Show I 1 The Dancer Who Paid 0 MN By MARTIN M. M CHESTERn CHESTER n 1925 1326 19 2 Western Newspaper Union ALL Glenville Knew that tuat t Judge Smith sent his rife through school before he lie married her and all Glenville including Lora Stone knew no happier family than the ju Judge ge his wife and their adopted son sont Stubby Of course the Smiths were happy Lora born reflected with reflected with all that money Stubby was rich enough to go to the State university for twenty years ears Ithe if It he so 59 wall wanted ted while she shet Lora Lara poor and an orphan had Sao io right even eyen to thinly think of going Here Lora had an Inspiration for recklessness Why not advertise ln In Ina a city ity paper and giving a n post office bo bos that bos-that that she would marry an any man who q first send her through the State un university Before the answers came she could confide d dIn in the postmaster l' l Her advertisement eli d brought Lora ora several of offers reIs only one of which she thought sIncere 3 J J. Algernon Macfadden wrote Tote little and to the point He was preparing for fOl the foreIgn foreign for for- eign field He suggested a course of pre missionary study for Lora Lorn If It she felt called to s share hare his life she would for four foul years ears receive each month a bank draft for one hundred dollars A personal interview was inconvenient at nt this time but when her education was finished they could meet preliminary pre pre- to their wedding and exchange exchange exchange ex ex- exI I change credentials The old mummy Lora Iora exclaimed i and decided almost at once to accept his offer When she sent him her name and address she pasted to the sheet a little snapshot of ot hels hel's herself lt Three weeks later Inter along with several several sev sev- eral girl friends and Stubby Smith Lora went up to college J. J Algernon Macfadden was four long Jong years away awny and this was life But with J. J Aigernon's Algernon's Alger Aiger- non's hundred swelling her monthly pittance she was was was she she knew it beyond a doubt doubt charming charming j and as gay eay as Stubby Smith himself And Stubby Stubby Stubby Stub by now registered as John M. M Smith freshman while nice to all the girls rather specialized on Lora born This gave her an nn added thrill He had not done that in Glenville Glen In her sophomore year jear n nr Stubby tried to propose to her but she would not let him lle didn't want to tell him a about out J. J Algernon In her Junior year however Stubby definitely asked her to marry him and Lora Iora concealing all the particulars Stub particulars Stub rs Stub Stubby b by would despise her If he knew knew- told him she was engaged to a mis mis- Stubby listened patiently Pooh Pooh he said ald The reverend hasn't scored yet Isn't yet isn't even in the game game- and Im I'm going to be lie right here till the thelast thelast last tinkle of ot the wedding bell As commencement day drew n nearer and nearer she realized that tier debt would be exceedingly difficult to pay Her dance was at nt an end and she did I not want to face the piper When she thought of life In Ab Abyssinia the merry mery smile of Stubby and the love lo in his his steady e eyes es blotted the picture When she read over oyer the letters J. J Algernon had written s she le felt even more sorry for herself I Then IThen came the day when when though though she never Intended it she It-she she found herself her her- herself self in arms arms admitting admitting she she- loved eO him and confessing all her shameful balg bargain with J. J Algernon Again Stubby waved trouble awny Pooh pooh he said Easy easy Just you u watch us You owe this Macfadden l man man or will when hen you graduate forty eight hundred dollars Well We'll pa pay him five thousand two thousand two hundred hun hun- hundred dred to the for fol the good emaciated little little lit lit- tle the Abyssinian babies hables But Stubby Lora remonstrated Theres Interest and It Is compound Interest on debts like that Dont Don't think I haven't counted It If t up I wanted to earn the mone money and pay It back but Its It's almost a thousand dollars more Stubby j its it's too much Ill I'll Just have hae to marr marry him a thousand dollars when we love each other Lora Well We'll pa pay theman the theman theman man off Hell He'll be satisfied But the mone money Isn't ever everything Stubby I owe more than that He risked his mone money nn and his faith on a n strange girl Just because she wanted nn an education He may be queer but butI I 1 think he must be noble Noble s voice yolee had scorn acorn Lora Lorn listen to me Ive I've learned n a good deal about this J J. J Al Algernon Algernon Al- Al gernon fellow and the Glenville postmaster postmaster post post- master knows what I know This Macfadden deceived ed a girl he expected expect expect- ed to marry-made marry marry made her believe e that he was holy out holy out to save sae souls when souls when In Intact fact tact he was planning to be lie an nn engi engi- ell neer Its gospel truth Now what do you think of or him I think all I youre you're wrong Stubby I told the old postmaster everything e thing lie Ile would have said so If It J J. J Algernon Macfadden Is s a n bad man mun Anyway I promised to meet him hm after I graduate graduate ate and talk things over o It would be cowardly to let even en you jou ou straighten things out for me until I 1 have seen him That settles It said Stubby gloomily If you ou must see him you must roust but look at nt this first He Ile opened an nn old letter and han handed led It to her Pasted on the page was wm a n little snapshot of herself My Iy Dear Mr Macfadden l she stared at her hel own words Then she felt hands handson on her shoulders Lora Lorn he said snit the old postmaster showed me jourad your jour our ad encouraged me to answer er It lt and reminded me unc that as ne a n squirming hauling bawling Infant long before Judge Smith adopted me I 1 was christened John lohn Algernon Macfadden |