Evening star., 1927-12-07

N re don't believe in life in
surance for people situated
NJ as we are" said Marvin
l. y Webster, emphatically and
= decidedly. Marvin Web
ster, farmer, was usually DECIDED aIter
weighing a question. That was why
the neighborhood elected him to posi-
tions requiring Judgment and honesty.
prejudice has nothing to do with IT,
he added. i've though the matter
over fairly. It's luxury we can
afford"
"WhyT' asked Gran'ther Webster.
Because every dollar put IN TO IN
surance would be taken from the chill
dr~n's clothing or schooling or some.
.hspg equally important. You know
how hard the times are with us, gran
ther. | work from IA to 16 hours a
day and yet every dollar that comes
crawling in has to go flying out.
''I know, son, I know. But we've
got insurance on the house an barn.
"a little, yes. They might burn
and leave us or the cattle homeless.
Seems to me life insurance is pref
ty much along the same lines"
Maybe" calmly. I'm not against
fife insurance for those who can al
ford it'
You might ole.
There is a chance of 1t, certainly"
sdmitted the farmer. But it's only
q chance, while the money necessary
to provide against it would be an I'M
mediate and positive loss TO the chil-
dren. a good education and httlnG
for some profession or trade, as they
seem inclined. is the best insurance
] can leave them"
rpa 'fhar didn't seem con-
vinced.
There's a good many ifs an ands
an butts" he said, gently. You're a
better argufier than ] be, son, an can
make things stand out your way. But
/ amt sure. I've lived a good while,
an in my so years have seen heaps of
times when q little outside help would
have prevented trouble. Sound sense
an hard work are most, but not all.
They're liable to have gaps, an so Tar
as we can them gaps ought to be pro
vided for At least, that's my idea.
'Why not empty that stocking heel
or tin box or wherever it's kept, into
the idea?" suggested his son, teas
ingly. Provide for gap, gran ther.
The old man chuckled. Have your
fun, SON. he said. Boys will be boys.
You're only 40 and I'm S0-an' that
makes me think I must go right out
an cut over my 'sparagus bed"
He rose and went out, and his son.
after a few words with young Marvin
and Alice about their school books,
went back to the planting he had left
at sound Of the breakfast bell.
All the Websters were workers. The
children, with their two or three hours
before and after school; Mrs. Webster
who looked after the poultry and dairy
and superintended the kitchen garden
in addition to doing the regular house
hold work; her husband. with his IA to
is hours a day, and gran'ther, who
was always "puttering" about.
Gran'ther was, something of a mys-
terry to the others. It was evident that
most of his puttering had direct, tan
gible results, as with his asparagu
and scarcely less profitable ROBBERY
patch" and strawberry vines. He
doled out enough fruit for table use
and took all the rest into town him.
self, hitching the old horse, who had
long outlived field usefulness, to a
buggy even more ancient. He never
took the new buggy or one of the
horses. Old companions were most
suitable, he chuckled. They were
three of kind.
What the children and their father
and mother earned could be seen in
food and clothing, few school books
and other things. The money their
labor brought in could be accounted
for in visible objects, almost to a cent.
When gran'ther's fruit and asparagus
disappeared at a bend in the road il
was the end. He never brought any
thing back. He had given up the use