Show tJ The Evening Telegrams Telegram's Daily Short Story HER SPLENDID OFFER By ANNIE Copyright IDU 1911 by th the McClure News News- r paper Syndicate The raucous cry of ot a chicken broke brok th lh the e midnight stillness s Lillian Brand caught up an 10 electric o flashlight ran down the stairs tal and out o othe oj of the house bouc An As she he reached ached th the chicken house a g 11 hand took tolk the tho flashlight hl from mm her fingers finger s A dark figure flashing the stolen lI light ht ran ron to toward the UH fence Lillian followed The man mun climbed tho the fence end and ra ran n rapidly down tho the roud road For Tor a 1 quarter o of ofa II a Ii tulip mill he ho ran run with tho the girl not fM behind oI I him At the cd eela u of lh the wood OM ho lie stopped Are Arc you a a light thief as Aft well as a D chicken Lillian asked a kd The man mn flashed J the light toward tier bet err Art you o ou tries Mis Brand he asked I I ow nw ow- ow you ou u an apology for tor- tor where here an th tiro chickens you took Give GIc me mc my light An AR she Rim flashed the tho light ht over over 11 hl his face tac e side h gave gaven a sharp exclamation You 1 ou arc tre e Robert Romer Maywood May w wood d find And robbing m my y chicken ken I I 1 W was M not robbin robbing your chicken house i 1 J was was was- you ou were tern only onto trying to ca caaway carl carry away alt th he house houlf th the land It stool stood on n and enough h of oC In my land for or tho tin railroad I you Oll wish built through my property I I 1 was WoI not I was was was- The chicken hou house e stands on the linn n which you had surveyed for or the railroad ul 1 that l you ott must bo cut through t m my Y farm Wore ore you trying to In lako taka th the thu e chickens rJ th the chicken house away y to tonight tonight to- to I night In order to clear cleal the land Jand for th tho o r railroad Were Rere you ou trying crying to take tai the tho e land too A tI s she c spoke he she kept the light on of t the tho mans man's face It was wad u strong young youn face In the bright glare laughing linn lines 0 wrinkled around his eyes CS and at th the c of his mouth Ml Miss IllIs s Brand he expostulated til I wr WAR WARnot F not trying to steal anything I J was try tn In ing to U from thieves thle My farm tart n adjoins yours yours I although you ou and I nr ar e strangers There Th re ar are no chickens on m ern my y farm I have havea u. u 13 large e force of or m men n- n rather a H harum e 5 set t. t I have ha U f-U sus suspected peeled th thorn m m of or raiding chicken eh houses horses 1 In n order to 0 roasts In the night Tonight I followed two of or them re hc heard ard them ra catch teh one ono of your Our chickens Th They were too quick for me mo and csc escaped I J took your our flashlight In Iu o rT to fotto follow them more more r rapidly and to 10 find out Jut which I to two the they were But th they have got gem OIW through h the timber Umber and I am held as M a thief I A most probable story stony I I know It If t. t he said humbly A u. mos most t 11 I ridiculous talc not so EO r reasonable a one a as s your our Story ton that t I t was as trying to steal I chic 4 y 1 henhouse and land Jane Q Button ton do want to ro take my land I shah pa pay you several times time It Us Its value alu You Yoa own O nearl nearly all tho the land Jand In this hIs s neighborhood except X mine which Is no not t for sale vile You decide that a a. spur pur of or th the o C. C and ond I I. I road must run ram to your land In l lorder n order to carT carry away itay your our cn enormous ous m grain t crops crop If Ir tho rho spur Is b built It must g go 10 o through m my laud land and completely ruining ruining- Tn my fa farts farm rm Your Tour farm Is a Co to you OU only a L business proposition May Maywood wood argued You liver cv with relative In the city and come ome her here only once a year to tov see Se that your our manager manager mana mana- ger Is taking good care of the property I shall shaH pa pay you yon moro more for tor a right of or wn way through your land Jand than you lOU can get el for fot the whole faun farm arm My 1 offer Is Js a R. splendid one I shall not even consider er Jt lt The next day date da a woman oman r name eime to 10 sec see 1 Lillian l Ilan The he woman was old Her gown own Wa was worn orn and shabby Miss Minn Brand she sho ho said timidly I hope oPO vou ou O l will in II sell U II your land for tor the tho railroad The 1 ho ut I survey y runs run through m my property she went on encouraged by by br the limo nods ness In Ih the rime younger woman Romans s face p