The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1928-01-19
Vandals Led to
Romance
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

~ dlScOufaSlnS Jay at Lie ioS
tory to find that gay party OF pic
nickers had eaten lunch down by
his brook and had left remnants Of
their meal scattered about.
Now although Bob's place was TOT
sale, he nevertheless retained con-
siderable fondness for tit had
been his fathers before him-and
this wanton strewing of refuse
made him see red.
He climbed out of his car. Some
thing white caught his eye. A
scrap of paper. Picking 1t up GIN
gerly, he read the address on 1t.
81. w. Knowlton,
1854 Madison Street,
Bergen Manor"
"Ah, ali! He was lucky. Not
once in hundred times would
it happen that the marauders would
leave an address behind them.
He selected the largest Of the car
tons on the ground In front OF
him and filed it with the debris.
Then he drove on to the house,
wrapped up the package and, In
large, careful letters, prepared it
for Mr.. j. w. KnowltOn.
With 1t he sent letter:
"Dear sir:
81 believe YOU had your lunch by
the little brook on my property and
left the things I am sending un-
der separate cover.
"Yours, truly,
sROBERT MALCOLM"
Once dispatched. he promptly
proceeded to forget all about 1t.
Bob had had that on his mind
which precluded any dwelling on an
episode of only passing moment.
His business, the manufacturing
of window and door frames, was
on the brink of collapse. To boil
ster it up over a bad period he had
resolved to sell the old homestead
with its hundred acres and had put
it In the hands Of realtor. But
while many came to look at 1t, no
one had offered him the price he
felt it was worth.
Yet the little affair Of the pic
nickers was not enough, as Bob
had supposed 1t would be, when
he sent after them their refuse. For
a few days later letter reached
him:
'Mr. Malcolm, e
"Dear Sir:
II am remailing the package you
so kindly sent me, as / do not care
to retain in my possession that
which so obviously belongs to an.
other. It is true that, on the ad-
vice Of the real estate agent that 1t
was exactly what was looking
for, I called to investigate your
place. Not finding you at home
took the liberty of strolling about
the property which, ct that time, ]
was thinking of purchasing. / sat
down beside the brook to do little
figuring and must have left behind
some of my note paper. But kindly
do not hold me responsible for the
misdeeds of vandals who came
after me. .ssl..sS1l
Every truly yours,
| u. w. KNOWLTON."
"Wty, oh, why had he been such
q dumbbell as to give way to his
anger resulting in antagonizing g
prospective purchaser?
He crQmpled the letter he had
been reading and rose quickly. He
would put his pride in his pocket,
call on this j. w. Knowlton, and
apologize.
As he drove through the traffic
he could not but feel that hang
ing was too good for those picnick-
ers who had caused all the trouble.
Just moment" a pretty young
secretary babe him to wait In the
outer Office until her employer
should be at liberty.
Impatiently he thumbed the
sheets Of the morning paper for
-ffteen-twenty minutes. Then,
as the inner door opened and a mid
die aged couple came out, he rose
and was waved within by gesture
from the pretty secretary.
"Mr. Robert MalcOlm?"
Bob steadfed himself. Was this
j. w. Knowlton, who stood finger
ing his card? This slender, trinity
dressed young woman with beau
tiful eyes and soft chestnut hair?
Everything was settled then and
there for Bob. But, of course, Miss
Jacqueline Knowlton did not know
that she was being fallen in love
with on the spot. Or, at least, she
always claimed she didn't
II felt ! must tell you that I
regret my extreme stupidity" Bob
began, little awkwardly.
But the girl laughed. Most nat
ural thing in the world I" she said.
"Only ! couldn't let it 60 by. And
I'm so glad of this opportunity to
talk with you about your place. I
love It. It's just what + have al
ways wanted. You see, my bust
ness is landscape gardening and
need place in the country for
nursery. Your price is satisfac-
tory, also, Mr.. Malcolm"
But a year later, when the win
dow and door-frame business was
once more alive and kicking, Bob
got his place back again. That is
to say, he bought it from Jacqueline
and decided it to her as q wedding
gift.
And, who knows, If those vandal
picnickers had not caused Bob to 60
to Jacqueline personally, all the
business would have been transact
ed through the agent? And how
L. -