The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-12-21

colI came nome, and was
olten seen cantering about with
i1o'ina' On blooded horse his father
owned.
Jerome worked harder. Occasions
multiplied during which he and
i-ucina met. At first she wondered at
MIN obviously with dilating blue eyes.
then she began to blush softly
Jerome's looks at her could have
out one meaning.
In the meantime, Elmira Edwards
lad her own little romance with Law.
renee Prescott, but 1t promised to be
an unhappy one. Lawrence was
threatened with disinheritance and
tifnira dismissed him. Then she fell
H. ana that night was in a high fever.
lawrence came and she did not know
MN. Lawrence went home and had q
scene with his father.
AS under the circumstances Pres
colt could not be employed, a doctor
from Westbrook was sent for. Elmira
was Ill several weeks. Lawrence and
MS mother were assiduous In care and
attention.
Her Illness cost so much that
Jerome had not been able to make
| good the deficit caused BY a loan 70
Oz!as Lamb, to prevent a foreclosure
OF mortgage on his little home. The
ioah mad postponed his mill. Some
| tunes jerome reflected with bitter
| amusement upon the bet made in the
village store few years ago. Egeed
on by some village wags. Doctor Pres
colt and Simon Basset had signed be-
fore Lawyer Means a document where
by they promised to pay for the bene-
/ Mt OF the poor. ten thousand apiece. II
Jerome Edwards should ever have
twenty-five thousand and give it all
away.
Jerome thought 1t the safest bust.
ness deal in all creation. Meanwhile
he worked so hard he seldom saw
Lucina. He had not the time to call
upon her. He was sure that they IN.
| derstoOd each other although no for
nal engagement had been made. He
was sure that Lucina understood that
he could not call because he was work
ing so hard for her sake. But Lucina
did not understand. She grew thin
and pale, and her parents fearing a de.
cline, sent her West for a change.
But he was not sure when she re-
turned from the West looking bloom.
ing and sent him little note. inform.
ing HIM sweetly but firmly that they
would be friends but nothing more.
Even then Jerome did not believe.
His faith in the girl was almost sub
lime.
The mill was built, and work began.
| Jerome set himself a certain sum to
be earned before he went to see
Lucina.
One day the village was startled by
the news that Col. Jack Lamson had
come into fortune of sixty-five thou
sand dollars from some old mining
stock, and had gone to Boston with
Lawyer Means upon business connect.
ed with it.
Shortly after that the village had
another shock. Abel Edwards came
home. He had been all the time on a
farm fifty miles away and had brought
home all his earnings in a tin box.
Jerome was prospecting. when one
night there came rain that was al
most a cloudburst, the brook ran in
flood, and the next morning the mill
was carried away.
Jerome fer the first time gave up
hope, when Colonel Lamson suddenly
died, and left twenty-five thousand
dollars to him, twenty thousand TO
Lucina. five thousand to Eben Mer.
rift, ten thousand to John Jennings,
FIVE thousand to Lawyer Means.
People at once remembered the Old
bet in the store. Would Jerome give
away the money? He socn set doubts
al rest. He gave the money to the
poor of the village. and factory was
10 be set up, using the money as cap
ital stock.
The bet was not binding legally.
Prescott knew. but did not fail to
abide by his word. Simon Basset hung
| himself before he knew he need not
pay a dollar unless he chose.
Squire Merritt's wife took hand.
| She offered Jerome the five thousand
! dollars which her husband had inner
tied, to build a new mill, but jerome
refused. although he knew that 1t
meant giving up Lucina.
Mrs. Merritt said that she inferred
that he did not wish to marry Lucina.
Jerome burst out with mad vows OF
! his love for Luciua.
Mrs. Merritt returned that he loved
his pride more. Finally Jerome yield
ed. The, were standing outside under
a tree talking. and in the partor were
Elmira and Lawrence Prescott talking.
Everything was settled happily for
them. Doctor Prescott had given his
consent.
When Jerome met Lucina in the
narlor she cluug TO him and wept at
first then she drew him TO little
! damask sofa. aud took letter from
her pocket. They read it together
7. ,r,s from FOL lack hanson, dated