Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 16, Decatur, Adams County, 19 January 1925 — Page 6

». - - :I Helped Him More Than Sunshine By MARTHA WILLIAMS ■ — — - - (C«i*yil»6t l rpHK Oracle spoke: "If you U now 1 rthat'D good fur y»u, you’ll stay njiM i,. it uout "'.i.i.i folk* my u v.rang thin? like you runnln’ off to work for u unit) ill*’* never seen nor mn henrtl of till lit*t week?" “A plenty and more beside*,” Juno flung Pack desperately. “I’m n huhe of . otinte twenty live ue\t blrtlulay. Aik? I am not afraid of work, nor of men nor even of the devil—ls l don t a«k him In ” ••lie don't wait on askin'," the Or-n.-le blurted. June shrugged linputlently. 'Tiu goln’,’’ she said grimly. "I won’t stay here, starvlu’ on a hundred a year- and working harder tlmn any other girl In town to pay my kind friend*'for what I dout get. She flung away high-headed. The Oracle looked after her with pursed l.ys, u shaken head. Her mind's eye sun June’s finish—the gutter, the liver, the morgue, when the monster who was enticing her to destruction had tired of her. She was going thus to a man who had advertised for ' A woman with a gift of home making, in u secluded country house." Her heart wus In home-making—it was her art, her Joy. Dawn melted Into daylight as she quitted the train. The way station lay silent betwixt woods and pus tures. Then with a snort of the engine the long train whirled away, revealing beyond the tracks a cur that had seen better days, with a vvotuun, plump, placid, gray-haired at the wheel. "You look like the answer to prayer,” she said, motioning June to her side. “I won’t tell you whybelter let you see for yourself. There's time for you to wash up, rest a bit, and eat breakfast before Esme w akes. Poor soul I Sleep was hard for him—he wag so anxious over yonr coming." Esme came to the table, clean kempt.Vpatlietlc beyond words, In a wheel chair, propelled by his double —tanned and rugged us lie wus bleached and wasted. Twin brothers, the Trents were no closer In blood than in heart and spirit. "Helpless—and the doctors say there Is no hope of betterment, yet he may live to be old,” Hardin Trent said as they went out upon the porch. “He loves beauty In everything. Youmust give it to him. 1 see In yonr eyes that you can. Cousin Emma, dear, good soul, has the best heart, and the worst taste In the world.” So, indeed. It proved. Six months later the solid old red brick bouse wus transformed within and transfigured without. Her joy was nothing beside Esme'*; he gained in spirit, in color, a little in ease and strength. He spent hours In the grounds, watehiug the flowers grow and blow, the new shrubs make root and stem, the vines clamber lustily over the new trellises, the turf thicken as summer strengthened. He could push himself along the walks, but Hardin was close by half the time. June haunted him —It was so piteous to see him brighten at sight of her, and smile when she gave him a gay word. “You help him—more even than sunshine,” Hardin said to her, his tone faintly wistful. "And 1 simply can never thank you enough—you don’t know, but he is as he Is because of me. Dragged me nway from a falling tree. His foot hung—lt caught him. Death would have been ten times easier than living to see him so. He was the lithest, merriest, happiest creature, so winning dogs followed him, women were wax In his hands. We were always close friends—now vve are all In all to each other—and will be to the end of time.” Time ambling withal brought frost to nip the turf, the flowers, snow to mantle them Into more subtle beauty, brought also warmth, and flreshine and merry talk about the hearth, or happy silences beneath the reading lamp. Esme gained steadily, but very ■lowly. One month he could pick Ids guitar, singing to It In a fine tenor, Inaudible across the room; the next lie raised himself unaided by holding lo the arras of his chair—after New Years he actually stood upright for live seconds. Hardin supporting one arm, June the other. Sinking down, Ids face illumined, he drew their hands together and held them upon Ids breast. There they felt his heart pounding at racing speed, with now and then the veriest ghost of a skip. He smiled up at them, saying clearly. “Mustn’t try that again—for your sakes. It would end everything quickly. You’d grieve for me 1 know. -Tell me truly will you let me live on as I am, and watch your happiness?" “WTiot happiness?” Hardin asked huskily. June turned her head. Esme again Joined their hands and lifted them lo his lips before answering: “The right human happiness of man and wife. Y’ou love each other—l have seen that a long time—but 1 have stood between you. No, no—” as they would have protested. "I was Jealous —madly so! It seemed to me you had no right to take—what Is forever denied me. I dreamed even of getting well —of daring you to rival me with —June The dream Is ended—take you each the other, with my blessing. Do It quickly—before I go." The last words whispered, Hardin and June stood apart, looking lovingly at this rnun and brother. "Kiss me. both. I must sleep,” he said. And so fell Into the sleep that knows no wak- -

