The Washington times., 1938-01-19


he's just little shot. A swell
guy so we'll, maybe, that he'll
never be more than a shipping
clerk.
Stella we'll, Stella is just a
bit different. Not that she minds
the scrimping and saving, the bar
gain basement dresses, the cook
ing and washing. She's brave, as
only women can be brave.
There's always a smile for
Johnny, even when her back does
ache or when she sees her hands
growing red and rough. No, it's
something deeper that, every now
and then, causes the empty, desc
late look in her eyes.
But babies are so expensive ). q.
and Johnny has set his. heart so
completely on a place in the coun-
try some day. She doesn't
complain, though. Stella's not
that kind.
Two dollars a week is big when
you only make thirty-five-terribly
big. It's the difference between
smoking and not smoking, be-
tween going to the movies and
staying at home, between smart,
new dress and a frayed, shabby
one.
What's even more important is
the price in pride. They'd grown
used to it, though, after nine
years. 1t made them feel sort
of important, somehow.
Nights when there hadn't been
much for supper, and the neigh
bors had gone to a show, they
would sit and talk about the place
they were going to buy. Upstate
they decided a little farm,
where they could take in tourists.
IMPORTANT NIGHT
And then the night that Johnny
came home with pocket full OF
papers. Stella was in the tiny
kitchen peeling potatoes when she
heard him call.
SU6l. OGCl, 1OUh az U11lS'
eyes, johnny" She glanced up,
smiling, a tender, patient smile.
"It'S it's out near Fairview." J"
He was stammering little, as he
always did when excited. Sells
for only three thousand. One
down and the balance or time.
It's a money-making proposition
I'VE checked the figures"
Stella laughed.
"Start at the beginning" she
suggested. "And stir the soup while
you tell it,"
Johnny stirred, vigorously.
"Its a trap7shooting range" he
announced.
"A what?"
"You know. A place where peo
pie shoot at clay pigeons. Called
the Fairview Gun Club, though OF
course, it's open to the public.
saw an ad in the paper and went
to the real estate agents office on
my lunch hour.
"The range is one Of the oldest
in the State. Been going for 20
years and never failed to make
good dough. Think what this
means, Stel! A chance to be some
thing more than just a little
shot"
But Johnny, you don't know
anything about trap-Shooting."
It'll be easy: A machine sends
up the clay birds, and the Gus
toners shoot at 'em. You make
good profit on shells and pigeons
and I can be my own trap-boy
The pictures of the place look
swell"
Seems funny. Why should the
price be so low, if it's a good, es.
tablished busineSS?"
well :" Johnny hesitated
"You see, Mr.. Hardwick, the man
who owns it now, is getting around
middle age and wants to retire
There's no strings attached, Ste,
II went over his books. The
agents going to take us out there
Saturday. just bet you'll love
the place"
Stella did. There was something
breathtaking about the white
friendly little cottage, the gray
rolling hills, the freedom from
rushing crowds. Stella felt sud
den tears in her eyes.
Then the real estate agent was
introducing them to Mr.. Hard
wick, a short, heavy-set man with
thin gray hair.
REAL BARGAIN
"Glad to know you," he nodded
"Getting a real bargain, folks. Il
didn't need cash in a hurry.
Let me show you over the range
Behind the house was a long tlat
stretch of ground, several acre:
sparsely covered with grass. A
one end of the field, protected b!
a little dugout, we're the traps
which sent the clay pigeons skim
ming across the sky.
They're not new" HardwicA
admitted. But they work okay
Like to look at the house?"
Back across the hard, gravellJ
field to the cottage. Stella went
from room to room, starry-eyed.
"Well?" Johnny asked. But the
question was unnecessary; the
look on her face was enough.
The I1rst month at Home or
the Range" as Johnny called it
wasn't easy. So much to learn ..
the difference between "dustec
birds" and "broken BIRDS" thu