Yo o have hao only an acre my husband and aim I I. I Just enough for our cott cottage e and garden It Jl In Is our only omit m morns means of existence My My I f husband Is 18 a a. cripple Mr lr Maywood has offered us so 80 so much for rOI our acre cre that It If L w we C tell sell It U wo SS's cnn can buy another little to home and have ha a n good Goal nest egg rg In to the tho bank besides You lou and 1 J are arc the anI only persons a whose lan land t will be crossed by bo the road If the they can not net get yo yours ou they Y will nut not take tako mine and and I f am very poor An n hour later Tina Maywood l received a brief no note r. r from rom Lillian Informing him hint that she had w withdrawn n her objections to tho rho sale pale o of her land tine tie formalities connected con con- During ary tol n- n with the tho sale MIa ilo of ot thu the sand land Mayweed Maywood came often orten to tho the Brand farm But In Lillian's Lillians manner T there was a ro- ro o which seldom relaxed Into friend friend- I lines nel Aft As soon oon as 35 the right of ofay way ay through tho time Brand farm fann was secured Dia Maywood l wood began the lute erection o of or aa an Immo eleva ele tor This elc elevator tor R was a aan to sh shelter shelter the tho I crops crop o of tho great Maywood fa estate te The spur of lime railroad was L to be built from the time main line to 10 tho 10 cI elevator Mayweed Maywood and LIlliAn tood In fn the time window window window win win- dow of or time the ln living Jiving room of oC tho the Brand Bran farmhouse A storm had hac suddenly come como come up The wind was blowing a tc terrific rl gale alC and nd each moment the time blasts growne grow ne fiercer err I hope the workmen have t left ert the elevator Maywood said MId It Il Is not safe Fife for them to be ho In III tt It In n this storm As s he pok th the towering frame of or tho the n tor half a n mile a away wa suddenly dis 1 appeared pp Maywood In wood nt rushed hc-d hc out of tho the house hous to time the barn where his ts tl tied nl While thalo ae ie was waN untying ln It Lillian had thrown sad sad- dl clip and ond bridle herdic on her horse The They raced their heir horses horse across tho the fields over O fences and und ditches Occa Occa- Occasionally lI flon Lillian n looked Ht lit Maywood wood HIsa His fare a ace was al ghastly ha tI and his lips were rigid As thc they reached d Maywood's house the tho h head ad carpenter ran out Its It's ruined sir Ir torn to kindling But Rut the men men the the men How Inn many ny were In It None Oon sir Nobody hurt hurl But the tho ell a elevator to Is lIS a complete loss los 10 R and l nd no In In aurance Mayweed laugh hh rang out Who ho cares for tho the elevator h The men Inn are tre sae safe That Is the time only thin thing that counts The wind was waN dying dy down On the veranda Lillian and Maywood were shel- shel I from its force It was for your our turn men that you ou raced over there Lillian said Under her cr YO voice Ice ran a n little sobbing undertone ha a blind stupid person pernon I 1 have ha been Of course r t thought never you OU would steal chIckens or anything else olse But I t did believe belle that you OU were a hard harel mone money wishing I man And I 1 was so 80 tired of mane money and the men whose lives JI arc devoted Ilo to It I have ha a great deal dealt dealo o of property Every et time lIma a man tries trios to buy anything I I have o ho says ho he Is makIn mak mak- In log ing me mo a l splendid o offer I I had hafl been ill ami anu came clune t to the tae farm to rest I thought t that tha t hero I should not bo ho bothered b by anybody's s money mone making makInI projects lct and splendid offers rs The day I came elme I I learned that you OU wanted wante m my farm I determined de cie- de- de that tha t here at Ica least lt I T would not listen n to 0 an any splendid offers offers' and that you ou should not have my land For the sake of th the poor garden ar cn woman I t lot let you take It Ive I've been rude to you JOU because bo- bo cause I J thought you OU cared more for money than for anything els else Ivo Ive tried not to like you oU And now I J know lino that you ou care more for or too tho safety of your you workmen than for tOI nil the money in n the world world world and and and nd-and- and Mayweed's LWoods hand closed over o hers I Iwonder wonder he said If lf I can ever daro dare to talk blk about another offer an offer an humble offer for a glorious gift I I think she eho sald said you mean mAn a l splendid did diet offer offer the tho only really splendid offer I 1 have havo ever had bad |