The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-08-03
Bill honestly ?.

SuiS " clfCdh " Hill USAoaS =
the DEAL"
When Bill had left the room moth
er and daughter stared at each other
with puzzled eyes. "He turned down
S15 for his bum radio set T. Lila
sighed, "and he'll never get another
offer Honestly. the whole thing Is a
mystery to me-"
The next evening Bill came In with
an earnest face, but his eyes shone
like searchlights. His mother and sis
ter, sensing something had happened.
dropped everything and hurried to
him.
Bill looked straight at Lila. "You
wouldn't believe that my radio was
worth anything, would you? Well
when Mr.. Crick asked me this after
noon how my radio was working l
Just mentioned casually that l had
an offer from somebody in the neigh
borhood of $15 for my set. | didn't
mention any names. WE'LL" Bill
couldn't suppress grin, ''for minute
he didn't say much. but just as l
was going to walk on he said. kind Of
excited like, that he'd give me twenty
five for 1t, spot cash!'
There was baffled silence, then
Lila said excitedly. Course you ac-
copied right away, Bill?"
He shook his head. "Nope. That
wouldn't be fair to Mr.. Romibold.
You know, promised to tell him If |
had another offer. think / ought to
go round and see him tonight. What
do you think, mom?"
She did not know what to think, be-
ing utterly dumfounded.
After supper when Bill, having
washed and put on clean shirt,
started out with business-like air, the
two women settled down with their
sewing In the living room. Frankly,
Lila, l don't understand it at all. it's
a mystery TO me-" said Mrs. Meade.
81 think they're kidding him, LILA
said with a toss of her head. you'll
see when he comes back. Don't think
for one minute, mother, that Mr..
Romibold will pay him $25 for that
radio set. / know Mr.. Romibold, he's
just a mean old crouch; never did
kind generous thing in his life! can't
wait till we move away. You'll go TO
the city, won't you, mother, If Bill
wants to go, too?"
little stab of pain shot through
Mrs. Meade's heart. Leave this little
town where they knew everybody for
life among strangers But If Bill
came home disillusiOned, sick at heart,
urging to go away, too?
Bill came home surprisingly soon.
He stalked noisily across the room in
his No. 9's, proudly conscious of the
intensely interested, excited eyes OF
his mother and sister, and without
word laid five crisp SO bills in his
mothers lap. "Sold to Mr.. Romibold
for $50, one radio. despised by Sister
Lii. didn't mention Mr.. Crick's name
to Mr.. Romibold, just said somebody
in the neighborhood offered me $50.
This is the result! A triumphant Bill
who graciously permitted the hugs and
kisses of two widely excited women.
Mrs. Meade went TO bed happy but
puzzled. The gray enameled washer
was safe-hers for good. Lila was
strangely quiet, seemingly lost in deep
thought. Not until morning, in the lit
tie kitchen, Bill out of sight, did Lii
las arms suddenly circle her mothers
neck and her whisper chokingly, Il
was wrong, you were right. It's per-
fectly clear to me, mother, Mr.. ROM
ibold bought that radio out of kind
ness it was his way of helping us.
I'm going to tell Myrtle today that |
was mistaken, l just couldn't move
away from this dear little town." And
when Mrs. Meade busted the library
table the little stack of thumbed mag
azines was gone.
Dusk of the mild, almost June-like
April day found Mrs. Meade on her
knees at the tulip bed on her side of
the hedge, wondering If she should
speak to Mr.. Romibold on the other
side, who was evidently unaware of
her presence. "Hello, there? Wasn't
the radio great last night?" Mr.. Crick's
brisk voice speaking to his neighbor,
Mr.. Romibold.
Mrs. Meade, completely hidden by
the hedge, heard Mr.. Romibold an
swer, "Never was betterl You can
thank me for that, Ed! Come little
closer and I'll tell you secret. You
know young Meade's terrible bowling,
whistling set that turned my radio
evenings into nightmares? Made me
so humping mad, never could hear a
thing for that wild noise his set made.
Yes, know you had the samn trouble !;
well, bought it from him last night I"
Mr.. Romibold chuckled, bought 1t so
nobody else could buy 1t and spoil
our radio reception. Some crazy fool
actually wanted to buy that set, but,
believe me, I'd have paid any price to
keep that maddening set out of the
neighborhood." The voice died out as
the two men moved away.
The corners of Mrs. Meade's blue
eyes crinkled, Nowadays" she whis-
pered to herself, "a lot is accomplished
by radio, even washing ! But sometimes
even more is accomplished by keeping
secret !" And she never told this one.