The record-union., 1891-11-28

charming art OF which she held an eX-
ample-and her many acquaintances
would no doubt besiege her with orders
for her work.
After the first blow Adeline did not let
the failure of this venture trouble her too
greatly. She had already something else
in mind. She was going to communicate
with Mr.. Rufus l.. Bucks of st. Louis,
who had announced in several papers
that he would show any lady who should
send him a postage stamp an infallible
means for making from $40 to $50 a
month in her own home; and Mr.. Bucks
had added IN larger type that he was ''no
humbug." 1t was only after several dis
appointing experiences that Adeline
learned TO detect beneath flowers of
rhetoric call for canvassers. She
couldn't go canyassing. Adeline's opin-
ion of human nature had never been very
high. 1t sunk at last 10 the lowest depth.
All hope-all faith deserted her. 1t was
then that something actually came to her
and came unsought.
The house in which the Millers lived
stood upon what had once been the top of
rounded hill. But in order to make a
bed for the railroad that something more
than score of years ago had been run
through Stebbinsville, this hill had been
cut exactly in two as neatly as one
might divide pound cake, and the half
which in the days of more prosperous
residents had formed the front yard of
the dwelling had been carried off, bit by
bit, in carloads. The house had thus
been left TO overlook precipice-a per-
pendicular escarpment of raw red earth
that refused even with time to be healed
with sod. The great frame structure
looming up high and gloomy above this
mutilated face of the hill seemed to be
perched upon the very edge of the world.
Seen from below it stamped itself against
boundless sky.
When the trains came plunging into
light from tunnel which ended few
rods farther down the line, the gaunt old
habltation, with its Tapping washing"
on the line, was the first thing to catch
the eye Of the westward bound traveller
Fred Boomer, the advertising agent for a
new and promising liver pill, known to
commerce as the Millennium Pellet"
raised his eyes to this object one day and
had an idea. Fred'S ideas always came
in flashes, and he acted upon them with
lightning-like rapidity, which proved
him to be a true child of the electric age.
Three minutes after he had from the car
window caught sight of the house on the
cliff he was jauntily descending from the
train as it drew breath at the Stebbins-
vile station, although his ticket bore the
name of town at least twenty miles
farther on. The two rival Stebbinsyille
hackmen rushed upon him as their prev.
Fred sprang into the nearest conveyance.
= ou may set me down. he said to the
triumphant Jehu, "a rod from that big
shanty that's perched upon the edge Of
the hill below here"
''Miller's?r
well, suppose so! What's Miller's
line of biz?"
'Qnbottlin'," said Jehu with grin.
"What -
"Why, bottlin' IS a business, an so 7
irot 1,
tu," and Jehu guffawed at his own wit.
'Oh, yes, l see-drinks. Hal ha! very
funny. But what does his family subsist
on?
''She keeps dairy"
Mrs. Miller keeps a dairy? Thank
you"
Ten minutes later Fred was lifting the
latch OF the Millers' gate, and the mis-
tress of the house, who had a keen ear for
its click, appeared in her doorway. the
doorway which faced on the road at the
back of the house.
Il wonder" said the young man with
dltfident smile, 'if might ask you to
give me glass of milk ?''
II got milk to SELL" said Mrs. Miller
whose life had not cultivated ia her the
amenities.
"Of course, of course" murmured the
embarrassed Boomer, struggling with
agonles OF fictitious bashfulnesS, 81
thought" he went on timidly, "that /
heard a cow moo as [ was passing by and
the sound actually made me homesick.
Pm city man at present, but I was born
in the country once"
'Step in," said Mrs. Miller dryIy, "and
I'll fetch you glass;
I'm afraid Pm troubling you" he
lisped shrinkingly.
'Oh, Pm used to trouble IS far IS that
goes" said Adeline Miller with hard
laugh. Maybe you'd like to sit down
an rest little.'
THANK you, ma'am, I am tired"
Boomer placed himself modestly on the
edge of a chair. The room was the
kitchen. A fat, sleepy cat was purring
herself lullaby before the stove; various
pots and kettles on the fire hummed and
murmured; Dutch clock on the wall
uck-tacked sedately: The atmosphere
was steamy and redolent of to-day's cab
bage, with just vague suggestion of yes
terday'S onions. Boomer began to be
conscious that he had breakfasted early.
and he promised himself that he should
have some cabbage for his luncheon,
wherever that meal might be solemnized.
Mrs. Miller had gone into another room,
and presently returned, bringing the cool
atmosphere Of the cellar in her skirts.
Boomer quaffed the milk which she
placed before him as if it had been nee
tar. Guess you don't keep a pump in
your dairy, do you?" he remarked with
emphasis. You must make first-rate
thing out of those cows" Mrs. Miller
responded with a sound in her throat that
did not suggest enthusiasm. Then Boomer
suddenly cast aside his timidity and as
sumed winning and confidential man
ner.
81 wonder, Mrs. Miller" he said. set
tling more comfortably in his chair: ST
wonder if you'd care to make little ex-
ira money?'
Adeline Miller started. It seemed to
her that the young man must be mind
reader.
Because if you do" went on Boomer.
II should like to offer you chance. /
have something here"-he drew a much
labelled bottle from his pocket-"w
''Pshaw!' said Mrs. Miller; ''I can't go
a canvassln' with husband and
mother-in-law."
'No-no-you mistake me-of course
not,p said Fred, smiling. "One moment,
my dear madame. Ny idea, to be en-
tirely frank with you, is to put an adver-
tisement on the front of your house. This
house is made for an ad., my dear Mrs.
Miller, and it's pure waste of material
to let 1t go plain. Really, if you'll excuse
me for so expressing myself, it's an ex-
travagance for you to be living here with
out utilizing your frontage for the pur-
pose which circumstances have so obvi-
ously destined it. If you'll consent to let
me have Millennium Pellets in fiye-foot
white lettering on deep azure back
ground run across the front of this house
Pl make you handsome offer for it.
This sort of thing is going to be all the
rage in year or two, madame, and You'll
have the pas OF all the rest of the towns
folk for setting the style. A house with
out an ad. five years from now is going to
be rare thing, in my mind. Space is
getting precious, can tell you. We're a
great advertising country, ma'am-the
greatest In the world. It's something to