The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-23

'Then I'll do it"
You have my encouragement, but
at the same time it is my duty to
explain that the man may remark on
the size of your feet-the length of
your nose-the scarceness of your
eyebrows He may impudently adj
dress you as old woman or old GAL
and before you get out the damages
to your feelings may be $500"
rs anything going to be done or
not2 demanded the aggravated Mrs.
Perkins as she raped the gas bill
down on the table.
Certainly. my dear-certainly. I
shall take the bill with me tomorrow
and pay it. As I pay it, however. I
my dissatisfaction. While I shall not
address the red-headed man, shall
give him such a look that his peace
OF mind will be destroyed for the
next four weeks. Estimating his peace
of mind at $25 per week you have
500 in all. In other words we are
$3.50 ahead of him. Do you want
anything more profitable than that,
Mrs Perkins? Starting with an ap-
parent loss of thirty cents you come
out
But Mrs. Perkins had sailed out of
the room. and further sophistry would
have been thrown away.
MY dear" observed Mrs. Perkins.
as she laid down a seed catalogue
which she had been perusiny with
much interest, isn't it about time we
started in to make a garden? You
know you promised we should have
enc this year"
When did make such a promise 2"
queried Mr. Perkins
Last January"
What time in January
About the middle 1 guess. Is IT
necessary that 1 remember the day
and hour?"
mot exactly. dear. We will saw if
was about the middle of January. I
now turn to my diary and find that
from the 18th to the goth we had a
loot of snow on the ground and such
a low temperature that ears were
frost-bitten and water pipes busted in
every direction. If, under such condf-
tons, and four months in advance of
summer, you extracted any garden
promise from me, the same would be
held void in any court of law. Look
at 1t for a moment. While I am wad-
ing around in snow UP to my knees
ana worrying over the next ton of
coal you ask me to promise you to-
matoes and cucumbers four months
aheadi"
But you promised insisted Mrs
PERKINS and expect you to keep
Very well. We will look into the
case Tor minute and if you insist,
VIII go ahead and make a garden In
tne nrsu place it will cost at least SIS
10 nave the ground shaded and Dre-
pared. Then comes the ol1estion of
seeds- We will say they cost So We
have the seeds all in and there comes
colo rain for VITO days or three davs
and all are killed"
But how do you know there will
be a cold rain ?"
Il don't, of course. On the con
trary, there may come a warm rain
and cook the seeds until their vitality
is destroyed. We must figure ~
either contingency. It may he that
neither viii occur, and that the seeds
will sprout and grow. What occ1,~s
hen2 You Dutter about the garden
with your little rake and hoe 80
some day you are sunstruck. I conc
home and find you sDra vled 90
among the lettuce and onions. ana
even if your life is saved the doctor,s
bill will be at least $40. Besides
that"
You are talking nonsense!' inter
rupted Mrs. Perkins.
Then we will take another horn Of
the dilemma. If the seeds grow and
the garden hourishes and you are NOT
sun-struck, the chances are that one
of us may be bitten by a poisonous
insect while wandering over the car
rot beds. Eliminate that and bring the
garden to maturity. There are in this
city, Mrs. Perkins. at least 5000 peo-
pie who would steal garden truck If
opportunity offered. We would not
only be placing temptation before
them, but we would wake up some