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

Jerome Edwards, the tragedy OF
HE began at the age Of ten. His
father, Abel Edwards, had gone ttat
morning. with his wagon and Old
nodhng white horse, to his woodIot
to cut wood for Doctor Prescott.
Doctor Prescott had an obsession for
owning land. When there was q lack
or ready money to pay his exorbjtant
DIS ne seized with avidity upon a
mortgage, and he foreclosed yithou,
grace or mercy.
Doctor Prescott had held q thousand
dollar mortgage upon the Edwards
house for years.
The old white horse coming homo
turning out at the beck Of a 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, q childs fright
ened sob, and boys sober answer.
70 the eager questions Of 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 a black pool of water. reputed
among the boys to be bottomless, he
found his fathers hat. Jerome
weighted 1t with stones and flung it
In. Then he bolted for home by an
/ other route. Let EN- 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:
I They could never, although they half
+ starved themselves, meet the interest
/ Of the mortgage. He made a plan.
! He went to consult Squire Eben
Merritt. The squire was a notable
hunter and fisher, and had been bent
that morning upon a fishing excur-
sion.
Jerome looked straight at the squire
and made his little speech. He had
rehearsed it often. When he had fin
ished, the squire burst into a great
roar of laughter. and caught the boy
! by the shoulder. You don't mean
you planned this all yourself?"
'Yes, sir. I've been layin' awake
nights, plannin'."
"How old are yos?"
Twelve, SIR"
"By Jove."
Then a 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 a
! 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 o 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 q strange way for man
to hate boy. On his way home
Jerome encountered Squire Merritt
coming out of woodland road, with
a great string of fish. What luck,
son?" he called out.
HE turned ME out. I'd like TO kill
him"
The squire laughed and made
Jerome walk along with him 10 his
sister Camiill's, who kept elderly
maiden state In the old Merritt house.
Jerome always remembered that
hour of drinking and cake-eatinC
in the arhor with Squire Merritt and
his sister and little Luc!na. rs 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 10
nuy from Doctor Prescott. and take
the Edwards mortgage into his own
hands.
Now life began to look brighter Tor
Jerome. He could not 20 10 school i'll
the ordinary sense, SO he went d're''
to nature. He. in his Scanty 1reT
time. roamed fields and woods. JAKE
Noyes. a queer character who '>'ehSi-
NV was Doctor PreScottS coachihah'
nut who had been permitted 10 as
simulate, ard some said had eVca
been taught much Of the doctor :
medical lore. taught Jerome nuch
al out simples.
jerome attained local under
celebrity, since he gave aid for ho'h-
ing and with success.
Gradually Jerome's business IDEAS
developed and strengthened. There
vas an exceptional chance FOR S'"'
mill in the village. He went one eve
ming to Lawyer Means with reHues,
that he should sell two hundred an"
sixty-five dollars worth of his lana on
Gravstone Brook. and came away
with the deed. He then began 10 save