The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-19
POOL ON MARY THE COOK.
VAN TASSEI ALWAYS WOW 1T, BUT
MAD TO GIVE a THEATRE PARTY.

'hVu % - y bhlNJ hVoNNo ~
burbanville on Wednesday evening on tho
seven-thirty-t three 1t will include every one OF
Mrs. Foot's friends who has ever gone into the
Friday evening pool on her cook Mary. 1t is
needless to say that II Mary we're a common
place sort OF cook no pools would have been
made on her. and II the reason for Van Tas-
sells extraordinary run OF luck In winning the
pools had not been discovered by accident that
junior member of the Wall street firm OF Profit.
Margin & Van Tassel would not have ipvltcd a
score or more Of commuters to 20 to the thea
tire with him.
Mrs. Foot's Mary happened by way OF an
employment bureau. and there was nothing
in her recommendations which guaranteed
that she would he a source Of amusement Ia
any we'll regulated home. However. as Mrs.
Foot has n habit OF bidding in broken bits OF
old china at auction sales and putting them
together to find that she has an acorn pattern
plate. worth many dollars II any one specially
wanted 1t. no one In Suburbanville was par
~ticularly surprised to learn that Mary in her
way had proved to be as valuable a find as u
genuine old Philadelphia mint plate or a
broken-nosed tea pot. Mrs. Foot has II broad.
well-kept lawn.in front Of her house. and che
prevents its being trampled do wn by trades
mems boys by a system Of signals. A red flag
flying from the staff on her piazza indicates
that the butcher boy may 20 around to the
back door Tor Mrs. Foot's order. u white flag
summons the iceman and q red skull and
bones on y black background brings the
plumber and his usual assistant. There are
other flags for other tradesmen and none OF
them dares call unless signalled on the penalty
OF losing Mrs. Foot's trade.
Mrs. Foot hired a gooj-looking young col
ored girl named Stella, warranted in class A
in plain and fancy cooking. early last summer.
Just as her lawn wds becoming the envy Of all
her neighbors. Stella met all of the male
members OF the Mount Bethel Church on her
first SUNDAY in town. and during the follow
ing week they came around by ones and twos
in She 9GS otb side sS Of Sai The Ih@ onse' wo Mrs a R Ro1t
told Stella that she was getting too popular.
4 am willing that you should receive COM
Will arrange a system Of night signals for you
which you may display with my permission on
certain nights, ana on those nights your
"Ah nevah had NAH gemmen frien's called
s by no s Sfat,a nf inSig as hGTde sn Mrs ns r95tl be ard
of putin, up lanterns, for them as II they was
railroad brakemen. I'm too much OF a lady
for no such thing as that. l am and Mrs. Foot
went to New York on the nine-three the next
morning and brought back Mary AS Stella's
In Mary's favor the employment agent said
that she was more than 40, a widow with four
in various institutions she was not am bilious
to give them Il stepfather., She, could cook
cent cent ' the ta MaS that hotr she tpent ali Of her T money
derfuliy in two weeks after Mary's arrival.
in her face than a blank wall and Mrs. Foot re-
piled pointedly that she had engaged Mary to
occasionally over.lept in the morning and Mr..
Foot bought an alarm clock for her. Two
Foot asked il her alarm clock didn't work she
said IN show veg. SORT" Mary brought out
the alarm clock; 1t looks h as II a fast freight
and the sides OF the case were pressed to-
How did you happen to let it falI?" asked Mr..
N!!sure. it nlver fel! at all, sorr." said Mary.
Mr.. Foot bought another alarm clock. and
at the end of a week Mary oversight again. and
She didn't exaggerate the clocks condition.
You must have dropped this clock. Mary"
No. sorr." said Mary. Just squazed it Q
Mr.. Foot mumbled something about San
dow. and bought another clock. When this
one was brought 70 him in the same condition
MARY am a poor but honest man. I can
not support the clock monopoly In this ex-
,Ta,AH more Clock. and to prevent its being
sQuazed. you must bring It to me every even
ing before you go to bed. and let me wind 1t for
you. Do you understand? Every evening.
YES. sorr." said Mary.
his ,copyersatio1 hair dozen Il saPurSan;;
butchers. when. at $50. in marched Mary.
boiling an alarm;clock as if it might have
Mr., Foot. poked the clock at him. and stood
there. with no expression in her face. as he
| TS4y it S;, T0%p out t; 81 s I'd. 4 no q Ike 4 G a First T ss4,
ssccounted Tor. Brown, who had watched her
"Mhats ali this, Foot, a new ioke2"
No. I'm practicing DOMESTIC economy by
d%Se s2Iq f mst tsPFE he he s SAID. @ nov 8s .m Si1Sti people
rupts. with her clock. have become accus-
toned to it now. but | suppose II does strike
y!ou as funny; and Mrs Foot and don't mind
That was Mary's introduction as an enter
tainer, and when It was found on several cue
f Foots' TRENDS viii her Clocks some tine be-
tween 8 and 10 o'clock Van Tassel snggested
ent on the, following Friday evening, and each
Ave minutes Of the hour as his or her seiec:
ton Of the time during WHICH Mary would
t iH" pe RI G' BETWEEN '~S Si S?45 and L S:5 R6sV won the SsJ p "@r
Van Tassel was very much Interested IN Mary.
s6d he he ns sSS. r MTfj Foot FER %T. her Fo6 hlg y.%iye ap An 4
she swore by her dream book. When the
next pool was made up yan Tasssl be, on the
small side bet with Brown that he would win.
And he did win. Van Tassel enjoyed his luck
There Ia no such thing as chance In this
world. Order has always been natures first
law, and by a very easy process Of reasoning |
will guarantee that II YOU will let me select
my. periods | will win the pool every Friday
"You are too cocksure." said Brown, 'and
| will bet you five 10 one that you don't win
two pools In succession -
"'Iil take YOU" said Van Tassel.
Poker games with small limits. grab-bag
parties and three church fairs had established
betting within reasonable limits as a proper
and popular amusement in Suburbanville. 1t
all happened as Van Tassel had predicted He
selected the period between $3.50 and $3.50 on
the following Friday and won. Mary appeared
promptly on time.
Have YOU pu: up n game with the cook?"
asked Brown susniciOusly,
Never spoke a word to her In my life" said
Van Tassel.
When he won the third pool in succession.
betting on the period between 0;35 and $40.
lie answered all Inquiries by saving: NJ sue
cess is more due u logica! reasoning and there
is no element Of luck in it,
Several old women In town who had heard
OF Van Tassels logical reasoning wrote to him
for advice in investing money. Van Tassel
ryon IL ,.,nla In GIIpnaaainu when Mira Foot