The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-01-03


Maxwell stood with folded arms
watching his house burn to the ground.
m the grove Of Chestnuts negro sery-
ants ran to and fro, dragging the pre-
GOus family heirlOOms away from the
histering heat Of the fire.
Mahogany and glass and china and
silver. pictures and carpets, formed u
miscellaneous pile representing all the
home that was left to the last of the
NaXwells.
The long drought and its consequent
lack Of water told the story to the
AeighbOrs gathered about the young
master who looked with %brOOdlng eyes
On the scene Of devastation. The
nearest neighbor had gallOped five
miles when the first glare Of light at
midnight had declared the alarm Of
Ere.
He stood at Maxwclrs elbow, pant
ing with the eXertion of his long ride,
a strange look of triumph on his fat
face.
I'm sorry for you, old man." he
Rid with an air of heartlness. you've
certainly had the devils own luck!
First, the failure of your cotton-then
Blue Jeans dropping dead on the track
when he was marked for a winner and
lastly
Maxwell waved an impatient hand.
"Spare me a recitation Of my atfliC-
Sons, Seymour" he said dryly. There
ISN'T one item l have overlooked, l as
sure youl Not even the fact that the
Insurance will exactly pay off the
mortgage!
SeymOur's face settled into heavy
hnes of ill-concealed satisfaction. "Oh,
/ say, | wasn't thinking Of that, you
know. Maxwell, although | must say
] a find a use for the five thousand
dollars / loaned your uncle. It's been
Ned up In that mortgage for fifteen
years and l don't see any more show
Of It's being paid off now than before
he died-though you've tried hard 10
10 It, I'll admit! Eyerything's against
you, Maxwell. Better clear out and
start anew
John Maxwell did not reply. He was
staring straight into the heart Of the
FIRE with troubled dark eyes. The
Suter framework Of the house HAD
stumbled in with the walls and lay Il
Palpitating center of white heat.
Above It arose the six dark towering
stone chimneys-unharmed by the
flames.
In the heart of the fire John saw q
tsir face crowned with golden hair,
and the blue eyes that looked so sadly
Into his pronounced him a failure. He
EOancd as he turned again to his
%sompanion.
You're right, Seymour-Tn clear
out and start over again somewhere
else. There isn't much chance for a
Rortherner in the South anyway" His
Ges drifted back to the fire now dying
down into Sm0ldcring ombers.
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