r- : 1 A Theory That Wa* Proved By H> IRVING KING (Cssyrlsht > CAROLINE FENDERGAST lmd a theory and set out to prove It. Her theory wus love at first sight. She was a sprightly young lady and was In the light; of fading In love with bewildering versatility. There was young Sims Watson. She wus sure she wus lu love with Silas until she saw him ( wearing u horrible purple tie. Then there was Raymond Caruther*. Hay mund wus so perfectly correct In his utllre, his manuers were so polished, his black eyes so expressive that Caroline, when she was introduced to him, told herself that she had surely eou tracted a case of love at first sight. But when she knew him better and found out what outrageous grummar he used her love was swept away. Then came Into her ken Thomas Williams, the schoolmaster. He boarded with the Pendergasts. Farmer l’endergnst lived near the village aud was well to do. But he was a thrifty soul and took occasional hoarders. Tom Williams was Just out of college and was teaching for a while preparatory to entering the Institute of Technology. He was rather long and gawky and sparing of speech. Caroline looked him over and decided that he would never do at all for a soulmate. She was a little piqued, however, that Tom paid so little attention to her. He was always polite to her, of course, but there was an aloofness about him which nettled her and she j found herself putting forth all the little arts of which she was master to attract the admiration of “pa’s boarder.” And she succeeded. Tom, In fact, | soon found that he was In love with her, but he knew Caroline’s reputation for Inconstancy In love. Tom and Caroline, however, as they came to know each other better, he-. came very good friends. About this time there arrived In the village a young man who seemed to Caroline to be all that she had dreamed of, all that she had been searching for. He was said to be the agent of a big New York firm that in tended establishing a summer resort on the shore three miles away. Car oline bore down on the fascinating stranger like a beautiful yacht under full sail and threw out her grappling irons. The young man's name, »3 he gave it out, was Percival Sommers; which name added just the right touch as a finisher to his perfections. Soon after Percival's arrival Tom and he met in the village street. Both stopped and stared at each other, say--1 lng simultaneously; “You here?” Percival seemed very much disconcerted at the meeting and said: "Y'ou won’t give an old college mate away, will you, Tom? I am down here lying perdu for a while. One of my little escapades. Nothing very bad; but thought It best to keep out of sight for a while." “I will not give you away, Ben," replied Tom, “If you behave yourself. But the very first time I see you up to any of your old dodges, or hear of your being, I will denounce you.” And he passed on with a scowl on his face. Ben Ringwood’s career at college had been disreputable, and his career after leaving college had been more so. Tom knew all about him. Pretty soon Tom saw that Caroline had he come enamored of Ben Uingwood,* alias Percival Sommers. If he told Caroline what lie knew about the man she would simply laugh at him and attribute it to jealousy, He resolved to go to Ben and tell him to leave town. "Sure, I'll leaye'town,” said Ben. “I’ve had all I want of this nole. And, Just to show you that I’m •till In the ring, I might add that, If 1 wanted to, I could take along with me that pretty daughter of your landlord, old Pendergast.” And he handed Tom a letter In which the foolish girl had offered to elope with her Percival, making an appointment for that very night In a certain woodland glade. "Be out of this town tomorrow morning," said Tom, and went home. That night, when Caroline came to the rendezvous, It was not Percival hut Tom she found waiting for her. She gave a little scream when she saw him. Tom told her all that he knew about Ben Ringwood and of what had taken place between them that day. "You are Just as horrid as you can he, both of you," sobbed Caroline. “I’U never speak to either of you again,” and ran back to the house. The next morning Ben Ringwood, alias Percival Sommers, was arrested by officers IV n New York charged with embezzlers. *t. There were other charges—bigamy and a few little things like that. Two days later Caro--1 line, very pale and serious, came to | Tom and said: "Tom, I can never thank you enough for saving me from the results of my folly." | "Caroline,” said Tom, "do you think ( you could—er—like me a little V She gazed at him silently for a i while and then said: “Tom, you are I one of the few young men whom 1 have met that I did not fall in love , with at first sight. What I Tee! for | you has been of a steady growtli and, therefore, I think It must be the real t thing." “And I." he replied, “have loved yon ! since first I saw you.” “Well." said she with a laugh, “sc there is such a thing as love at’first j sight, after all. You have proved m theory, Tom; take me If you will And then he kissed her. * V

