The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-09-15
"A Trick of
Fortune
By ALVAH J. GARTH
Copyright. 1920 wNstern Newspaper Union

"An ideal place. said Rodney Merle
ito himself in highly satisfied way as
he set his suitcase on chair In al
very plainly furnished, but scrupulous
ly neat and clean room, and glanced
from its open window upon a rare
scene of sylvan solitude and beauty.
He had sought to find some peace
full rural place where he could rest
and read, wander In the woods and
take In a supply of pure country all
and sunshine. Fate had sent him to
Leesville and an equally kind old
fashioned postmaster had directed
him to the home Of Mrs. Abigail
Briggs. A pretty modest girl Of about
eighteen had greeted him pleasantly
and her mother, stately old lady,
evinced a sincerity and dignity that
told of good breeding.
II hope the postmaster told you
that we are poor folks and live very
plain" said the widowed mistress OF
the little home. MY husband died
leaving us nothing but this poor old
property, but if fresh cream and but.
ter and plenty of green stuff and Der.
ries and chickens and eggs are what
you like you can have them in plenty"
"You will find the old lady set in
her opinions and a trifie bitter over
the great disappointment of her life,
the postmaster had told Merle. "She
and her husband had toiled hard to
earn and save, but when he died there
wasn't trace even Of the securities he
had told his widow about while liv-
ing. It's a blessing that she has
Lettie, girl all gold. Works like Q !
beaver, and with her school teaching
in season and what they sell of the
produce of the place she has kept the
larder full and the old ramshackly |
house out Of debt"
Mother wishes to know II there is
anything we can do to add - your
comfort" said Lettie half an hour
after Merle's arrival, appearing at
the door of his room.
"Why, was thinking if 1 had a J
small stand or table," replied Merle, |
ut would make things just prime.
do good deal of writing at times,
and he indicated some writing utensils
he had temporarily placed on the bu |
reau.
II think know what will suit you," |
announced Lettie. "There is a small !
table we used to play games on stored |
away in the attic" and five minutes |
later she reappeared carrying the OBJ !.
ject she had described, which Merle |
set in a corner of the room. Lettie |
went downstairs with the words: '"rea |
will be ready in a few minutes"
Merle found some difficulty in open
ing the drawer of the stand and
tinkling bell sounded downstairs as
he managed to pull it open. He h.is /
tied In his loose papers and descend |
ed to the lower floor to partake OF /
"the finest meal / ever enjoyed" he |
afterwards asserted.
Within two days Merle was fully |
domesticated. Before his first week !
was passed he had become the conf. |
dant and sympathiZer Of the old lady, |
who constantly dilated on their great |
and mysterious loss of fortune.
AS to Lettie she came into the life |
Of Merle so simple, 50 refreshing |
that he sought her companionship |
whenever she was at leisure The post |
master had jOcularly advised him not |
to fall in love with Lettie for she had |
broken the hearts Of half a dozen |
ardent suitOrs, who had learned that |
the faithful daughter had cOnsecrated |
her young life to looking solely after
her mother until she had earned |
enough to place her in a position of |
independence.
Merle awOke one morning at the |
echo of vivid scream downstairs and |
hurried on his clothes as smoke and |
smell of burning wood warned him of !
apparent fire peril. The lower part of |
the house was in flames. He aided |
the two terrified women to get out. |
side in safety, returned to carry out |
what he could of their personal be- |
lOngings and, remembering his suit !!
case In his room, FASTENED thither,
huCO IL Win uAS OCoIlSAcU pVSS6SSIOuS |
and dumped in the contents Of the
drawer of the little stand.
The house was burned to the
ground. A neighbor offered to house
'Lettie and her mother, but the stub. |
born Mrs. Briggs refused to leave the |
only spot on earth she could call her |
own. There was small twUroom |
cottage that had once harbOred the |
hired help and here the two women |
established themselves. Merle put up |
at the village hotel.
He did not sleep that night. All
through the lonely silent hours he
thought Of Lettie, of her mother, too. |
Love and sympathy led his mind to a
fixed decision before morning came. |
And then, while he was doubling that
Mrs. Briggs would consent to be de-
pendent even upon a willing son-in-
law, or that Lettie would consent to
marry him, Merle made a wonderful |
discovery.
Sortinp over the nanorS ho had roc.