Middletown transcript., 1920-12-23
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THE HlvyER
y T. q. HARRiMaroM

az y r. q. HARRINGTON. e
Se990@e9@0@ x
@ isaa b Aeclsss Newspaper s,yadieats.l
When ron 90 to New York they
show ycu the WOODWORK building Of
the Brooklyn bridge, and when with
craned neck or bullying eyes you mere.
~ gasp and exciaim ssBy heck r. then
your Manhattan friend nonchalantly
turns away with the remark, .Not Z
bad little building"
Just 30 do the natives Of Woodfield
conduct their visiting friends to the
Stafford poultry farm. Strangers in
yariably admire the magnificent home
and grounds Of the millionaire owner,
and at sight Of the immense farm Just
black with poultry houses invariably
their eyes bulge, they gasp and de-
clare. Good night!" TITS certainly
some place" they say, ''but one thing
puzzles me. You say this Stafford d
q millionaireS'
"Yes, sir, Ted Stafford made his
pile all right" and Cy SMILES to him.
self as II enjoying some secret jnke.
swell. why under the sun doesn't
he buy real automobile3 These div
vers Of his are camoufaged with wire
wheels and made-to-ord bodies 20
they almost deceive you. but stilI
they're only fivvers when airs said
and DONE"
AHA Cy knew that was coming.
He licks his chops and begins. For Of
all the stories that Woodfield likes to
tell about her citizens that Is the "a
vorite.
twas eight years ago IN the month
Of June. Ted Stafford and his mother
lived together on their little farm do
Ing very prosperous egg business.
the npcleus Of the Stafford poultry
farm. When Ted graduated from Har.
ward two years previous he was en-
tfrely satisfied to settle down - .
farmer.
This June afternoon, however. Ted
was not farming. Just after dinner
he took a bath and donned his 'city"
clothes. When he walked into the
kitchen. straw hat in hand. his mother
appraised him with an expression Of
proud admiration.
Dear me. Ted" she joked, "it's no
wonder Ruth likes Woodfleld. Ger
tainly admire her taste"
Jaw. cut II out, ma. Say. ma. do
you like this tfe?"
OF course she did. And If ma did,
then Ruth surely would.
Just now he was setting out for the
station to meet the S:45. which was
bringing Ruth from the city.
It was about quarter-past three
when Ted aIighted from the depot
wagon. He hustled into the station
and shouted greeting to IRA Jones'
who performed the duties Of ticket
agent. baggage master and telegraph
operator. and whose Official title was
"station agefIt." Ira was the news
center Of Woodfeld. since he picked
up the doings Of the surrounding
towns from the agents along the line.
Outside Of this. the use Of the tele-
graph in Woodfield was negligible
"What's new, lry?" queried Ted.
"Well. they got q new barber down
IN Johnsonville. and there's q bur-
lesque show comm inter Eastway
Thursday night. Reckon Woodfield's
male population will be -ada de-
pleted Thursday p. q. Think you'll
60 DOWN.
mo, l guess not. Ira"
Here their dialogue was interrupted
by the clicking Of the telegraph re-
ceiver. Ted sauntered over to the gum
machine and surveyed himself as best
he could Ii the little circle Of mirror.
He bestowed q second or two on his
tie and began to caress his mustache.
At least Ted claimed It was q mus
tache: but were he not q six-footer
some Of his acqualntances might have
differed. However. It was still very
young and. like all young things. was
rather weak. with its best days before
It.
"Tedl" Something In Ira's voice
startled him, and he rushed to the
ticket window. CONSERVATION was
written on every line Of lra's face. y
assay. Ted. w-was there some
friend Of yours on the 8:45r"
"What's the matter1"
"It's gone over the banking at Fair
field junction. Some mix-up In Sig
hals-had 4 collision"
Ted felt the hot blood surge through
his arteries. my Godi Iry. do they
was anybody hurt1"
Ira spent the next few minutes fran.
tically clicking his instrument while
Ted waited tensely. a. pale AZ . stat
ue and as rigid.
"what they say. lra-what they
say7"
HE says they don't know for sure.
but they expect considerable injuries
on maybe some deaths" Ira was
truthful but not tactful.
Ted commenced to pace the aoof n
q frenzy Of anxiety. II be could only
do something-if he could only actl
But this suspense
Meanwhile the little instrument
was still clicking. This time Ira was
taking q message In pencil With the
cessation Of the clicking he called
out. "A wire from Boston for Theo-
dore Stafford"
Ted devoured the mesSage and when
he finished he was weak with 1oy. To