Ladoga High School - Canner Review Yearbook (Ladoga, IN)

Page 26 text:

what Eraaiv Elinunh Ti'- T was Bessie Evans' custom to spend her vacation days on her grand- mother's farm down in Newark County. Although born a city girl, Bessie revelled in the free outdoor air of the country, and, besides, she had always been her grandmother's favorite. She, being the eldest girl in a family of six, had gone to work as a stenographer in an office in the city the year before to assist in supporting the family. This year she had decided to spend the two, weeks' vacation allowed her bythe com- pany for which she worked, on her Grandmother Evans' place as usual. It would be a sad homestead to visit, for since her son's death, the old lady had the farm work done by a hired man. In addition there was a mortgage for nine hundred dollars on the farm held by 'Squire Ayer since Grandfather Evans' death. During the past year lVlrs. Evans had fallen behind with the interest owing to expenses incurred at her son's death. Bessie often lay awake at night, endeavoring to think of some method by which she could raise money to pay off the expenses so her grandmother might spend the remainder of her days in peace. It was about seven o'clock when Bessie found herself once more before the familiar farm house. Grandmother Evans was looking for her on the front porch in a new linen cap and clean dress. A moment later with arms about each other they turned and passed into the cheery little dining room, where'Bessie had spent many happy hours in the past. 49 'X 'X' 'le 99 It was Wednesday afternoon of the last week of her visit. Mrs. Evans and she were canning the last of the peaches, and Bessie was giving the last tightening twist to a stubborn can, when she straighnened up and said: Oh, Grandma! I just happened to think-whatever became of the deed to that section of Florida land Grandpa bought so many years agof- that tumed out to be worth- less? Won't you let me see the deed, if you still have it? Her grandmother smiled doubtfully, but she said: ' Why of course you can see it if you really want to. You'll find it in the old leather trunk in the attic. A moment later Bessie was hurrying up the stairs to the attic, and, after picking her way over broken furniture and discarded clothing, she found the little trunk. Propping an old chair against the wall, she placed the candle-stick on its seat and pulled the trunk out of its hiding place. ln the dim light she managed to unbuckle the straps which bound the trunk and insert the key. The lock tumed with a creak and as it did so Bessie tossed back the lid and looked within. Remembering her grandmothers directions she lifted out the tray and began to ex- plore the contents. One by one she laid the articles on a paper beside her. Ar the bot- tom of the trunk was a packet of papers wrapped in linen and what appeared to be two

Page 25 text:

' ' f.'4.rV fl' fy' K -, 4 -T ly , is I I 'A 'J 1 ', ' 'I 'Af ' 5 I! ,1 r,l',f ,gif I. ff!!! ,Z f ' A' f l' ' f fl, J of 1 M I If I Lf I f W X' 1 if ' g ' :Ziff lj .1 f ff, I-If ff! !f! XQQ4 f 91 ,, Z- ' , f A ' ' ff If 1 rf U ,' xf f 7 2 fhl .hx f f '11 144' V f' 1 'A A A , ZX -W--r f aff ,f ' D .Z 1 X f f .. 1 I ! I y fm ,fb , jf 1 I fb, VA f -if fm--Z, F fl! 1 ,J ff- Wk l jvurff! -1 J gy 41.1 ' . f I! ft X! if J 'y,Ly.f fl 'A ' Qfgff., ,VA fy J 4'd3'O'OW7?'7QKW7??3x LITERARY LITERBRY 4o'o5904'M'ff53'MeMWa's W lHMllllM.MlUUl.lLLlUAl ' X? ATT? X f til J' P-! Ulla- f,i' 4: - - - --- .. A - K-: ' nun-A, - - , - --' A , ' cpuqux F ' .- - - Q - v u v -t I U 5:1 Tail' lflfiif.-n + -':.':'- 1fll' Q42fiSY ., . X ,gwafwgff ' fff J f , X L ,f 1 I I K A K X! ' .fr Y' ffgfa ffb, gy f fjlfjf' N fix f fJ' f' F fda W ffl , fa , , ex -, y if ,Muff ,wi L f - A P14-fq'q ' X 7 yfff 119 Aff! I Uv . ,l V, ll' Q xfl -17 ir N M3 y ,fw fy , ,A J 1 -'ff V 5 f-ff ' 'X ff ff ,UH , z f, A A ff Jffff f' 'fV-fd? f f- 3, .,f 4!,7 lxxx mf, Y jj' 1' I , I I , I L' wa ,Lift ,K WI. If K H, M V ' Y. s ,L S-4 1 ,f ' . X! ' ff Jfffff WM ' wi ff W 4' ' f gif-, f J-Q,-'J-ff.',M lj- . K X17-I fy! A ,, ,ff ,' ,B 4 LN -A, 7 ff' ,. M f ' , , , ja ,iq ' 4, yin ,ff P' gl X, 4.

Page 27 text:

l l ECCLESIA l l small books tied with red cord. Along with the books came a deed from The Florida Land Improvement Co. H Bessie opened the document and began to read. The law-book wording in which it was written was rather monotonous reading. But she studied it out from start to finish. Suppose this land was really valuable! She had heard of such things before! Bessie's eyes looked hopeful as she laid the deed on the chair beside the candle and began to wrap the other papers up in the cloth. As she put the packet back in place, her eyes fell on the two old books. A sudden impulse prompted her to have a look at them. As she lifted the books to her knee, the leaves of one fell apart and several bits of colored paper fell out. ln the dim light, Bessie did not recognize them, but when she held them near the candle she saw that they were old postage stamps. And what queer things they were, too! Bessie laid them carefully on top of the deed and began to untie the books. With the thought that there might be more of them inside. she began to examine the contents of the book from which the stamps had fallen. It proved to be a small memoranda of about fifty pages. Each page was ruled off in- to little squares in which more postage stamps were neatly arranged. At the top of the page was written a brief description of the stamps pasted below. Some of the pages were filled, but most of them were about half filled. Bessie looked it over slowly and found it contained a trifle more than three hundred stamps. Grandmother Evans had begun to put the jars of fruit away in the cellar when Bessie reached the kitchen again with the deed and the book of stamps under her arms. She set a chair near the window for Mrs. Evans and got her spectacles from the mantle-piece in the dining room. Then she handed the deed to the lady by putting it in her lap. Mrs. Evans carefully looked over the paper and then passed it to the girl with a sigh. I know it is very high sounding as it reads, dear, she said, but is only a heartless fraud. Your grandfather was cheated out of twelve hundred dollars by the men who got it up. There were a lot of other people around the country who were taken up by them, too. When your grandfather went to investigate the location of the land, he found that it was a swamp. He hired a lawyer to prosecute the rascals, but when it came to trial we couldn't get a cent back. But if you wish to satisfy yourself, you may go over to Lawrence and see judge Arthur P. Collins who was one of the judges who tried the case and is a close friend of your grandfather. You will find his ofiice in the Federal Building. ' Mrs. Evans began to stroke her granddaughtefs hair as Bessie leaned down beside her to open the book of stamps on her lap. Why, where did these come from, Bessie? she inquired as her eyes fell on the mem- oranda. l found it in the old trunk with the deed, and l brought it down to ask you about it. You see, there were lots of postage stamps in ity and old postage stamps are sometimes worth money. As her grandmother turned the pages, she exclaimed: Why, this is the stamp col- lection of your Uncle Paul. l must have put it away in the trunk years ago, for, I had quite forgotten about it. I remember now how he used to save all the stamps on the letters and how he got his friends to exchange with him. 59 46 'X 'le 'H