River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-05-22
MEADoWCRoFTs MILD ONIONS
MEADoWCRoFT's PRIME PoTA-
TOES.

".................... ...............'''''''''''
People all had it fixed that Frances
Marvin was to marry James Parker
The girl halfway thought so herseI.
She knew that several times Parker
was on the point of declaration.
Not yet" the girl had said to her.
self and she had averted diplomatic
ally the crisis, though she was be-
ginning to think one day it would
come and she would say yes. Her
mother urged her and her own
knowledge told her of an easy future
as the wife of a man who had what
was needful and plenty more.
One day the board of managers of
the Mortimer Pierce Hospital for Grip
pies held meeting. Funds were need
ed and number of the young wom-
en- of society who were interested IN
the charity agreed to ask some Of those
whom they knew were well able to
give to help along the cause. Frances
Marvin was one of the soliciting COM
mittee. Perhaps the mother was wiser
than most in her generation, for she
suggested to Frances that they ask
James Parker for a contribution. She
and her mother went downtown and
at the mothers suggestion went into
the office of James Parker, stakeholder.
Mr.. Parker wasn't in. The office boy,
who was new and not up to snuff, said
that Mr.. Parker was in his other office
further down the street. you'll find
him on the third floor at the corner"
said the boy.
Mrs. Marvin and her daughter did
not know that James Parker had two
offices. They reached the third floor
of the corner building. 1t was dingy
place and on a rather dirty glass door
appeared 81. Parker, Loans" They
entered. There was an ante-room with
two smaller rooms beyond separated
from the first by glass partition. A
boy told them to sit down and Mr..
Parker would be at leisure in few
minutes. Then-they couldn't help
it-they heard conversation. The
voices were those of man and a wom-
an, and the mans voice was that of
James Parker. The conversation ran
like this: 81 can't help it, madam; ten
per cent. month is what you agreed
to pay and what you are bound to pay
by this writing. You have already paid
me, you say, an amount equal to the
principal. That has nothing to do
with it. If you can't pay you shouldn't
| borrow"
1--WE are in trouble at home, Mr..
Parker, and I wish you could be bit
easy with u.s."
you should have thought of all that
before, madam. This debt is legiti-
mate, and the law can't pick hole
in it. I want and must have my money
or your furniture goes"
There was something like a dry sob
from the inner room. With comm on
impulse Mrs. Marvin and her daughter
rose and left the room, though not
till each had placed card before the
office boy, saying. softly: TELL him
we were here" When they reached
the street and were hurrying along as
though to get away from neigh bor-
hood of contamination, the girl said:
"Mother. have heard of such things,
that men in business made much of
JnGu III OthNA 'OuSihCSSSS VI
which only a small part of the world
knew anything. | did not know that
Mr.. Parker was one of these"
Some time after this l, little party of
people went to Bowmanville to see
the flowers. John Meadowcroft met
the visitors at the gate. He had a
wounded squirrel in his hand. There
was a tender solicitude in his eye as
he examined the little animal and at
tended to its injuries. Miss Marvin
thought of something else that had
happened in downtown office not
long before. Something like thought
of comparison went through her mind,
and not even the fact that faint odor
of onions came from the acres beyond
the house could turn her from the full
knowledge that here was the man.
People don't know yet how it came
about, but just before Ash Wednesday
some one who didn't know about it,
quizzed James Parker about Frances
Marvin, and asked when it was to be-
Don't you know said Parker, and
his face was bit white. ''She mar
ried the man with the hoe "-Chi-
cago Record-Herald.