The Sunday globe., 1901-05-12
CHAPTER |.


Ring down the curtain, the puppets have
gone"
| found myself, at the period of my ex-
istence in which this story opens, by the
sudden death of my husband, alone, save
the presence Of a little lass of 8; not only
alone, but called on to do battle for a
livelihood for myself and little one.
was bred, schooled, and married in a pre-
tentious countyseat over in the West.
How far Overt Well, it was west of that
historic spot where Keokuk, standing
upon the brink of the Father Of Waters
and pointing 10 its bosom, threw down
to the veteran soldiery his famous def:
"Thus far shalt thou 60, and no fartherI
And So well / call to mind, did he keep
his word that for quarter Of a century
the trained fighters from the Dark and
Bloody Ground against a solid phalanx
broke and beat and beat and broke, even
as the waves of the sea break and beat
and beat aud break on the white chalk
cliffs off Albion's shore.
After Boone and Kenton and Harrod had
ploughed corn with the rife after the
council fires had gone out in the region
round about the Miami, the Muskingum
AMI the Maumee, the star ofempire wended
its way to the West, and the Valley Of the
Mississippi was born. And while the red
man and the white struggled for the mas
terry, the pioneer planted the hamlet in
which |, some years later, first saw the
light of the day. Here lived-with oc.
casonal trips to Chicago and st, Louis
uneyentfully so long that it would be
impossible for me to disguise the fact,
should feel so disposed, that was fast
approaching the thirtyyear line.
| must at once, / realized, take of my
talents an inventory-such | believe they
call it in commercial circles In my
school days | had taken kindly to the
study Of shorthand, and lost no time in
selecting a vocation-that Of a stenOgra-
pher. Alter a brief course with a local
professor of that art, | considered my
self sufficiently equipped in that direction
to enter the arena of the world, y as the
girl graduate puts it in her essay.
Ny first position was with a planning
mill in our home town, the senior mem
Der of the firm asserting that he had
known me since was "knee high to a
duck / would cross the border of
veracity were | to say their correspond
epce was extensive; so in few months
they discovered | was an article of Office
furniture more ornamental than useful,
and well, / severed my connection
with the establishment.
Right here let me say that my limited
experience with the planning mill people
ii ~ =
learn-that knew my business. On the
principle that practice makes perfect,
carried my note. book in my hand on all
occasions. Hearing a bit of conversation,
a number or address given, catch
phrase. and l would have it transferred
10 paper by the time the speaker had com
pleted the sentence. To this fact is due
much of the devotion to detail Of these
crude chronicles. For instance, l am
enabled. through this equipment, to pic
ture the coming and the going OF Alma,
Bella. and Renee-they of the sidelight
and the shadow-whom / have never met,
with the same fidelity given to the indi-
vidual occupying major position in the
cast of characters, and with whom |
might be thrown in hourly or daily con.
tact.
next iuIueu III htltuAOh w ub
Now Grand. - as a gilt sign over the
portal of the only hotel OF which our city
boasted read. This establishment, stu.
aled diagonally opposite the southeast
corner of the courthouse square, had been
supplied with annunciators, push buttons,
and numerous other up to date appli-
ances. not to mention a new coat of paint.
Without a great deal of trepidatiOn
f,f ~ a nd told { 'nlanal
Gates who. by the way had known Mr.
Roland nv late husband, "ever since
tbev were bows" that his new Office
would not be complete without a type
writer; that. given his permission,
would invest the few remaining dollars
AT NV disposal iu such an instrument,
nlace IL in a cozy corner Of the office, and
nroceed to operate il for the benefit Of his
patrons and myself He finally said:
"Gal | amt going to throw any rocks
at YOU while you are trying to make an
honest living
The first few weeks | might say, in the
nopular yernacular "there was nothin'
doin'" then came our tri-county fair.
The hotel was crowded, and my business
was proportionately brisk. lplaced neat
tin sign, Typewriting and Stenogra-
phy." as close to the register as | c.uld
get it, o-,,,
up some copying-some circulars for a
gentleman introducing patented device
among the farmers when ! overheard a
ST. Louis drummer, just outside my
window, say to the darkey proprietor OF
the hotel barber shop: We'll, Uncle, TO.
morrow's Sunday
Eyes. boss" he replied, "but Use
'fraid ebery day will be Sunday after you
folks get out OF town.
Here was "a home thrust | wondered
if every day would be Sunday with me,
too. Well, along comes court week, aud
court week has my permission to last
nine months Of the twelve. am sorry
TO say it didn't, its adjournment causing a
corresponding depression IN the volume
business | was doing.
Early one morning. had hardly un.
tied my hat strings-a gentleman walked
over from the office desk and took the
chair reserved for my customers.
Il got in late last night" he began.
~ noticed your sign, and the Colonel -
throwing his thumb in the direction OF
the head of the hOuse--"said you were
all right. / made some copies taking
batch Of papers from his inside coat
pocket and sorting them over his knee.
"My name Is Barnstable-J udge Barn
stable. I'm the member Of Congress
from this district And yoursf'
Mrs. Roland, ! replied.
"As was saying" he continued. IL
knew | had quite a bit Of hard work In