Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-03-09
His Bright
Idea
By GEORGE ELMER COBB
Copyright. 1910. by Western Newspaper Union,


"The board OF pardons are convinced
that you were an innocent bystande,
In the riots at the Eclipse sheet mill
and have committed your sentence
Allen. you are free man."
,"After three years being shut Out
from the world Still, don't com
plain, warden. l was an idle, thrift
less fellow, had no business mixing in
with destructive crowd, and have
the penitentiary to thank for teaching
me trade that will always earn me a
decent living. l understand that q
relative has left me a little piece OF
property, SO can recommence life
with experience, capital and a clear
record"
The birds seemed Ginning a welcom.
ing chorus as Sidney Allen left the
grim pent house where he had passed
three precious years Of his young life
under an error of the law. The sun.
shine appeared to him at its bright
est, he drew in great draughts Of the
sweet, clear air, inspiriting as wine.
His second year in confinement he
had been notified that he had become
one Of several heirs through the death
of a relative. It was impaired to him
that he had inherited store property
In Layton, thriving country town.
1t was twenty miles from the prison
to Layton and Allen had money to go
there by rail, but the delight of free
dom kept him tramping the distance
after he had started.
1t was late afternoon when, tired
and dust covered, he learned that Lay.
ton was only three miles ahead down q
straight country road. Allen rested
for one-half an hour, even dozed, and
set out upon his way refreshed to
! pause again, this time amid excitement
aad interest, at the edge of the lit.
tie town. Near rickety old house
with well-kept vegetable garden sur
rounding it was Ave-acre pasture
fenced In, and here was presented the
amazing spectacle of four white-haired
ladies'. spry and nimble, chasing o
young horse and striving to keep him
from escaping through break at one
end OF the enclosure. They laughed
like merry romping girls, they scolded
the Maynard pony, who seemed full of
mischief. Allen Joined in the pur.
suit, but just as he caught the horse
by the name his foot struck a rock
and he was disabled.
One Of the ladies led the horse
toward the house. The three others,
oGscerning Aliens plight, assisted him.
limp IA from the spot. They were
grateAIEior his cooperation, solicitous
over his mishap. They got him into
the house, his injury revealing 8
bruised and swollen ankle. Like trainee
nurses they bathed and bandaged the
injured member and soon he was com.
fortably disposed in an arm chair.
From the window he saw the horse
hitched to small wagon, in which
heaping baskets Of do0ghnuts and new
ly baked loayes of bread were carried.
"You won't be able to move about
much until tomorrow" said one of thu
~oid ladies. 81 suppose you wonder a.
all the cookery you see around here.
Well, we were all inmates of an ole
ladies' home that burned down, and
dubbed together to make a living.
We supply some families with bread
cakes and the like, twice a week and
get along very nicely, indeed.
'"That is Nellie Clare, girl we
adopted four years ago." spoke one
Of the others. "You see, two of us
have small war pensions and we are
now educating her at seminary.
This explanation referred to the pic
ture on The wall of a beautiful young
girl of about eighteen. Allen had Ger
tainly come across a strange combina
ton. The quartette made it pleasant
evening for him and he went on his
way the next day feeling sure thai
glowing picture of home comfort would
not soon fade from his mind.
Allen found the property left to him
to comprise large roomy one-story
store building in the best business
quarter of the town. He resolved to
utilize it in a business way. What he
considered to be bright idea had
appealed to him. While in the peni
Tertiary he had served an apprentice
ship in the plastic art, that is, model
ing center pieces, images and ever
statuary heads. He had the old store
room cleared up, purchased material
and tools and set at work on his grand
plan.
This involved a long chat with thu
four old ladies, who were inimitablt
cooks. There was no kind of pastr1
they could not handle artistically
Allen made perfect plaster of parii
limitations Of bread, cakes, pies, pud
dings. He tinted them so artistically
that they would deceive an exper
baker. These facsimiles he placed IL
the show window, affixing the prices O.
the genuine articles.
Within the month the Art Bake ShoI