The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-01-29
Loves! (:
Ladder 4
49,
By ALvAH JORDAN GARTH
SeHSANHSANN&HS&NS> NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Copyright, 1919, Western Newspaper Union

Z. mo need, Zeb!'' he spoke .airily. "It
is only me, Morton Wells. A ladder,
a seeming burglar on the roof of the
sun parlor, and you naturally took
me for a burglar Well, I've been.
stealing nothing but-kisses -
Huh! y calculated Zeb bewilderedly,
but the young man had coolly taken
his arm, led the protector Of Plympton5
clear of the grounds and backed him
to a tree you're a good friend of
nine" prefaced Morton.
Seeing as you got me my present
job-rather," acquiesced the old watch
man fervently.
II know can trust you with Sc
ycret. Pretty Eunice Trescott loves me
and love her. Cruel parents who
look upon me as a ne'er-d0-well re-
fused me the house-and have to see
Eunice once in while, and as the sun
porch leads right off from her room,
and my folding ladder is easy to carry
along, we have circumvented gruff old
papa. Clever, eh?'
L
was click and small conJrivance in
Morton's hand shot out steel skele-
ton framework a dozen feet in length,
and then drew it back into a compact
mass he could place in his pocket.
Made it yourself, too, eh?'
"That's about all I'm good for-pot-
tering in mechanics" replied Morton
rather ruefully. "Not much for any
thing else. That's why my attentions
to Eunice have disgruntled the old
folks. Now then, zeb, keep your own
counsel and don't take me for cracks
man next time you see me around
here"
Zeb looked fondly after Morton as
he disappeared. Then he shook his
head gravely. Needless, headstrong
Morton Wells, a model as to habits and
character, was looked upon as an i'm
practical dreamer. He had "liked to
fuss with TOOLS since he was an llr-
chin, and this prediction had been
present in his later years. For all that,
the girls Of the town adored him and
q
companion and friend.
1t was three nights after the cpl
sode of the sun porch that old Zeb
halted as he was passing the Trescott
place, as was his custom several times
between dusk and dawn.
"Helo!" he muttered-"sOme more
mystery. I certainly heard groan."
It echoed from the rear of the Tres
colt home and Zeb entered the grounds.
AS he neared one-story wing Of the
house he made discovery. Upon the
ground lay motionless form; out
spread upon the grass was the ladder
Morton Wells had shown him the Mon
day previous.
Zeb glanced at the house. 1t was
dark and silent. It did not take him
long to figure out the situation. Nor
ton had made one Of his daring visits
to his darling, and in descending to
the ground had missed his footing, or
the ladder had collapsed, and here he
was, the evidence of the fact Zeb
was too good friend to Morton to
arouse the Prescott family, thus be-
traying his favOrtte's clandestine visits.
He tried to arouse Morton, but the lat
ter was unconscious. :Zeb lifted him
bodily and got him to the street. He
rested him under tree In the course
of few minutes Morton was restored
to sensibility. He WINGED with pain
as he tried to use one arm.
'It's broken, Zeb.'' he told the
Waterman. Get me home, will you?
And say afterward go and get that
ladder. If it's found the Trescotts will
guess what I've been up to. I'll be
around in a d-:y or two again and don't
want to be- shut out from seeing Eu-
nice::'.
But Morton's prediction was without
basis. For week he was under the
surgeons care with orders to remain
quiet, and with the injured member in
plaster cast for a fortnight longer.
His wealthy brother from the city, who
had been somewhat distant with him
for a year or two. on account of his
shifting ways, came down to see him.
He wheedled out of Zeb the full de-
tails of the accident. He examined the
ladder with manifest interest. He, too,
looked over several experiments in the
way of invention in the workroom Of
his wilful brother
He's a genius, young Morton is"
declared the loyal Zeb. "There isn't
a finer young man in Plympton, and if
someone took hold of him and set him
on his feet right he'd win in the end y
Il think I see my way to encourag-
ing him to a start" replied Arnold
Wells, a speculative look in his eye.
MY business is the manufacture Of
hardware novelties, and that ladder
and one or tWossother little inventions
of Morton's come right in our line"
He. told Morton this, too, gave him
some brotherly advice, a pretentious
check for his inventions, offered fair
compensation for years service in
his business establishment, and Nor
ton steadied down into sensible bust
ness man.
AS a prosperous and accepted SON.
in-laW to the parents of Eunice they
= rather nninvo6 tho Ton;tol nf +Ea lat