The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-10-07
The Best IN
Life
By cENEvIEvE ULMAR
"a. 1910. western Newspaper Union.1

| "a. 1870. Western Newspaper Union.l
"That's the old farm" announced
| Seth Barclay, extending toward thu
group in the boarding house Of Mrs
/ Mary Willard photograph.
All eyes were focused on the picture
! of prosperous-looking farmhouse
fair fields of grain and pretty LAKE
Z, In the distance.
That's me on porch" continued
/ Barclay. "You see, father left me the
place three years ago, but got am
, bilious to study engineering and came
j to the city," Sc
Of all the observers Mrs. Willard
regarded the photo most closely and
longingly. 1t was six months since
Barclay became her boarder. He was
q favorite from the start. Bluff
,, hearty, accommodating, there was that
about his free, honest ways that
!, charmed the odd ten people whom
Mrs. Willard accommodated.
She was busy, bustling little wom-
an, deploring the loss Of an invalid
husband, but sturdily resolved to pro-
vide for her two little ones the best
she knew how. It was the loving In
terest Barclay took in the tiny tots
that won her regard. 1t got to be so
that she took all her business troubles
to him. He was not at all flush In
a money way, and the boarders could
not understand how the owner OF
farm could be so modest in his attire.
It was in June that the farm began
to impress Barclays fellow boarders
with interest and enjoyment. a5s
II have ordered my man in charge,
Ephraim Dorkns. to send US samples
right along" he had remarked, and
Mrs. Wizards .winsome face grew into
delicious smile as the first crate OF
strawberries arrived. Cherries fol-
lowed, then more berries and vege-
tables These arrived in no parsimo-
NOUS quantities. There was barrel
full Of green peas and green onions
ad libitum string beans, cabbages,
carrots and early apples-the larder
had never before known such Opulent
plenitude. Fall was a continuous 1u-
bilee. Grapes, pears. melons-so va
ried and appetizing were the donations
that about all the boarders talked
about was this wonderful farm, that
Yielded such rich fruits of seemingly.
inexhaustible fertility. It made Mrs.
Wizards wide-awake eyes grow like
stars to hear of the beauties OF the
farm and the great desire of the chill
dren was that some day they would
be taken to visit this earthly paradise
1t was late in the fall that Barclay
came to Mrs. Willard, serious of mien.
almost mysterious, as he arranged Tor
the occupancy of two attic rooms for
friend who was in trouble, as he put
It, and wished absolute seclusiOn for
month or two.
"You act troubled Mr.. Barclay" OBJ
served the keen-witted 1andlady, "and
you are too honest to hide it. Suppose
you make me confidante and
helper" =.
every WE'LL" confessed Barclay. II
shall call the newcomer John Smith.
In reality he is cousin of mine IN
serious trouble, given to drinking, and
requires building up, watching, encour--
agement, and his difficulties adjusted"
And for the ensuing two months John
Smith was a care and a worry. At
the first he demanded stimulants, was
cross and gloomy. but finally Barclay
and his loyal helper mended him up,
sent him away. and that appeared to-
be the end of the matter.
A little after, that Barclay came
home one day to find Mrs, Willard in
tears. She tried to hide them and
evadcd close questioning, but finally
confessed. One Of the boarders had
CHANGED to be travelling in the district
in which the farm was located. He
brought back strange news. The prop
erty had indeed been left to Barclay,
but there was a mortgage on it that
left no equity of consequence. Cen
Barclay had a year in
which to redeem it. knew he could
not. and had donated to others It's
products. realizing that there was no
hope Of securing anything whatever
when the mortgage was foreclosed.
"You good. noble mani" sobbed Mrs.
Willard, pretending you had the best
on earth, and all the time probably
wearing your soul away with worry"
Eyes, I'm poor for fact-farm gone
by next year-but I'm going to be an
engineer, am l not? And look at the.
loyal, grand friends I've got. Cheer
up, dear lady!"
Don't think your having farm
or having none makes any difference
to me!". flashed forth Mrs. Willard.
IF you were the poorest man in the
world, Td-Td-" ID
you'd what?" inquired Barclay.
softly.
"I'd work for you and divide what
I've got to the last penny, and-and-."''5
And Mrs. Willard ran away to hide!
her confession, and her love, and Bar.
clay stood staring after her lost In.
rapturOus dream.
Mrs. Mary Willard did not have to-