Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-01-05
The
Scarecrow
BY RALPH HAMILTON
"a. 1920. western Newspaper union.)

(6 1920, Western Newspaper Union-)
1t seemed to Miss Mary Burton that
she lad reached the very height OF
earthly felicity when she became the
sole owner of a home Of her own. For
fifteen years she had taught school,
carefully saved her, money and now at
thirty-fve with paid up annuity pol
icy bringing her forty dollars month
she had settled down amid beauty and
comfort.
Tie house was very pleasantly ar
ranged and there was a, two-acre gaF5
den. This latter had been neglected
and Miss Burton had great ideas OF
improving it as she accumulated the
money to do SO. An orphan niece, Ny
ra Davis, had come to live with her,
bringing the furnishings of two rooms
inherited from her mother. The ar
rangement was that Myra should as
sist about tie house, and If they could
get little fancy work to do they
would join in this feature of incrsas-
ing their income. cs.
"The first thing we must do is toget.
that old chicken yard in order," Did
Myra. "It will take about fifty yards
of poultry netting to patch up thesold
fence and new gate must be IASde'
for it. There's laying boxes to get for
the chickens, too, and the inside shed
ought to be whitewashed. You'll faave
all that to me, won't you, Aunty"
Miss Burton was fully agreeable to
this arrangement. Her own hobby
about the place was a cherry tree that
occupied the center Of the gardep, TT
bore for the first time last year."
neighbors tell me-" she said to Myra.
"There was only aflittle fruit then, but
this will be good year for it. All my
life I've longed to, be able to put up
fruit raised by my own hands."'>
So Miss Burton sprayed the tree and
watched the buds grow into little green
globes and cleaned and polished some
cid fruit jars and made great prepara-
tions for the harvesting Of her treas
ures.
Meantime Myra lived in sort of
elysium of delight. Her forte was max
ing things spick and span and keeping
them so. She was trying to straighten,
stretch and attach roll of poultry
wire to posts one afternoon when,
young man of about TWENTY-FIVE came
along. he was rolling lawn mower
and had small canvas bag evidently
containing tools. 1
Gust let me save you time and
trouble, young lady," he spoke brlskly.
you've got too pretty fingers to
scratch and mush up with such rough
work. Using nails? Or, that won't
do! Here's what you need FOR tackins
and holding wire," and hetook from
his kit a ,box;sse ntaining Il;shapsd
Niyra liked bis face and
anybody WouId, sWas al smiles
and good nature. He looked as If he
would feel hurt if she declined his
help, but she said, "We are doing most
of the work around here, Aunty and
myself. We haven't got much money"
sob, that won't be work for me-" de-
clared the young man. "1've got lit
tie leisure. Now then, you take this
awl and hold the wire true while ]
nail. That's it. Famous! Just getting
ready to make farm of the place,
eh? Pm picking up sort Of tempo
ary living staying here for week or
two. know something about garden
work and if you don't mind Ill drop
around once in while and give you
some points"
"Oh, If you would!" exclaimed Myra,
and in her ingenious way told of Miss
Burton's agricultural ambitions. It led
to her interested visitor telling her
something about himself. His was a
curious story. He gave her his name
as Archie Lull, and related that he
had come from another state where
ne had been in charge of grain ele-
yator for wealthy relative. One day
maudlin produce buyer had quar-
relied with his wife in the elevator
office and had struck her. All the man.
hood of Lull resented the brutality.
He had given the man the trouncing
of his life. The latter was Influential
and threatened to prosecute Lull to the
limit. $50
"It was cowardly to run away" con-
fessed Lull, tbut was tired of the
monotonous job anyway, so I've sort
of made myself scarce"
He was a tireless worker, well In
formed, agreeable and accommodating
and he made many new friends. He
won the heartest appreciation Of Miss
Burton by putting up a scarecrow to
keep away the robins and blackbirds
from her precious cherries and cur,
rants.
In making the scarecrow Lull had
used "anN old coat of no value" he de-
clared, ''too loud to wear on the
street-iust used 1t inside the eleya-