The Meeker herald., 1919-01-04
SHARP PRACTICE.
BY svsLvM Lee.

tcopysssht. 1913. Western Newspaper union''
A classical victim Of the keen wiles
Of Abner Wise, money loaner and real
estate shark. had once enunciated tho
sentiment.
ale is q reincarnation of Nero. an
astral survivor of Attilla, with dash
Of Caligula and a portion Of Zamba
priest Of Thanet in his blood"
Money had been the god Of the
GRITTY knave all his life and he had
become the richest man In Brighton.
When the railroad came through tie
town 1t was found that. getting an adj
vance tip. he had bought up most Of
the ground In the vicinity Of the new
depot. As the town began to grow he
got high prices for tho lots. Then
the ambition grew to purchase the
main business square.
Wise schemed and bribed and
cajoled until he had secured every
piece Of property In the block except
two. One was one-story old frame
building occupied BY 4 widow named
Mrs. Roberts and her daughter. Mabel.
He offered ridiculously low price
for the property. Mrs. Roberts re-
fused to consider It. Then Abner Wise
set to work with all his inherent craft
to destroy the widows business.
Tho other piece Of property that
Wise craved was . square area Of
two hundred feet. directly in the cen.
ter of the block and completely shut
In. with no alley or passage way lead
Ing to Il This had been purchased
BY a Mr.. Vance, once q resident Of the
town, when It was supposed that the
tract would face the street.
Wise wished to secure 1t to bolld q
rear addition to growing department
store. He had written to the Vance
family to learn that Mr.. Vance had
died, directing no partition Of any Of
bis property until his youngest son.
Alison. was Of age. For that culmina-
ton the wary. willy old money grabber
was patiently waiting.
He was not aware Of II. but one day.
having Just attained his majority. Ali.
son Vance arrived at Brighton to look
after the piece Of property in question.
He put up at hotel and essayed to
get q glimpse Of the lot with NO ac-
cess to the street. Finally, glancins
through the little stationery store he
had view Of the open space behind
It he entered the place.
A sweet.faced young gin stood be.
hind the store counter and he could
not help but note her beauty and
grace. Alison purchased q pencil and
magazine.
.Would you mind allowing me to 90
through the house to the fearr he
asked. Il am the owner Of the prop
erty Just abutting the store and would
like to look at IL"
swhy. certainly" replied Mabel Rob
erts. Mamma" and she called to her
mother who came from q rear living
room repeating the request Of their
visitor.
why. you must belong to the
Vancesf' spoke Mrs. Roberta
II am Allison Vance,"
"And I knew your father when he
lived here" declared Mrs.. Roberts ami
matedly and Allison was made to feel
that he was among friends. For near.
" an hour he fingered. listening to
the Widows story Of her little realty
holding. and 70 near to Mabel that the
Impression Of her modest, cheerful ma.
ture attracted him increasingly.
That afternoon q guest At the hotel
became engaged in conversation with
Alison. The latter CHANGED to mem
lion that property interests had
brought him to Brighton.
"Quite coincidence" remarked the
other. II am agent for an amusement
syndicate who are starting . chain Of
play houses. We intend to build q
theater here and Of course It kas to
BE- In the principal business square.
All the lots In the main square are
narrow and the only big one that will
do 10 owned BY an old schemer named
Wise. He knows I've got to take It
and he Is squeezing me for about eight
times Its value"
7 have heard Of the gentleman In
question" said Allison. sIs a largo
frontage an absolute essential In your
plansf'
mot at all. 10 enough land at the
fsar can be secured to build an eighty.
foot auditorium"
"Why. perhaps can offer something
OF Interest to you." proceeded Alison.
Il have quite big tract OF from the
street. and think can arrange for
twenty-hve-foot shallow front lot in
'front.'"
"You can't" exclaimed the syndicate
man. sWhy. that would be just the
thing. It would provide q pretty en-
trance. and the further the auditorium
u from the street the better always,
on account Of the noise Of trafic.~
At once Alison revisited Mrs. Rob.