The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 106

GARDEN PLOT I'M just a gardener who dumps Her seeds like this in seedy clumps; Precision-planting is a bore An inch apart, no less, no more; I don't care if my rows aren't straight, MM Possess no geometric trait, For carrots taste alike to me Grown wayward orlee. Lenore Eversole Fisher THE MILLION Continued IRf of months. But good gosh, thought Bill, you weren't in the real estate business for your health or sentiment! He'd spent a whole month up this deal. And yet Then suddenly old Jed Hawkins straightened in his chair and looked Bill Brent full in the eye. "I've made up my mind to sell my place," he said slowly.

"I've set a price on it too." Bill took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and tried to speak; but inside him, instead of triumph, there was the deadness Of defeat. The dead-ness of knowing that as long as he lived, he'd regret this thing. "Yep," old Jed said, and now there was a twinkle that started in his eyes, spread to their corners and moved down to his mouth. "I'm now ready to sell. And my price," he added slowly, "is one million dollars!" i For a long moment Bill Brent looked over at the old man, incredulous at first, then eye meeting eye in complete understanding.

Simultaneously the tension was broken by their laughter. Both of them slapped their knees, both laughed in deep, wonderful, relieved laughter. The richness and 'freedom of the sound hung warmly in the summer air. And now the small boy, completely assured, came into Jed's garden. Tk End Jit your watch "out in front" with a distinctive, superbly styled precision-built Bretton band, equipped with exclusive, patented Supermatic safety catch that locks tightly and stays locked, opens in a jiffy without undue pressure.

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And in that instant Bill Brent knew that the spirit of Laurel Street was right there in the rocking chair, with his fleecy white hair ruffling in the wind. His face, a soft pink, was good and gentle, as the old so often are. It came to Bill with a clear sure-ness that if he got old Jed to move away, the whole world would lose something. It needed the simple heart of someone like Jed Hawkins. Bill Brent remembered too, that when old man Wilson had left his home and moved into the hotel last year, he hadn't lasted more than a couple "Hah! Just Ill "i garden.

The order and peace of it began to aeep into Bill Then they both saw the small boy at the same time. He was looking over at them with curious, wistful eyes. Bill began remembering the boy's parents, the two. he had sold the McHugh house to. The man was a veteran, he walked with a limp, and there had been a tight, hard look on his face.

The woman had wanted the house the most, had wanted to live in Hamilton. She and the boy had been living in the city while the man was overseas. She had done defense work and saved money. Old Jed said, "I got to get me a piece of wood and get going on a little carving. I've made guns for all the kids around here.

Whittled out toys and animals for them too. Y'know. there's always kids here with me." Bill cleared his throat and said, "Jed, what about selling your place now Old Jed rambled on: caught sight of the people next door this morning. They were out in back looking at the garden the McHughs put in. I don't think the man knows carrots from rhubarb.

Looks kind of sick too. But he'll get well here on Laurel Street. The woman looks tired, like she'd had it hard and lonely. It sure would be good to see her laughing. "She'll laugh too.

I don't want to seem like I'm bragging, but the fact is Elly.and me we kind of changed this street. The neighbors dropped around to see our garden, and before long they let me show them how to do their own gardens. We painted our house and the others painted theirs. Then when John White was sick, everyone pitched in and helped. After that, folks that hadn't been speaking to each other began being neighborly." Bill Brent shifted uneasily.

He had to nail old Jed today. He'd felt pretty sure, two days ago, that he could have done it; but I. Html. Dana is tne first word in quality, the last word in modern design. Buy BRETTON bands wkcrrar One Jewdery ioM.

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