Evening star., 1925-07-12

| shortly, and the letter stated brusquely
that the mortgage had passed into
other hands. Hereafter all payments
must be met at maturity. Covetous
| eyes, Judge Holmsted knew, had long
looked toward Holmacres. Once or
twice he had succeeded in having his
| payments extended, but now alien
owners, people with no reverence for
it's traditions, would come into posses
sion of the place. The thought was
bitter, unbearable.
| He mounted the stairs. Just out.
| side the door of his guests room he
| found their shoes.
| And that night and for succeeding
nights he slept in the bed that had
| but one sheet.
But hrs guests at the breakfast
table next morning probably thought
that his only solicitude lay In planning
for their well being.
Grover Cleveland, freshly curried
and rubbed till his coat shone like
satin, was hitched to the buggy. The
vehicle itself bore signs of recent
washing. The harness, too. one would
have said. had been freshly oiled.
II wonder how we're going to begin
| talking business to a man who treats
us like members Of his family" the
older stranger said as he climbed into
the vehicle. Wen have to use a lot
of diplomacy"
Wen just remember" the younger
man reminded. that we've come sew
| eral hundred miles to secure a prop.
erty at as favorable terms to ourselves
as possible. And that business is
business-always.'
Judge Holmsted waited only long
enough to see his guests off. Then he
| walked to one of the fields where q
negro was ploughing.
"Eph," he said, IN have 10 he us
ing the mule for a few days.,
But, judge, subj Eph stared
gaping. Dis grass, It's plum ram
pant since EN- las rains. sub. Can't
you see it's JUS nachelly chokin' de
cotton to DEATH"
The judge could see plainly enough.
| The spindling stalks of cotton were
struggling weakly through mazes of
Johnson and Bermuda grasses. But
| he saw something else, too-something
| that Eph, being a recent conner. could
! not have seen, or, seeing, could not
| have understood-there were guests
beneath Judge Holmsteds roof.
1t was the first time that he had
ridden a mule since he was a boy.
Often then, in a spirit of mischief, he
had done so. Things had changed
now. Horses, dogs. servants-gone
verything-everything save the will
to be a hospitable host.
At the little bank in town he was
courteousiy but firmly refused an ad
ditional loan. The bank officials liked
| the judge and sympathiZed with him
but his previous loans were still out
standing. And it was doubtful-eX
ceedingly doubtful-that his crop that
year would pay the cost of raising it.
| But that evening, as he sat with
! 10 6n 10
Judge Holmsted was solicitous only
as to the result OF their investigations.
| Were they finding the hardwood tim
| ber of good quality? And was il in
! sufficient quantity to justify them in
| purchasing and logging it? He hoped
! this might be the case; he was look
ing forward with great deal of pleas
ure to welcoming them as permanent
neighborS.
| He proved himself to be a raconteur
of rare ability and charm The grave
| face stranger semed fascinated by his
stories as he spoke of the days when
steamboats, from Mobile piled the
Tombigbee daily.
! THE air was soft with the softness
of Southern nights. There
came to them, as they sat there. the
| odor of cape jasmine and the fainter
but more caressing scent of honey
suckle. A light breeze rustled the
leaves of the water oaks, shimmering
now by the light of the full moon
in a mantle OF pure silver dust.
! The younger stranger lighted a
cigar and leaned back in his chair
signing restfully. Two weeks of
this" he said, "and / shouldn't want
! to go home. You Southern planters
lead an euviable life, Judge"
It's enchanting" his companion as
sented.
We like it. sir-some of U.S." the
| judge admitted. He spoke with a
tinge of regret OF former neighbors
who, one by one. had been lured away
by the cities. Many fine old places
had been left to the care of tenants
and had speedily gone to ruin But
the Holmsteds, being lovers of the
land, had always lived close to it.
Maybe we are more firmly rooted
in the soil than some of the others
Were" the judge said.
! 1T seems to me, Judge" the grave
! faced stranger offered. that you have
a wonderful place here for. a stock
farm. Aren't these native grasses
/ believe you call them Johnson and
Bermuda-good for .grazing?"
| Excellent, sir
That's just what I'd do with this
place if I owned it, the younger
stranger broke in. He was more out
spoken than his elderly compan nion.
I'd divide it into pastures with good
| fences, build up-to-date barns and pig
houses. and stock it with bIooded cat
tie and hogs. You've your grasses
| for Spring and Summer. And / un-
derstand that those river canebrakes
| make fine Winter grazing"
! L NAV try something Of the kind
| next year" the judge admitted. I've
been thinking for some time of ven.
turing along that line
Venturing, Blooded cattle and hogs.
| Fences and barns, when the burning
! question was one of bare existence
| Not that he had never had dreams.
Many times he had pictured his broad
lands dotted with droves of sleek cat
| lite and herds of swine with an income
assured that would again crown Holm.
acres with it's fair name for hos.
pitality. But the realization of this
dream would require money.
1t was the next morning that a
mocking bird, nesting in a nearby
tree, awakened the serious-faced
stranger with its early song. Arising,
he crept softly to the window and
stood listening. And suddenly. as he
looked out, he started and stared
| fixedly. Then a dull red flush mounted
slowly to his cheeks. He withdrew
| from the window even more softly
than he had approached 1t and lay
down again without wakening his
companion.
But that morning brought conster
nation to Judge Holmsted Modern
plumbing had not been installed at
Holmacres. and he remembered sud
denly that his guests must shave
And there was one item that he had
overlooked.
Il suppose, gentlemen, he re