
stood each other although no formal
engagement had been made. He was
sure than Lucinda understood that he
could not call because he was working
50 hard for her sake. But Lucinda
did not understand. She grew thin and
/ rale. and her parents fearing decline,
sent her West for a change.
! But he was not sure when she re-
turned from the West looking bloom
ing and and sent him little note, in
( forming him Cuontlv
they be friends but nothing more.
! Even then Jerome did not believe.
His faith in the girl was almost sub
! lime. However, he made no attempt
/ to see her, and did not answer the let
! ter. He worked harder and harder.
The mill was built. and work began.
: Jerome set himself certain sum to
! be earned before he went to see Lu
Gina.
One day the village was startled by
: the news that Colonel Jack Lamson
had come into a fortune of siXty-five
! thousand dollars from some old min
ing stock, and had gone to Boston
with Lawyer Means upon business con-
nectcd with it.
Shortly after that the village had
another shock. Abel Edwards came
home. He had been all the time on a
d. Ill Ill y liIlltS away dllu ldu blouSllt
home all his earnings in a tin box.
But nobody in the village knew that
the box had been robbed in a country
night, and Jerome. had replaced the
stolen gold with some from a secret
hoard of his own.
Jerome was prosperous, when one
! night there came a rain that was al
| most a cloud burst, the brook ran in
food. and the next morning the mill
was carried away.
Jerome for the first time gave up
home, when Colonel Lamson suddenly
Cied, and left twenty-five thousand dol
lars to him, twenty thousand to Lu
Gina. five thousand to Eben Merritt, ten
thousand to John Jennings, five thou
sand to Lawyer Means.
People at once remembered the old
bet in the store. Would Jerome give
away the money. He soon set doubts
at rest. He gave the money to tho
poor of the village, and factory was
to be set up, using the money as
capital stock.
The bet was not binding legally
Prescott knew, but did not fail to abide
by his word Simon Basset hung him
self before he knew he need not pay
a dollar unless he chose.
Squire Merritt's wife took a hand
She offered Jerome the five Thousand
dollars which her husband had inherit
ed, to build new mill, but Jerome re
, fused, although he knew that 1t meant
giving up Lucina.
Mrs. Merritt said that she inferred
, that he did not wish to marry Lucina
: Jerome burst out with mad VOWS O.
: his love for Lucina.
! Mrs Merritt returned that he loved
lis pride more. Finally Jerome yield
ed They were standing outside unde
a tree talking, and in the parlor were