The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-03-25
Ore Thousand
Dollurs-'
By SMITH AIKENS
e Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service,

l. "
For had the disgusting catalogues
not tempted her so alluringIy with
thelr brilliant array of purchaseable
nay needable things-Leila would
never have even thought of making
up the list of things she might buy.
The dingy old kitchen where Leila
spent goodly portion of each day
was to receive its rehabilitation
with a portion of that magic sum.
Inc broken, much-mended, warped,
ola kitchen range was to be re-
placed with shining blue-enameled
AFFAIR." exactly duplicated in the al
turing sketch in the catalogue.
The kitchen plans done, Leila al
ways held her breath with a tiny
gasp as she turned to the ladies'
Quitting department. Such an ar
ray OF tinery! Luxurious silk I'M
derthlngs for best; dainty hand
done Porto Rican lingerie for everv
day; smart-looking ginghams for
every day, and a complete after
noon, evening and street costume"
as listed by the Fifth avenue shops
ana copied accurately for the dis
crlmmatlng customers of Searles
; Gordon company!
10 dream of possessions was one
thing, to make the dream come true
still another problem. So Leila
schemed and dreamed and kept on
keeping the home of her beloved
father CHEEKY and Immaculate.
; A country minister's salary is far
from opulent, and Leila had all she
could do to keep the cellar filled
with canned goods, the garden free
OF weeds, the chickens well fed and
laying and the one cow they af-
forded producing daily.
The Rev. Lyle Dinsmore, how
ever, was utterly unlike his ener-
getlc daughter. He believed that
| GOD would provide-and he was too
much of dreamer to aid Him in
the stupendous task.
Leila was deep in a fit of moody
rebellion as she walked from the
market to the postoffice for the
morning mail. AS she turned away
with stih another brilliantly adver-
tlsed catalogue from Searles and
Gordon she saw posted in a promi-
nent place poster advertising
$1,000 reward for the capture of the
man pictured. He was alleged to
be daring train robber and had
been awaiting trial when he escaped
and was reputed to be heading for
the border and the Canadian wilds.
Leila shuddered. A bandit-a
robber! And heading for Sleekportl
She hurried home and worked fever
ishly all day, the picture of the
youthful bandit haunting her and
the $1,000 reward tantalizing her
equally. By nighttime she was in
a nervous state close to hysteria.
: There was no moon and a slight
wind sighed about the house. Leila,
still worried over the bandit, was in
the cupboard putting away a few
; last things when she saw the kitch-
en- door slide noiselessly open. A
heavily bearded face peered at her
and shaking hand warned her to
silence. 1t was the hunted man.
Leila never knew where the courage
came from that caused her to bid
him enter, but she knew she must
have done it by the flash of deep
!, gratitude in his face as he sat
: YEARLY down. And as she pre-
pared lunch for him and watched
him eat it the thought of the 81 1000
reward was almost sitting her. Her
dreams come true!
Silently the man ate wolfshly. as
though he were famished. LeiIa's
heart CONSTRUCTED. He was so young
and, somehow, he didn't look
vicious or weak. Just poor.
Now he was speaking, and his
voice rang with truth and convic-
ton. "You won't believe me.
ma'am, any more than the officials
down there will-but those yeggs
hired me and my car. wasn't
one OF EN-. l was just earning a
good nights pay and l didn't know
anything about the robbery at all
till / read the papers next day.
Then l knew they'd hired me to
drive 'em away just as blind. And
nobody will ever believe that |
wasn't member of that gang. It'll
mean twenty years! And l was
going to get married next year. I'd
saved enough to buy my car and I'd
built up good trade" The boys
head dropped to the table. He
wasn't crying; he wasn't the whin-
ing sort. He was just sunk in the
misery of LIES cruelest mistake,
circumstantial evidence.
And suddenly Leila saw it all, saw
how little poverty was after all COM
pared to dishonor, bad luck and the
thousand and one other trials of the
world, and she moved impulsively.
There's long-distance moving
truck that goes through Stockport
every Saturday night It unloads
part of the provisions at Keller's.
I'll hide you till they come and
you can go to st. Adams with them
playing hooky. You'll catch a
bumper out of there and make the
border safely, if you're careful. I'm
going to give you things to shave
with hut laava a yYot1ctoobo ord ;t,U