Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1921-07-28
The Luck of ;
the Lanes
BY ELLA S. LARoUcHE

"Marthy, Marthy!" beloved the
masculine summons.
Then in cyclOnic fashion open flew
| the kitchen door and five feet six inch
es of masculine whirlwlnd burst into
the room. Flourishing alOft the local
weekly newspaper the excited little
man jerdly exploded:
"Rich--rich, my girl Now we'll
have everything we want an'-an'-l
I'll be Square Lane. or, Marthy!"
and, making a sudden leap, he pulled
! the astonished middIe-aged matron
away from her bread dough and pref
scented her with two celebration
smacks.
"Nate Lane! Be you crazy?"
Gee. Marthy! Guess l he-almOst.
LoOk!" And again he waved the pa
per-this time before her face. "Ws'reI
rich. :" he shouted. "Recollect that
knickknack peddler We gave freeI
board to for a few days last winter2I
He said he'd pay us some time Well,
he's dead. He was really mtser,
Marthy, and he's willed us"-he paus-
ed for emphasis and then slowly add-I
ed-"fifteen thousisd dollars"
Gone was Mrs. Mates cOmpOsure.
Tremblingly she retreated into theI
depths of the nearest rocker.
"Set down, Nathan, set down. You'd
make dead COW nervous hopping
about like hungry grasshopper. Wed
best decide on what to do right on and
we must use-er-efliciency.
Industrious tongues, worked over
time. Their fortune expanded with
each retelling, until the couple them
selves had a vague belief in the exag-
! geratonS, and multi-millionaire spir-
it pervaded their systems.
The church committee paid an early
visit and incidentally called their at
tention to the condition of the shingles
on the meeting house.
oval, Square drawled Deacon
Saunders, you'll be one of our lead
| ing citizens now, and we know you'll
show the right spirit. A leetle con-
| tribution just at the beginning, so to
speak, would naturally give the peo-
pie feeling OF confidence in you. No
| reason why you shouldn't be church
treasurer now, Deacon Grimes is so
poorly now, and you'll be Sc
lectman and on the school board next
year, of course.
Square" Lane beamed.
"H'm, er"-lie hesitated and glanced
surreptitlousy at Martha, who appear
ed unmpressed by the Square" "Er
wal. III give you somethln', OF
course. Marthy and I'll talk it over
and let you know, soon"
The next morning the counle decided
to go to Fitzwell and draw out their
entire savings for immedi;,t" use pend
ing the arrival of the fifte n thousand.
"We1l go shopping" breezily an
nounced the jubilant Martha. I'm
going to the Ladies Aid Wednesday
afternoon in the hest silk dress this
. town ever saw. You've got to quit
chewing tobacco, Nathan, and Lay
some cigars, and I'm going to get my
fngernails shampooed,"
That night a weary, heavily laden
couple returned to a cold house and
We're almost immediately forced to adj
nit interested and envious neighhors'
At eleven O'Clock they were again
alone alartha Glanced to glance to-
ward Nathan just as he was in the
act of biting off a generous mouthful
of his favorite tobacco. That bite was
never consummated.
"Mr. Lane, tobacco chewing is a
filthy habit I'll have no spittoons
when I get my new carpets.
"Ye don't Say?' sheeTed The new
made Croesus. "If I Spite a carpet ]
can buy new one. Maybe When We
git them new gewgaws on you'll be
casting about for another man."
Mrs. Croesus retaliated with force
and venom, and no peace treaty on
earth would have had any influence
on that domestic battle.
In the early morning hours exhaust
ton triumphed and they retired-~to
separate bedrooms.
Mr.. Lane in the cold discomfort of
the spare bedroom started to remove
his clothes. The latest edition Of the
city daily newspaper fell from one Of
his pockets.
His mind reverted to his inheritance
and with the idea Of obtaining more
information concerning his eccentric
benefactor he glacetl over the head
ings. Sure enough. there 1t vast
He sat down on the edge of the
bed, and, regardless of the cold, VIZ
stoned the glorious future. Martha
was always beside him. of course. He
felt vaguely troubled. Why had they
quarreled? Really, it was his duty to
give her chance to apologize.
His wife stood before him---in tears.
"Marthy MarthSi" he suffered In
a tone Of deep contrition.
| @"Confound the money anyway" he
1 exploded. "We never quarreled like
that before. Let's make up, Marthy."e
Confused reDentant he fumhlnd