The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-11-04
The Best in
Life
By GENEvIEvE ULMAR

z BY CENEVIEVE ULMAR )
Aoooooooocooooeceeeeooeok<
"a. 1920. Western Newspaper Union.>
'That's the old farm" announced
Seth Barclay, extending toward the
group in the boarding house Of Mrs.
Mary Willard photograph.
All eyes were focused on the picture
of prosperous-look farmhouse,
fair fields of grain and pretty lake
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
to the city,
OF all the observers Mrs. Willard
regarded the photo most closely and
longingly. 1t was six months since
Barclay became her boarder. He was
a 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 a busy, bustling little won,-
an, deploring the loss. of an invalid
husband, but sturdily resolved to pro-
vide for her two little ones the best
she knew how 1t was the loving In
terest Barclay took in the. tiny tots
that won her regard. It 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.
1T was in June that the farm began
to impress Barclays fellow boarders
with interest and enjoyment.
II have ordered my man in charge,
Ephraim Dorkins, to send us samples
right along" he had remarked, and
| Mrs. Wizards winsOme face grew into
| a 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
| nd libitum, string beans, cabbages,
carrots and early apples-the larder
had never before known such 0pulent
plenitude Fall was continuous 5u-
! bilee Grapes, pears, melons-so va
ried and appetizing were the donations
that about all the boarders talked
about was this wonderful farm, that
| Welded such rich fruits Of seemingly
inexhaustible fertility. 1t 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.
It was late in the fall thateBarclay
came to Mrs. Willard, serious of mien,
| almost mysterious, as he arranged for
the occupancy Of two attic rooms for
a 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 landlady, land
you are too honest to hide it. Suppose
| you make me confdante and a
helper"
every WE'LL" confessed Barclay. Il
shall call the newcomer John Smith.
In reality he Is a cousin Of mine IN
serious trouble, given to drinking, and
requires building up, watching, encour-
agement, and his difficulties adjusted"
And Cor the ensuing two months John
Smith was 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
evaled close questioning, but finally
confessed One Of the boarders had
CHANGED to be travelling in the district
in which the form was located. T! he
brought back strange news. The prop.
erty had indeed been left to Barclay
but there was mortgage on 1t that
left no equity Of consequence. Gen
erous-souled Barclay had year In
which to redeem it, knew he could
not and had donated to others its
products, realizing that there was nc
hope of securing anything whatever
when the MORTGAGE was foreclosed.
"You good, noble man !" 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
9 by next year-but I'm going to be al
l engineer, am not? And look at thu
t loyal, grand friends I've got. Cheer
t up dear LADY,"
'Don't think your having farm
t or having none makes any difference
g to mel" flashed forth Mrs. Willard
IF you were the poorest man in tn
world, Td-rd-"
you'd what?" inquired Barcla,
softly.
''Ia work for you and divide wha
I've got to the last penny, and-and-
And Mrs. Willard ran away to hid
r her confession, and her love, and Bar
a !, 1~o+