The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-03-15
THE STORY OF A SHIRT.
BY GEORGE SYMONDS.

Jason Perry had made fortune in
Texas. He was one of the largestranch-
men in Tom Green County, but no one
would have imagined that he was other
than an ordinary vaquero, to have
looked at him.
He dressed in duckings, and since he
first donned wooden shirt as cowboy.
ten years previous, he had never worn
any other SOFT.
He lived in camp, and his food was of
the coarsest description, but his check
was good for hundred thousand dol
lars, and he had unlimited credit with the
San Angelo store keepers.
The Texas Pacific Railroad had lust
been completed, and trains passed dali
ly though Jason Perry's ranch.
The little water station, which, like
all new Western towns, was ambitious
of some day becoming great city, had
been named Perryville, In his honor.
Its total population now however,
consisted of the section master and his
hands, Mexican butchering outfit
which killed Jason Perry's beeves and
loaded them into the refrigerator cars,
to be shipped to the Northern market
the telegraph operator, who was also
ticket, freight and express agent, and
Tom Bently, who looked after Jason
Perry's interests, and kept the little
supply store, where Jason's herders
bought whisky, tobacco and duckings.
The business of shipping beef North
was new enterprise, and Jason was
making great deal of money.
He was determined to extend this
branch of his business, and had written
to his agent in Philadelphia that he
might expect him on any day "to give
things boom" as he quantity expressed
1t.
On this particular day he rods
down to Perryville dressed in his
best suit of duckings, and wearing a
Mexican sombrero, gaudlly deco
ated.
While waiting for the train he took &C.
casion to give Tom Bently some instruc-
tons as to how business was to be con-
Quoted in his absence.
"How long are you going to be gone,
Jay?" asked the latter.
about a month";" was the an
swer.
''You ought to 'ress up a little, u
suggested the clerk, who was arrayed
in suit of "store clothes" and wore q
white shirt.
"Oh, these are good enough for MEL
said Jason carelessly, looking down at
his duckings.
''Put on q white shirt, anyhow,
JAY persisted Tom. 81 haven't get
any in the store done up but I've got
some nice unlaundried ones that came
tln4 l., i.
from San Antonio. One of these will
be better than that old wooden one Of
yours. You can put on a starched
collar-l've got plenty Of them-and
a big necktie, and pair of cuffs, an6
nobody will know whether your shirt
is laundried or not. You can get i
done up when you get to the settle
ments."
Gan night" said Jason, good
naturally. ''Get them out for me. /
will be the first billed shirt I've worI
since left the states"
Bently laid shirt, cuffs, collar an(
necktie out on the rude counter. arc
Jason Perry, after he finished looking
over the books proceeded to don these evi
dences of civilization.
He was very awkward, as men usual.
~ are, in putting on the shirt and whe1
he pushed his big hands through The
sleeves, his fingers came in contact will
piece of paper.
"Hello," he cried, holding up the find
Here's paper, Tom. Does it belong
to you?"
81 reckon not, said the other, taking
the paper from his employers hand
cit came in the shirts -
tits got some writing on it," sale
Jason. Perhaps it's the BILL"
NO." said Tom, spreading out the
paper. 'It's written by woman
''By a woman" repeated Jason
Read it,
Thus hidden, Tom Bently read as fol
lows:
II, Adele Storms, pretty, young, with GOO
English education and more than ordinary in
telhgence, am compelled by the stern DEGREES o.
fate to labor at shrt-making from early in tht
morning until late at night, for the paltry sun
of 80 per week, when many who are intellectu
ally my interiors earn three times as much
Deari dear! Will it ever end?"
'Adelel That's a pretty name" OBJ
served Jason, ard he picked up the
paper. poor girl L wonder where
she lives?"
at don't give her residence. But
you'd better hurry on with your dressing
for there comes the train"
Jason Perry thrust the paper into bis
pocket, and managed, with the assistance
OF Tom Bently, to get dressed in time
to catch the train.
He reached Philadelphia, safely trans
acted his business, and then deter
mined to enjoy himself for a day or two
seeing the sights.
A fashionable tailor had made him a
suit of clothes and now that his business
was all over, he put them on to go out
IN search of enjoyment.
The duckings that he had worn away
from Texas lay across the bed and he
proceeded to transfer the contents of the
pockets to the new suit.
Among other things he pulled out
the paper, which he had found in the
shirt.
He read Adele Storms sollloauy again
and then, turning over the paper, saw
that 1t had been written on a shirt
makers blank, which was headed by the
business card of Jones, Smith & Brown,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Why, that was written right here in
Phlladelphial' he said. 81 believe I'll
call around and see her."
de blushed like a schoolgirl at the
audacity OF the undertaking; but when
he read the note q second time he was