The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-05-27
THE GUIDING
SPIRIT
By VICTOR REDcLIFFE
icspyrirht. 1870. wsstero NewsDso.r 1SnIo

70 near TO the city that the street cars
ran out to It Adrian and Cora Mills
felt both proud and pleased when they
signed lease 'for the ioveliest little
house in the pIace!"
I'VE are the luckiest people In the
world" declared Adrian. Surely there
Is one landlord who Is not a high-rent
vampire. We were to be raised so
per cent on our city fiat If we stayed"
Double the space, with all the
glories Of country life at less than
our old rentl" added Cora.
The owner. rich widow. was not
Of the profiteering kind, and little
Daisy. four years old. acted SO pref
ttly and her parents were so grateful,
that Mrs. Deane felt It a pleasure to
help on their happiness.
They were to move to Grassmere
the following week. One evening
Adrian came home with news that
somewhat marred the radiant future.
Il was out measuring the rooms."
he observed. land l got talking with
the man living opposite. Did you no
tice the home just next to ours, Cora? 2"
you mean the cement two story
that met my fancyr
"Just that-our nearest neighbor.
His name is Jonas Price and he lives
all alone. My informant says he isn't
very pleasant kind of a man-rich,
grasping, a regular misanthrope The
former tenants left because they
couldn't stand him. He complained
of the noise their children made; he
poisoned their dog"
"Now don't go spelling our paradise
BY borrowing trouble" said Cora, al
ways optimistic. Maybe the old ten
ants were obtrusive. perhaps their chill
dren were insolent and mischievous-
not like our own dear little angel.
whom everybody must love. Maybe
too. the old man is ostracized because
Of ways his neighbors don't under.
stand. Why, Adrian. perhaps we are
about to have a special mission to
humanize this lonely man."
Little Daisy, wise and observant for
her years, listened attentively. In her
childish way she seemed to get the
idea that they were describing some
kind of an untamed ogre. The next
morning she astonished her parents
with remark that showed a deep i'm
preston on her mind.
81 said bless Mr.. Price in my pray.
ers," she announced. "Tm going
to. every night Isn't that right,
mamma?"
"why. surely" announced Mrs.
Mills. what made you think of that,
darlingr
Because. If he is lonely, with no
little child to love, feel sorry for him.
and I'm going to be good to him for
fear he'll steal my dollar or kill Ma
jor." la lf .
I'VE will see that Major doesn't an
noy him, DEAR" said her father.
They moved. Little Daisy had their
neIghbor on her mind, and when sour
faced Jonas Price was pointed out to
her she looked little awed, but said:
Mamma, he looks as If he was think
ing all the time. Maybe it's about his
two little dead children" sNail
The next day Mrs. Mills missed
Daisy. Seeking her, to her astonish-
ment she observed her neighbor lift
ing her over the hedge. n
II borrowed your little daughter to
show her some early flowers in my
hot beds" explained Mr.. Price.
MADAM, I hope you will allow her to
come over and see me once in a
while."- ts.
"Oh, surely" acceded the delighted
Cora. eI.a I'll. .f
"Oh, mamma" prattled Daisy later.
II told Mr.. Price how I put him in
my prayers every night And he
showed me the pictures of his two
little girls, and when kissed him and
said felt sorry for him. he just cried
out loud"
1t was a few evenings after that
Adrian was disturbed by the loud
barking of Major. He noticed lights
fitting about next door, dressed.
thought of burglars. armed himself.
and started to investigate just In time
to find a man rushing from the back
door of the Price home, a valise In his
hand. Then as Adrian heard the voice
of Price shouting for help he halted
the man at the point of his weapon.
backed him into the house and found
its owner tied to a chair, the vic
tim of bold robbery. Adrian held
the burglar until the police arrived.
and learned that but for his timely
assistance the marauder would have
escaped with valuable bonds and
money.
Jonas Price ceased to hate animals
after that. The true friendship of
the new neighbors caused him to
emerge from his she'll of surliness and
suspicion. Then came the climax in
the affairs Of the Mills family. Their
house caught fire one night and
only a part of their furniture was
saved. They were invited over to their
neighbor's house. for there was not a