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Show W$Hm p Tho makeshifts of poverty aro often so adnitrnblo as to suggest to the thoughtful the devices of genius whereby somo paltry subterfuge bo-comes bo-comes majestic In Its proportions through tho glory of success, as more pinchbeck turns by the same subtlo alchemy Into puro gold. The tricks of trade aro as necessnry to the butcher, the baker, tho candlestick maker, as the market for his wares, and If he Is benefited and no ono hurt thereby why should we condomn them? As simple a method as luck In odd numbers rules tho world, and was In vogue long before saucy Ilory O'Moro employed It, and a first glimpse of tho new moon decides many a business deal to-day. When a raan Is down on his luck he will ro-sort ro-sort to almost any expedient to recoup his losses, and as long as his trick Is a harmless one and no ono Is Injured thereby, he should escape blamo. Tho wonder Is that Fate, Ignoring our dosperato efforts, should allow us to cajolo her with a trifle. Jerome Dronson was a politician without a Job. Politics had given him a sinecure for four years poll-tics poll-tics had taken It away and left him stranded. Tho emoluments of ofilco a sanitary recommendation yoursolf, Dronson. Think It over." Branson thought It over nnd caught at It as tho proverbial straw, lie moved his family to tho prairie, where a cluster of unoccupied houses formed tho nucleus of a futuro town, and Simon Orecu gave him one of tho best houses for his own, nnd ho took hold with u will to mako a boom. It came, but nut until ha had almost abandoned tho project, tho visitors who came on his Invitation always remarking re-marking on the extreme dollcacy ot his wife and children and their want of a vigorous constitution nnd n healthy color. In vain Bronson assured as-sured them that none of them had ever been 111 their appearance belled tho trutli of his assertion. At this point his fertile brain developed an Idea-, and ho turned the whole family out to grass. Tho result was astonishing. In a week a dcllcato pink flush appeared on their checks, and they nto better-In better-In a month they had tho appetites of hyenas, and their red cheeks could bo seen from tho railroad station, Mrs. Green said sho would give a hundred dollars to get such a beautiful beauti-ful flush of health In tho spring she should movo to Malnrlavlllo, the namo of which was now chnnged to Iloso-land. Iloso-land. Meanwhllo .Mrs. Bronson was trying try-ing to live up to tho duty she had taken upon herself, but It was hard work. As pooplo bought and moved out there she and her rosy-checked family became more and moro popular popu-lar from the health point of view. Tho newcomers studied their mirrors to soo If that splendid color wns dawning In their cheeks, and that gavo them a new Intcrost In llfo that was fascinating and distracting. Then Mrs. Bronson Bald to her husband: "When you have sold tho last houso and lot we must movo away If tho truth should como out we would ho molibod. Wo havo really Improved In health, and I hopo wo can return somo day. I am growing Malarlavllle. had boon used to retain It, nnd now Bronson found himself In actual want with a family dependent upon him. At this Juneturo tho unexpected happened hap-pened n friend whom ho had favored in his brief hour of prosperity camo to tho I'escuo with n proposition. Simon Green said: "Bronson, ou know that bunch of houses nnd tlu acreage property 1 own out at Malarlavllle, which I havo been trying to sell for the last ten years? Now, If you will .go out thero ni'd tako charge of that enterprise, nnd stay thoro until you sell It out, I'll glvo you a houso nnd lot besides n fair commission. Want say, Bronson?" Bron-son?" "Thnt swamp? Couldn't think of it," answerod tho other, despondently. "I'd rather dig my grave somo other way. That low sodden land Is full of malaria nnd would kill ua all off In-sldq In-sldq of n year. My wlfo and children aro dollcato now." "Yes, living hived up In a steam-heated steam-heated flat small ' wonder. Tako thorn out of doors and let them run In tho sunohlno and sco what it will do for thorn. No ono has over tried living there yet tho name killed tho place. It has the same altltudo as tho adjoining villages which aro healthy enough, but It never had a boom. If you take up ray offer I'll bjlld sldowalks and put In tbo new system of dralnnge, and with ono family living there thn spoil will bo broken, and lots will sell like hot cakes. You look healthy enough for fond of Itoselnnd, nnd wo. will keep our homo here." "Till this blows over, hoy? I should think you would turn palo at tho thought, Alice," "Don't, Jerome; It was n lark at first, but It has grown to bo something some-thing serious. And tho worst is thnt tho quostlon of health Is not tho consideration. con-sideration. Tho whole thing now Is a question of beautly, and women aro so shrowd I dread detection. They would absorb all the mnlnrin in tho country to obtnln this natural flush." "I'yo heard of painting n town rod," said Bronson slanglly, "but " His wlfo put her hnnd on his llpa nnd excluded what ho was about to say. So he merely icmarkod: "You are an nrtlst In your lino, Alice." Mrs. M. L. Itayno In Chicago Hecord-Hcrald. |