The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-16
What has happened before, !,

1 At I4 years old, Robert Landon be- gins his awakening to young mnn- hood ny joining the Boy Scouts. The son of poor woman, he leads my = . thing hut an envinble existence, but citizenship and what it means has begun to stir In his soul. One dny seeing a corner stone being laid and hearing the attendant euIogy to a 1 citizen, Bob vows he will he n great man. A red-haired girl hears him, and much to BOb's embarrassment, speak up nnd encourages the Idea. lie loses her after Il boyish promise that he 1 will make good Just for her sake. An automobile drives up and yvhislks her away. He does nov even learn her name.
 Bob decides to become an architect, and gets n tob with the besv ana most successful firm in Birmingham. and is persuaded to become n real estate man. He conceives an iden that he wishes to build a series of gigantic electrical figures above the city which will he magnificent to look upon from the top of Red noun tain. T.inISling lights, he feels, are not enough. He hopes to see only castles. municipal building. houses of God. vast audItoriums. public and state buildings go ID along Red , naountain's crest--a1I of them to be of marble. Their spires and turrets and artistic beauty, he feels, would forever he m inspiration when Bir- nlingham citizens lifted their eyes to look upon thcm. He maps out nEures typical of the old south and builds hIs towns in colonial style.
 One day. coming down the street, he sees the red-hafred girl again hut again she suddenly escapes him. h. seeking her. he incidentally learns 10 know Annette Kingston. young society girl, who is very much att tracted to him. and who asks him to call, which he decides he will not do. Mary witnesses the meeting, but does noy recognize Bob. She Is being pressed to marry Doh McAllister.
 In the meanwhile n financier be- comes interested In Bob's drawing of the ghost house.
 Chapter VII (Continued) When Bob came to the office the morning two days later the first thing that greeted his eyes when he came in was q telegram lying upon his desk.
 1tieB fdflS IOT life liiOSl part nothing in his busy existence, and yet this one somehow seemed fraught with significance.
 He picked it up with trembling fingers and read it In a flash. Then he went over and took down from the wall the drawing of the ghost house.
 He spread It widely before him.
 By thunder.p he spoke softly to it, ''you are going for something, after all"
 The Telegram
 And then he reached over and picked up the telegram again just to reassurS himself it was real. This is what he rSsd:
 lin coming to Birmingham if for no other reason than to reside in a town that has citizen like you Go ahead and complete the other wing of the plan and build the house. Draw on me for funds as needed. My wife says you must be the guest of honor at the first dinner when we move in. She is prepared to adopt you"
 Bob was bit overcome, but further than picturing himself as the pur chaser of a new evening suit, he did not speculate. He went immediately to work upon the plans for the new wing.
 Very laboriously he traced that wing, planning it so that the length would not run in a conventional way usually to be expected. but would break at two points into projections. These would form cool. little walks and adorable spots where, on party nights, those who wished to slip away from the glare and the rush could rest. These little projections would furnish opportunity for gay garden beds which should be formed of flow CTS. some varieties of which would be blooming all the summer time. In winter these would give way to the outline of evergreens and cedars.
 The windows. exquisitely plain, were relieved of any austerity by carvings of loveliest marble; and here and there Bob planned for stained glass openings and little windows which were so sweet to sit within of an evening, and still others through which one might pass unnoticed upon the lawn.
 A Real Garden
 He was very particular to plan for a huge garden, shut off from the. cu- Iious gaze of any who might come to admire the estate. In this garden, which was very expensive, he de- ciled that MT. Elberton must have certain statuary and fountains, and there should be particularly the most beautiful trees and shrubbery. that the ends of the earth could furnish
 For the next few days Bob de- nied himself to all corners except those he was absolutely compelled to see Eut at the end of this time the drawing was done. He was dead tired Having advertised for bids, he Ihoned for his. automobile, gave instructions to a secretary and mo- toreG to the site he had chosen for the home.
 It should be the forst of all the buildings that should line the crest of lied Mountain. It's turrets. CO., lonial in style, would tell to every stranger that he was at last in the old south, and yet in south of so much greater grandeur than had ever existed.
 After Bob's work was done-after he had satisfied himself as to the exact placing of the foundations. and made needful notations-he forgot for the time being that he was staid young business man of the Masic City. He was just boy once more. lie picked his way la boriously from amidst the woodland setting, covered the short distance to the crude road where he had parked the machine. Springing in. he chose his route back to the as phalt highway, gave his machine speed, and started on joy ride.
 Been month since I've been out l don't eyen know whether dogwood Is blooming or hrysanthemums."
 For n Rest
 He did not stop until his car had carried him far into Cahaba vallay Here he found q sparkling woodland spring, got out end stretched him. self upon the grass under mag- Eificert hickory tree. He literally lay there absorbing. drinking ir