The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-10-29

dustry wanted the lana our hoa.a
vas On The city condemned ire
property, the owners were pals. the
get out. - ~
II was too much for aer. She
hsed Just one week after We moved
into some furnished rooms.s
he paused = few momes n an.
AaFlan stared straight ahead. not
wanting 70 see the furtiv1 move
meni OF his hand, as It went M pre-
samasly 70 pun us soft hat I. > dlf-
ferent angle.
aud here comes the laugh" he
resumed. The cnIy lob eoulo f,nd
vas working on the building that
vas erected On hat site.
The old carpenter I'd worked
With consented to act as my guard
lan. and that kept me from going
into some Institution.
Because l was such a kid ana
pretty bitter at that time talked a
lot and the men en- the lob egeed
me on ] used TO spend my lunch
hour Grating aboal what was going
10 DO when grew up. was soing to
build homes and fix It so they
couldn't be taken away from honest
folk. without money enough to fight
Tor their rights.
One day In Tho midst OF N. ha-
rangue not' &c the men around me
motioning me &c shut up. looked
up. The contractor In charge Of the
job was listening He me.ioned for
me to join him and tell him why I
was 50 bitter. told him. pleLty.
That night he took me to dinner
with him. | was too scared to be as
tough as I'D been 9Th the men, so I
told him about mother and the
things I've told y1n. Somehow it in
terested him. saw lot OF him dur
Ing that summer. and In the fan he
went TO the authorities, had himself
made my guardian and took me to
Cleveland with him and put me in
school
+HE was bachelor. had plenty Of
A time to give to me and gave II
and gave me money as we'll He saw
that ! had a chance to see all sides
OF life Think he wanted to test my
ambition.
Each summer I worked on the
Job with him. sometimes building
factories. sometimes working on
the little houses that had become
my hobby.
"And out Of this experience I
evolved an idea. decided l wanted
middle class people. the white COZ
lar crowd. to have a chance at home
owning. Il wanted these men and
women who'd never be able TO col
leet enough money tor down pay.
ment on the kind Of a home they'd
Ike TO have. to be able to pay their
rent into their own bank accounts.
my guardian agreed il was worth
trying I figured I'd buy a tract OF
land, cut 1t up into lots large enough
for a good vegetable garden and
chicken yard in the rear and .
flower garden In the front.
"0f course there have always been
cheap places but they looked It and
the kind of people l was thinking
about would rather do without. than
live in them. / wanted attractive
houses with the grace OF good arehi,
lecture and the assurance OF sub
stantial building. No shacks nor
shanties.
Before We could try out this idea,
my guardian died. That was LAS
year. He left me lump sum Of cash,
for my personal use. the rest he left
in a Building and Loan Society
which he had headed. to be used in
my experiment. Experiment in hu.
man nature he called it.
He had suggested try the west
where good property at a reason
able figure could be found within q
short driving distance OF industrial
and commercial eenters.
Il bought this car. my only luxury.
Came out to visit Steele and met
you.
Il was pretty sure of myself al
along the way. l thought when
found. the right girl she wouldn'i
mind keeping house for me without
servants, doing without a lot Of
thfnss. And then mss Silver Hon
DON" He pausee
"And then l met Silver" he re
peated, "and | realized what a lux
ury a wife might BE And wondered
| IL had the right to ask any girl to
give up the beauty that is bough;
with money"
There are other kinds Of WON
] en-" Marian Ventured.
you're one. and that's why I'm
getting up nerve enough to ask you
| IL you'd be willing to be poor with
met"
| (cotyrisIs. 1884. D. Jssass sop=asl
Tomorrow. marriage seems to Be
] In the air.