Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-12-11

4 a
our own home. You must look up
responsible dealer whose advice W
can trust in a matter of this kind"
And was it remarkable that Iren
Hardy should think at once of the firm
of Coward & Eden? 1t was not. Sh
had, indeed, been thinking of mem
Der of that firm ever since the decision
to move to the West. The fact |!
Irene had not been at all sure that sh'
| wanted to marry Dave Eden. Shit
wanted very much to meet him again
she was curious to know how the years
had Jared with him, and her curiosity
was not unmixed with a finer senti
ment but she was not at all sure thai
she should marry him.
"What, Dave Eden, the million
aire?' Bert Morrison had said. every
body knows him." And then the news
paper woman had gone on to tell what
figure Dave was in the business life
of the city. zone of our biggest young
men," Bert Morrison had said. IRE
served, little; likes his own company
pest, Out aDSOlutely Wnlte.
That gave a new turn to The situa-
ton. Irene had always wanted Dave
to be a success; suddenly she doubted
whether she had wanted him to be so
er she should wish to marry Dave; ;
she had never allowed herself to doubt
that Dave would wish to marry her.
Secretly, she had expected to rather
dazzle him with her ten years devel-
opment-with the culture and knowl-
edge which study and travel and life
had added to the charm of her young
girlhood; and suddenly she realized
that her luster would shine but dimly
in the greater glory of his own. l..
1t was easy to locate the office of
Coward & Eden; it stood on a prin-
cipal corner of a principal street
Thence she led her mother, and found
herself treading on the marble floors
of the richly appointed waiting room
in a secret excitement which she could
with difficulty conceal. She was, in.
deed, very uncertain about the next
development. Her mother had
to be reckoned with.
A young man asked courteously |
what could be done for them.
eve want to see the head of the
firm," said Mrs. Hardy. 1--WE want to
: L. house."
They were shown into Conward's
Office. Coward gave them the wei
come Of a man who expects to make
money out of his visitors. He placed
a very comfortable chair for Mrs
Hardy; he adjusted the blinds to
nicely; he discarded his cigarette and
beamed upon them with as great q
show of cordiality as his somewhat
Oeefy appearance would permit. Mrs
Hardy outlined her life history with
detail and ended with the
confession that the West was not as
)ad as she had feared and, anyway, il
vas a case of living here or dying else
where so she would have to make the
,est of it. And here they were. And
night they see a house?
Coward appeared to be rejecting
is a matter of fact, he saw in this in
experienced buyer an opportunity ia
educe his holdings in anticipation OF
he impending crash. His difficulty
vas that he had no key to the finan
ial resources of his visitors. The
My thing was to throw out a feeler
'You are wanting a nice home,
axe it, that can be bought at a favor.
BILE price for cash. You would con.
Ider an investment of, say"
He paused, and Mrs. Hardy supplied
he information for which he was
aiting. about twenty-five thousand
ollars," she said.
eve can hardly invest that much
enc interrupted, in a whisper. awe
ust have something to live on"
people here live on the profits OF
leir investments, do they not, Mr.
Mrs. Hardy inquired.
"Oh, certainly" Coward agreed
I'd he plunged into a mass of Incl
,nts to show how profitable invest.
ents had been to other clients of the
m. Then his mood of elaboration
We way to one of briskness; he sum.
Dned a car and in few minutes his
ents were looking over the property
lich he had recommended. Mrs,
lrdy was an amateurish buyer, her
1dency being alternately to excess
caution on one side ana reckless
SIS on the other. Conward's manner
sased her; the house he showed
,ased her and she was eager to have
over with. But he was too shrewd
appear to encourage a hasty deci'
IN. He did not seize Upon Mrs
rdy's remark that the house seemed
'fectly satisfactory; on the con.
ry, he insisted on showing other
Uses, which he quoted at such i'm.
'sible figures that presently the old
y was in feverish haste to make
eposit lest some other buyer should
estall her.
ITO RE cONTINITEDA