Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1920-03-25
THE
PROFITEER
By EVELYN LEE

Marvin Leslie made the mistake Of
his life when he married shallow,
fitting butterfly Of fashion, Miss
Ethel Blake. sojourning near Acton,
for month. Leslie had been brought
up In the town and had been left a
few thousand dollars by y relative.
he witching ways Of the attractive|
young lady fascinated him, and her
city social status and his possibility Of
increasing his little capital BY going
into business seemed mutually q favor.
able c0nbination.
Acton was q small town and It's in-l
habitaHts generally poor and humble,
FIR the mAst part the male populationL
being employed In a bFickyard near
SILVER Lake, q few miles Distant
| W lich was quite favorite summerl
resort In the season. II was there that
| Leslie had FIRST met Miss Blake. and
Il thereafter he took up his quarters al
the hotel. He was missed In Acton
bv at least. one person, Miss LUCY
E'ston. For two years Leslie had been
| h"r constant attendant, and. although
MI engagement existed, It was pretty
II believed that their companion
ship would eventuate In marriage.
When the news came that he had
married Miss Blake and had taken up
new home In the city Lucy Elston
| said not word. Perhaps she carried
herself trifle more primly than was
her wont, but If she suffered secretly
she never showed 1t. Her neighbors
considered the action of Leslie base
desertion and he left few friends be-
hind him in Acton. II
| From time to time his old acquaint-
ances heard of him. 1t was rumored
that he had "made good" in business
way. As to his wife, she turned out
to be capricious invalid and died at
the end Of two years, indifferently
happy in her married life. Two years
later Leslie turned up at Acton, a
little older looking but dignified, pros
porous appearing, and the first an
nouncement he made to the village
banker was::
'Well, I have retired from business
and have come back to stay. notice
that the Elston house Is closed"
eyes, since September. Lucy and
her mother are at Paxton with the
married daughter"
Temporarily? I
! 81 am told so-some Illness of the
daughter and sister, learn. 1t Is
reported that they are coming back
after the holidays"
"And notice that the Devon place
where the brickyard owner used to
live is vacant"
"And for sale; yes"
"I'll buy It," said Leslie briefly. It's
the best house in town, and I can af-
ford that"
Acton warmed up to Leslie after q
few weeks He was more genial than
Of yore; he contributed literally to
local charities.
81 never saw such provider." the
cook Of the establishment told neigh
Dor. "Mr. Leslie has just stored his
cellar with all kinds Of supplies"
perhaps he intends starting a ho-
tel?" was suggested.
''It isn't likely. He says It'll be
worse than the war for year after it."
1t was In December that Acton be-
gan to feel the nOnproduction, scarce
food phase of existence. A great snow
storm crippled the railroad branch
line, and the. town fuel supply ran
so short that most families depended
on wood. All the material supplies
Of -four, sugar, coffee, tea and the like
grew meager at the general store, and
actual deprivation and suffering re-
suited. At the time Of deepest stress
Mr.. Leslie was reported confined to
the house with severe cold.
Its all an excused" grumbled
man who. had not tasted sugar for a
fortnight.
| ''Yes. to get out Of dividing his
hoardy' growled another. to whom
butter was luxury nearly forgotten.
4 Hes pr0fteer, that's what he is I"
declared third. "See here, can't
something be done?" ia.
Something was done. With the re-
turn to Acton of Mrs. Elston and her
daughter the local Ladies' Aid society
welcomed home its most active work
ers Leslie, able to sit up, chuckled
and smiled as a committee Of four
from that body was announced by the
housekeeper.
HIS eye took in Lucy Elston with a
longing glow as he entered the parl0r
where the four ladies awaited him.
Self-possessed as ever, she greeted
him pleasantly, naturally betraying no
memory of the past.
A Mrs. Deane proceeded to tell Of
the suffering among the poor and the
famine among those more favOrably
circumstanced.
"Come with me, ladies'" invited Les
lie.
He took them to cellar and garnet,
He indicated fuel and food supplies
the magnitude Of which amazed them.
''Tt seems as though my business
sense impelled me right In directing
a n%ooIrino ,rn ho coid pauiaIIv