Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1921-12-16


THOR poor New England boy,
n Jerome Edwards, the tragedy of
life began at the age of ten. His
father, Abel Edwards, had gone that
morning, with his wagon and old
nodding white horse, to his woodlot
30 cut wood for Doctor Prescott
Doctor Prescott had an obsession for
owning land When there was lack
of ready money to pay his exorbitant
bills, he seized with avidity upon a
mortgage. and he foreclosed without
grace or mercy.
Doctor Prescott had held thousand
dollar mortgage upon the Edwards
house for years.
The old white horse coming home,
turning out at the beck of phantom
driver for the bad places in the coun-
try road, was met upon his arrival at
the Edwards cottage with wild shrieks
in woman's voice, child's fright
ened sob, and a boys sober answers
to the eager questions of a small mob
of men and boys following after.
There was an immediate rush to
the wood lot, but Jerome had reached
the spot the first of all. On the shore
of black pool of water, reputed
among the boys to be bottomless. he
found his fathers hat. Jerome
weighted 1t with stones and flung 1t
In. Then he bolted for home by an.
other route. LET 'em say father
drowned himself now" he gasped out
as he ran.
Abel Edwards had been missing two
years when Jerome. studying the stu.
alton day and night, knew the truth:
They could never. although they half
starved themselves. meet the interest
of the mortgage. He made q plan.
He went to consult Squire Eben
Merritt. The squire was a notable
hunter and fisher, and had been bent
that morning upon fishing excur-
sion.
Jerome looked straight at the squire,
arI made his little speech. He had
relaearsea Il often. When he had fin
ishedl the squire burst into a great
roar OF laughter. and caught the boy
~ the Shoulder "You don't mean
you Planned this al, yourselfY
Yes, Sir. I've been layin' awake
nights. p'annin'."
How old are your .f,i
Twelve, SIR"
"By Jovei I"
Then lovely, gentle little girl stole
into the room. Her dimpled arms and
neck were bare and her shower Of gold
curls fell to her waist. She wore
frock of soft blue.
The squire told Jerome to call on
Doctor Prescott and show his plan.
A small dark. very kind and quick
lady, who was the squire's wife and
Lucina's mother. showed Jerome the
door, and he went down the street In
a daze. Jerome almost forgot the I'm
portant paper he carried. He had
never seen a little girl like Lucina
Merritt.
Jerome called on Doctor Prescott,
who deigned to read his paper and
then summarily. dismissed him. He
hated him In a strange way for q man
to hate boy. On his way home
Jerome encountered Squire Merritt
coming out of woodland road, with
great string of fish. ''What luck,
SOM" he called out.
"He turned me out. I'd like to kill
him"
The squire laughed and made
Jerome walk along with him to his
sister Camilla's. who kept elderly
maiden state in the old Merritt house.
Jerome always remembered that
hour Of tea-drinking and cake-eating
In the arbor with Squire Merritt and
his sister and little Lucina. as he
would have an especially beautiful
turn Of his kaleidoscope Of life.
Until he was much older, Jerome
did not fully comprehend In what way
Eben Merritt had solved his financial
difficulties. Then he discovered that
the squire had made great sacrifices
Of his none too large competency to
buy from Doctor Prescott, and take
tie Edwards mortgage into his own
handE.
Now life began to look brighter for
Jerome. He could not go to school in
the ordinary sense. so he went direct
to nature. He. In his scanty free
time. roamed fields and woods. Jake
Noyes. queer character who ostensi-
bly, was Doctor Prescotts coachman.
but who had been permitted to as
simulate, and some said had even
been taught much Of the doctors
medical lore. taught jerome much
about simples.
Jerome attained local UNDER
celebrity. since he gave aid for moth
ing and with success.
Gradually Jerome's business ideas
developed and strengthened. There
was an exceptional chance for saw
mill In the village. He went one eve
ming to Lawyer Means with q request
]