The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-06-24
THE
PROFITEER
By EVELYN LEE

MS iiIe wnen ne married q 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 n
rev thousand dollars by a relative.
The 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 mutuallya favor
able combination.
Acton was q small town and its In,
habitants generally poor and humble.
for the most part the male population
being employed in a brickyard near
Silver Lake. q few miles distant,
which was quite q favorite summer
resort In the season. 1t was there that
Leslie had first met Miss Blake, and
thereafter he took up his quarters at
the hotel. He was missed in Acton
by at least one person, Miss Lucy
Elston. For two years Leslie had been
her constant attendant, and, although
no engagement existed. 1T was pretty
well 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 trife more primly than was
her wont, but II she suffered secretly
she never showed 1t. Her neighbors
considered the action of Leslie a base
desertion and he left few friends be-
hind him In Acton.
From time to time his old acquaint-
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.
little older looking but dignified. pros
porous appearing. and the first an
nouncement he made to the village
banker was:
swell. 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"
'Temporarilyr
II am told so-some illness of the
daughter and sister, learn 1t is
reported that they are coming back
after the holidays"
"And I 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 can af-
ford that"
Acton warmed up to Leslie after a
few weeks. He was more genial than
of yore; he contributed literally to
local charities.
"I never saw such a 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 no
tel?" was suggested.
''It isn't likely. He says it'll be
worse than the war for year after It,"
It.was in December that Acton be-
gan to feel the nonproduction. scarce
food phase of existence. A great snow
storm crippled the railroad brancf.
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 tc
the house with a severe cold.
'It's all an excusew grnmbled q
man who had not tasted sugar for
fortnight.
"Yes. to get out of dividing his
hoardi" growled another to whom
butter was luxury nearly forgotten
"He's a profteer. that's what he is !"
declared third. "See here. can't
something he done?"
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 committee of four
from that body was announced by the
hopsekeeper.
His eve took in Lucy Elston with a
longing glow as he entered the parlor
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 garret
He indicated fuel and food supplies
7he magnitude of which amazed them.
"It seems as though my business
sense impelled me right in directing
stocking up" he said geniaIly.