Sharp County record., 1903-05-01

the smoky streets OF OH''aB" P'N"'
ant. Parker suggested that they
walk home When they had reachcu
the corner of South Water street
their way as usual was barred ny
prcat sacks and boxes. Parker Hau
had one or two reasons Of late |"
actually look with just a suSpIc!oh
of Jealous apprehension at certain
farmer from BuwmanyliIc. lie couu
not forbcar pointing with his cane
with a sort of a smile to make II
appear that he considered 1t Ill 'le
light of joke, At some placaras
which appeared above the sacks ana
boxes at the South Water street cor
ner. The pointing was hardly neces-
sary. for Frances Maryin's quick eyes
had caught their significance. lhls Is
what they read:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. '''''''''''''
: MEADOWCROFT'S 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 herself.
She knew that several times Parker
was on the point of declaration,
"Not vet" the girl had said to her
self and she had aycrtcd 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 ncedfuI and plenty more.
One day the board Of managers OF
the Mortimer Pierce Hospital for Grip
pies held a 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 motherWas wiser
than most in her generation, for she
supgestrd to Frances that they ask
James Parker fer a contribution. She
and her mother went downtown and
at the mothers suggestion went into
the Office of James Parker, ST ockh0lGer.
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, "Nou'lI 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
two smaller rooms beyond separated
from the first by glass partition. \
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 wOm-
an, and the mans voice was that Of
James Parker. The conversation ran
like this: 81 can't holm 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"
I'VE are in trouble at home, Mr..
Parker, and wish you could be a bit
easy with U.S.
"Iou should have thought Of all that
before madam This debt is legiti-
mate, and the law cant pick hole
in it, want and must have my money
or your furniture goes"
There was something like dry sob
from the inner room. With a common
impulse Mrs Marvin and her daughter
rose and left the room, though not
till each had placed a card before the
office hoy. saying, softly: "Tell him
we were here" When they reached
the street and were hurrying along as
though to get away from a neighhor,
hood of contamination, the girl said:
"Mothcr. | have heard Of such things.
that men in business made much Of
their money in other businesses of
which only a small part Of the world
knew anything. ! did not know that
Mr.. Parker was one Cf these
Some time after this little party of
people went TO Howmanyille to see
the flowers, John MeadoWcroft met
the visitors at the gate. lie had a
wounded squirrel in his hand, There
was 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 Il faint odoI
of onions came from the acres beyont
the house could turn her from the full
knowledge that here was the man.
People don't know yet how It came