Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-09-27
CHAPTER I.
The Sign on the House.

It was an everyday occurrence to see
Simon Grey standing on the street cor
ners Of BoonsviIle, making wild ges-
lures with his hands. If the one he
was conversing with was on the oppo-
site side in politics, Simon was always
/ ia a state Of excited earnestness. 'Po-
IitiCap' Simon, he was often called. If
any one wished to be posted on any
political question of the day he was
ever ready to explain the subject, and
you could see, by the au-Wise and s5lf-
confident expression of his face, that ne
enjoyed himself in. so doing.
In his household politics was still his
topic. He was ever talking to the fam
lily of the ''free and unlimited coinage
of silver at theratio of is to 1, TIL his
children begani to think that anything
so grand and good must come fro
/. God.
PAS gettin' Happy again" shouted
his little son Jimmie, as he passed out
Of the door one day with a paint brush.
We shall learn Iatar what he did will
the brush. Simon Grey die not notice
him, so absorbed were his thoughts IN
the man who was1to be the "uexf Presi-
dent Of the United States Cynthia,
Simon's wife, was so busy peeItu'
apples and listening to her better half
that she also faiIed$to notice Jimmie
and the brush
Cynthia was proud Of her husband.
She knew he had an uncontEouabJze
temper: yet 17a v~lss-nrz -s- -
.s..t,-Ik in Brownsville that
Winnie Grey would be nOminare cd for
County Superintendent of PG1lic
Schools in MARBLE County. Simol said
If she was nominated he would lection
eer for her from morning till night,
every day till election; that no Repub-
licau humbug would ever defeat her.
Simon hadaIready been trying to prove
to the people of Brownsville that his
daughter Winnie was the, one Marble
/ County needed for superintendent. She
! had been away, to college, had taught
school in WarbIe C0untyyfor three sue
/ cessive years, and the citizens Of
! Brownsville knew her by experimental
! knowledge" to be a gOod>teacher. She
was now instructor Of theigrammar de
partment Of the B0onsviIIefcity schools
and many claimed she should have the
/ high school, though the young profes
4 sor, Glen Harrington, was ''weU liked
4 1t seemed evident that Winnie would
receive the nomination; butlas Cynthia
( said, you can never, tell. don't coun
! your chickens before they're hatched.'
| you always look eon the dark side
{ Cynthia" said Simon. "Wish I had {
wife with a more cheerful disposition
and a better knowledge of the question;
Ethat so concern our welfare"
''WeII, [ guess as long as bake you
bread, mend your socks. and make YOU
apple pies, and as long as you have
enough wisdom for two, we can ge
along all right"
Their conversations Wast here inter
srupted by Winnie entering the room
f She had just returned from school
Winnie Grey was indeed pretty
Whenever she came %hOme Irer smiI
seemed to make the OH home brighter
F This evening disgust was depicted OIL
{ her usually bright couE terance.
Father" she said, Il was ashamet
B Of my home tonight. For thetfrst tim
in my life 1 felt humi1iateds when
Fl came in sight of the house"
4 Winnie" said her father. SIS it poss
/ bic that because the young professor
i Glen Harrington, has been paying al
I tentions to YOU for some time, and be
Il cause lie is sort of welEo1f. that 20
Il cherish hopes Of 50 muchg better res
# dence that you are. ashamed. of you
y homeT"
Y am astonished." said. Winnie
Il Whoever thought ,0f such a ridicuIou
3 idea! What madeline ashamed of N
& home was the word Bryan In bi
Il black letters. overrtheefr0ntsd0or Hoy
81 did il happen to be tbeTeE"
I knew nothing aboutgft. Winnie
I You must be mistaken
Indeed, I am not. Tfnyou know
nothing about it, them imznie must b
. TIE perpetrs1or Of the crime"
Crime repeated Simon 'WoUI
! you consider that 4 crfme2 IF he ha
s have painted Mckinley there 70
. might 50 consider If, but such a nobl
/ name as Bryan. looks wezl any place
1t VIII show to- the world that we ar
on the side Of right
: 1T is a disgrace. said Winnie. 'Wha
viii the Republicans think of Us, an
even the Democrats and Populists wi
know thatis not thetpIace for his nam