Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-16
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
CALEB'S FLIER IN STUMPS

uY d. ShsNoDh1H
7, caleb Swift was not exactly pouu-
far IN his own homo town, II was not
ane TO any pronounced lack in character
a. which one could definitely point, nor
a. the possession of any obnoxious trait
~ trick of personality. On the con-
.r.rv. he was a quiet, exemplary, unas-
s.r,,vs young man who went his own
nv and asked favors of no one--no
.re. that is, with the exception Of Car
iotta Hemingway.
Tho thing OF Il was that ever since
roish had run a thrifty little lemonade
s,and on his mothers lawn for the bene-
a. of thirsty tourists. every little ven-
ture he had entered upon had pros
And there had been many ventures.
,,tie deals In real estate, little specu-
iations in mining stock, little Invest
ments In local industries; And Saunders
town, like any SNUG individual cooking
a suspicious eye at successful neigh
hor. was compiacently waiting for Caleb
40 come cropper II was Inevitable
that he should come cropper. Men
were not, nowadays, endowed witt,
MIdss-iike fingers for life. soone, OF
One mellow, sweet-scented day. Jake
RUSSELL conducting a home-hunting
young couple across the swamps OF tns
new residential section with gas and
water prospects) which he was opening
nm saw with considerable amazement a
dgure which he mado out TO be Caleb
Swift, pacing the lines Of the extensive
tract of land which abutted on to his
house lots, That particular tract be,
ionged to the Hemingways and earned
Tor them the name Of being land poor
lake Russell had ever fancied the land
absurd ,Gs r price by old man Hemingway
and furthermore, 1t was polka dotted
with stumps, the removal of which would
take time. patience and money.
All the way home Jake ruminated.
And that evening he startled his wife
BY bursting into a sudden noisy chuckle.
"What is III" she asked anxiously.
"Caleb---Caleb - he managed to ge,
out. Hes bought up the Hemingway's
long shot. I've been f1ggering It ou,.
| The place has got to be drained, it's
| peppered with stumps, and the Lord
Knows It'll be one while before water
| and gas get within a mile of there. By
| the time he's dynamited and drained
we'll, well, poor Caleb And he pa,u
every cent them fool Hemingways
Only Only carlotta felt that she held the
key. At last Caleb had discovered the
reason why she would not marry him.
How could she, herself only a meanly
paid clerk in q small store, saddle Caleb
with her shiftless. land:.poor family?
For we'll she knew that did she marry
Caleb he would acquire not only her,
but troupe of poor relations--a sick'y
stepmother, n father not above borrow
Ing bit" now and again.
But now everything had changed. The
sale OF the land had put both spirit and
cash into old man Hemingway's pockets.
He was all for beginning over again
out West with his wife and children,
and Carlotta said no word to dampen
bis enthusiasm.
But when the evening came for Caleb's
weekly call, Carlottn awaited him nerv-
eusly. To think of Caleb doing thing
like that-which everybody was agreed
would mean tremendous loss. Well,
there was one way in which she could
thank him. She could grant that favor
he had been asking 80 many years
that she marry him Not that she called
II a favor. but Caleb apparently did.
Therefore, when Caleb arrived. pune
tual to the moment. he had tho surpris,
Of his life. Without preamble, slim
figure slipped into his arms and a pair
Of brown eyes looked trustfully up into
his sS.r |rIl1lil To I'LL marry you' Caleb when
Fully thirty minutes later Caleb and
Carlotta were discussing stoves and
window shades and furniture.
DO you know" began Caleb. 1--WE an
odd fancy IA like to have our furni-
How do you mean. dear?" asked Car.
lotta In very. near-wifely tone which
captiyated Caleb and caused a tempor-
ary hiatus in the conversation.
We'll, you know this Circassian wal
nut, honey?" Then, as Carlotta nodded.
THAT land I bought from your father
contains a great many thousand wainu,
stumps. from which the veneer known
as Clrcassian walnut Is made. and !
figure can make quite a good deal OH
them and then have enough left to fix up
our home in pretty good style. How
about it?'
For a moment Carlotta was silent. She
had been mistaken as to why Caleb
wanted that lot. But. then, which was
some comfort, so had been the whole or
thunderstorm. And when you come right
down to H. it's q wonderful thing to win
husband who always gets what he
%ants-wEether II is wife or lot of
seemIngly worthless acres.
"Circassian walnut. It Is" said Caleb's
iancee gaily.
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