i Chicago Citizens To Hold Mass Meeting This Evening i Chicago, Jan Hi.—Holding that Chicago faced a problem of life or death. ■ Edward J. Kelly, municipal chief en-j glnoer, today called on the people to now mass meetings ton ght all over the city to protect against reducing the water withdrawal from Uike Michigan Chicago needs ihe 10,000 feet per second withdrawal allowed at present to fight off pestilence, Kelly said. , "Delay In Impressing Washington with the existence of ihe menace means death lu every glass <if water," Kelly said. , ,| gjß If the flow It cut down, sewage wm contaminate the city’s drinking water and a "huge harvest of death” will follow, Kelly said. Petitions bearing thousands of names will he placed before Secretary of War Weeks, who is expected to decide whether the present flow is

January Clearance Sale “The Half Century Furniture Store” CUT PRICE FURNITURE SALE Starts Monday Morning January 19th WE MUST REDUCE OUR STOCK AND WE WILL SELL ANYTHING AND ALL STOCK AT A REDUCED PRICE. EVERYTHING MARKED IN PLAIN FIGURES. IF YOU ARE EXPECTING TO ADD ANY NEW PIECE OF FURNITURE TO YOUR HOME-NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY IT. - ■ - “i — ——— n . . Bed Room Suites _ Special during this sale onlv at W alnut Dining Room Set, reduced from OP 00 $159.50 right down to rock bottom at «JSIOeJ*UU „ ... R • *•/.£> on JValnu. DO* «»»- Sjfc a** priced a, sJSj dS2nt .hU St * P £ T? i Jirt Going to some one during this sale $156.00 $140.00 MANY OTHER GOOD BARGAINS Other Wonderful Bargains To Be Had _____ pi i All Other Furniture Reduced 1 jIPSPff Kitchen Tables Odd Chiffoniers Dr °p Leaf and End Tables Library Tables Cedar Chests Living Room Suites !,avenport Tahles ,ron and Brass Bcds 3 piece Living Room Suite; for- | 3 Piece Living Room Suites; PWAIDO merly sold for tf»QA AA I re » u * ar 590 A A slso| Special at marking f0r.... 4 O*UU AUK* f o piece Living .Room Suite, reg- 3 piece Living Room Suite; mS O locking ( hairs in any finish a $148.00 j $90.00 Will be cut in price in this sale. Yager Brothers Furniture Store Opposite Public Square-East Side Decatur,

Vto bo reduced in accordance with the decision of the United States supreme court. I: -o — Tide Os Battle lit Shanghai Area Turns — Shanghai, Jan. 19—>1 Special to! Dully Democrat)—The tide of battle In the Shanghai area has turned suddenly and now defeated troops of Chi Ksieh Yuan are pouring towards this eifv, looting and rioting as they come. Tin former ally o# Tu Pel Pu, who sprang a sudden coup d’stat, and took the native city ten days ago. was

■ ing. Work .ii Entond Apprentice, Tuesday, f o'clock. John DidVerson, W. M.

'badly beaten by Hoops of T,u \ nnK Hsiang and now finds his own forces demoralized and In flight A regiment of British troops are reported enronte frrrn Hong Kong to help guard-the foreign settlements. | ! J Washington. — Roy King, of Pond, . near here, claims the oldest violin In the state. The Instrument was I - .J."

— Ashbaucher’s . i I FURNACES LIGHTNING RODS SPOUTING SL4TE ROOFING ' PHONE 765 or 73?

ma.l. K- *«•» S'*""- ‘ Wra “' "

I ihe cort I Last Time Tonight the delightful drama “SO BIG” I Featuring the Wonder Star. I Colleen Moore and wonder cast. • V drama of mother love woven around I \ an interesting story. f ALSO—A “FAST STEPPERS,” feature. I

Quality Coal. Phone 199 Emerson Bennett 27W