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Show iThe Inventions of Irad Biglow I gJ'T- By HUGH PENDEXTER ZIIZZZZZZZZZ!ZZZ Cousin Edgar's narrow eyes gleamed with jdoasuro as his aged kinsman, Trad Biglow, painfully pulled his trunk to tho edgo of tho veranda preparatory pre-paratory to entering tho farm wagon. After many delays the old man was about to go to his cousin, Freeman, whero Edgar was anxious "to sco him housed. Old Irnd Biglow 's aged oyes becamo pathetic bchiud (heir bushy thatch as ho readily deduced his welcoruo had been exhausted. But ho had no sottled homo and it was imperativo that lie remain re-main under Cousin .Edgar's roof a bit longer. "Mobbo you can make me a short visit next, year," soothed Edgar, letting down the 'tail-board of tho wagon to receive the trunk. Irad sighed. TTo knew his slay at Freeman's would bo as brief as it was unwelcome. What after that filled him with forebodings. "Mobbo I can have you eonio in haying time.," continued con-tinued Edgar. " Haying time," muttered Trad, ruefully, rue-fully, his head sinking. Then his faded eyes lighted a bit and he mom complacently observed: "T guesj; yuw ji navu i,o romp m inc iicxi. kuiu-mer, kuiu-mer, as T expect my oxperimonts in I'Veeinan's south uioader will keep mo busy for. a year. I've worked out the alphabet, seed all right, but there is a bit inoro fussing to bo done. The grass comes harder 'n tho Jlowors. In lifting I he trunk, Icindly tako euro not to jostle if. as them parcels of seed mav got loose. Now, it vou '11 give mo a lift, we'll " JSeed?" murmured Edgar, his gaze narrowing suspiciously. "Whose seed? Where did you git any seed?" "It's my alphabet 'seed," explained Irad, betiding over the trunk. "The idea of planting flowers that would spell out things when they break into bloom always appealed to inc. Tako a. city man's lawn. Say his uamo is Elnalban "V. Jones. This seed sprouts and buds and flowers until you boo on his lawn his full namo gracefully swelled out. Also, bis house number. If ho pays exlry I'll put in his tele-phono tele-phono numbor. I lirst liggered on SoO a lawn; then I said I'd bo dinged if it wa'nfc worth five dollars a letter. Each seed dovolops into a letter. It's like setting type, you know. Have a little box with a bin for each letter and numeral, and then waudor around careless and easy like, mobbo. bumming bum-ming a little nong, and pick out tho seeds from the different bins. "Now, at livo dollars a letter EI-nathan EI-nathan W. Jones would pay $70. That doesn't includo his house numbor. Take a city of 100.000, and say 200 householders only U00, mind you buy tho alphabet seed. Averaging $.50 apiece that "ity would net U3 $10,000. "LET'S PLANT A FEW SEEDS RIGHT NOW." And 1 hat's onlv for one summer. Now take " "Uol' mackerel!" stuttered Edgar, fanning his fovered brow and tenderly tender-ly pulling thc trunk back to tho doorway. door-way. "Irad Biglow, sit down. Why didn't you tell me of this before? Why. Trad, how could you think of quitting your best friend? Now, don't look at that dnnged trunk. Just for-git for-git it.- Fill your pipe We're going to havo a boiled dinner what I know you are fond of." "But Freeman?" feebly protested Irad. "Freeman be hanged," cried Edgar. "You're going to pay mo a decent visit. Now, this sood " "This seed will bo a harvest of dollars," dol-lars," proudly assured Irad. sinking into a chair. "Tho liggors T'vo mon-tionod mon-tionod aro based on Maine cities. But think of the prolits when wc git mto cities whore's there a lot of Germans and sign contracts for names like Kuppeinheinieira and "Ilockcnsloin-borgor. "Ilockcnsloin-borgor. Sounds good, ch? Then ask mo what's in a name. Ha! ha! hal Take a wealthy Italian, say Giovanni Guiscppi Staniluscioria " "And streois where tho house numbers num-bers ruu into tho thousands," babbled bab-bled Edgnr. "And think of families spelling out. their ehildron's names." "Aud.tbiuk of big factories spelling lout: its name and tho goods it manufactures," manu-factures," continued Irad. "Think of tho advertising along tho railroads, where tho alphabet u'rass and .flowers tako the plnco of billboards and tell vou whero to buy creamed hay nud predigested Mrnw. with two or three tobtimoninls spelled out. in Kinall vjo lCKal -a, five dollars per. Why. it makes mo dizzy trying to jump over the numerals. T git tired out before 1 catch up with the dollar sign. I snuin! I almost wish thero wasn't so much in it. Wo 'II git so tuckored out indorsing checks that we'll havo to buy a rubber stamp. Of course when the summer resorts " i "Don't! You innko my bead ache," shivered Edgar. "But let's plant a few 1 scods right now." "Hardly now." demurred Irad, pulling pull-ing his hut over his eyes. "There'll be time enough for that after l'vo perfected per-fected tho coloring scheme." "Tho which?" gasped Edgar. worked out." explained Irnd. "Barring that, the seed is ready for planting. You sec, I've got to ligger out how to infuse the colors info tho seed and do it so they won't, run, or fade. If I planted a seed now it would eome up j a letter of tho alphabet, but you'd; never know it, as they would bo all of oue color. But I'll git to work on the color scheme, and by auothcr summer sum-mer " "I'll sny good-day till dinner time, jIr. Trad Biglow."" gritted Edgar, as hu led tho horses back to tho stable. |