The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-07-28
THE r IL OF THE LAND.
BY Charles II. Day

Il / ~ ys
never learned much about the
Dreers, because ] am not OF such an
inquisitive nature as to make it my
business to be intrusive about other
peoples affairs. When I first came to
know anything at all about them per-
sonally 1t was strictly in the way of
business l and it was not necessary to.
tell m me that they were a family who
had seen better days and condescended
to receive "a few guests who desired
refined surroundings
Later on they kept boarding house.
There was Mrs. Dreer who had in
the great family emergency and re-
verse risen to the occasion and met
the exigencies bravely, skillfully and
automatically. There was also a Mr..
Dreer Senior, who scarce needs a men
ton. The blow quite killed father"
and he never recovered from his loss
OF fortune or made even the slightest
effort to regain a financial foothold.
one daughter had married unhappi-
", and was paying the penalty for her
injudicious selection of mate by
hanging on to her mother-as the facts
were, we cannot say parents. A sec
ond daughter had "come out" just pre-
vious to the Dreer crash and had a
fine matrimonial prospect, which fad
ed with the failure and left her another
incubus on mammals hands. .%%a
Jack Dreer was as helpless as his
father and sisters, and universally vot-
ed OF no account by all that knew him,
while the poor old man, it must be con-
fessed, had the sympathy of every one
except those who had shared his IA
vors in prosperity. ..N ..
At the start Mrs. Dreer sought and
secured a select class of patrons, who
were willing to pay for style and ex-
clusiveness, and she made good head
way in supporting the family through
the best of management and unremit-
ting endeavor. But mighty little as
sistance did she get from her broken
and dispirited husband, or her undis-
ciplined and Sinking daughters and
son.
Mrs. Dreer's, on account of neat fur
nlshings, excellent cuisine and central
location, became a famous house for
touring artists of the first class who
could afford to pay a good price for
high grade accommodations. At this
period of Mrs. Dreer's venture she even
managed to get a little ahead, but
leisure or pleasure she never knew, as
her nose was everlastingly at the
-grindstone
AS the furnishings of the house be-
came worn the patronage dropped off
a peg, and Mrs. Dreer was no longer
favored by the stars and the prima
donnas, who sought more elegant quar-
tiers. To the disgust of the daughters
and son the menu dropped down peg,
and the charges fell off to a considera-
BILE degree. The landlady met the new
situation bravely, and continued to
cut the corners" with skill and judg-
ment.
+ The patient mother limited gently to
her children that the Dreer prospects
in the future were drear enough, and
4 she meant nothing humorous when
she spoke the sad truth. But the sug-
gestion failed to arouse any endeavor
ION their part. They simply slept and
ate regularly, and the struggling moth
er worked on, fearing for the future.
Jack Dreer might have had an am
bition in life at his majority, but if he
did 1t was never placed on exhibition;
his chief end in life, if he had one, was
a we'll kept secret.
When the summer season came-the
long, tedious summer-Mrs. Dreer's
house was almost vacant, the theaters
being closed, and the principal portion
of her revenue thereby being cut off.
Affairs reached such a stage hat Jack
Dreer saw for himself that something
would have to be done, and, after some
thought, admitting that he was capa-
BILE of effort enough to think, he came
to a conclusion. He would get mar
ried, not with the idea of supporting
a wife, not by any means, but with the
intention that a wife should support
him.
+: The idea was an old one, and not
original with Jack Dreer.
AS soon as the theatrical season OPP
.sned the landlady's son set out to win
a heart. At the start he aimed high
and sought leading lady, a Miss -
in the bills, who astonished him by re-
jecting his addresses and informing
him that she was already wed, the
mother of three children and was her.
self old enough to be his mother.
At first the leading lady was quite
angry and was going to bolt the Dreer
boarding house, but with her keen
sense of the ridiculous she forgave the
youths bad break, and, patting him on
the head, she said: Ills 4
GAS you grow older you will know
more, and that soft spot will harden
Jack next set his cap for yellow
haired soubrette, and, to his surprise
and Joy, she fairly jumped at the
chance of matrimony. But-the young
man was saved by an actor; who ex-
planned: " ...s,..-. Is y.
''That woman has five living hus-
bands to date, and is, ten to one, big
amist BY marrying you she would
get lot of press notices and columns
20 ,o,,;vo1 ~ hor 1nvo a r. iro. than che