The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-07-29
SRlett Storp.
BLAKE'S CLEAN MONEY.
A Romance of Present Day Life in
a New Western Town.
BY JOSEPH BLETHEN.
BY JOSEPH BLETHEN.

daughter lived in a pretty cottage over
looking Bellingham Bay. Their little
home came the nearest to being an abode
of luxury of any in Sehome Mr. Blake
with his small jewelry establishment, was
pointed out as an object of contented thrift.
For had not Mr.. Blake prospered during
the hard times? And was it not due to
his plan Of following doggedly along one
line? And was not that hue-watch re
pairing, iewelry and silyerware made a
paving line by Mr.. Blakes simple yet
catching form Of advertising the sign of
clean money?
When Mr. Blake came To the new town
of Sehome there was a matchmaker there
ahead Of him; but he put in his small
stock. set up his repair bereh, and placed
a nan Of water in his show window. In
the pan he threw a bit Of gray powder.
| Then he threw into this solution a handful
Of silver coins Presto The coins were
made as white and clean as the day they
left the mint
From that DAY Blake cleaned in the pan
in the shop window every particle of silver
money which entered hi shop The sale
! of Blakes Clean Money Silver Polish
grew. and remained permanent source OF
revenue The customer at Blake's when
he received any change, alway~ received 1t
IN clean silver At dr>t 1t wa> 4 novelty.
I and all Sehome went Go gsze IN the win
dow f.atcr the sight oi a clean silver c'ln
( in Schome Instantly called forth the eNcla.
nation. Blakes money Aud a, the
months went by and ,he aow of ylean.
. bfight coin. cou'inuc,l iu,n, Blake 5 ir,Hi
window, the name weuI up aui iawn the
bay, and Blake placr becamc ks"wn a
/ the l.i,tle Shop of the Clean Money
The shop faced the main street Of the
I town. and. ike the street, stood on piilng
+ over the tide fats Cur the back window,
7 u the store one could drop pebble in,o
7 the bay At ebb tide and at fo,i there va,
7 eleven feet % water auder the daeT- un
windy days one could hear ihe ssish IT the
Z wayes against the plank breakwaler und"T
the ,idewalk When Bake Jaui,og >w eI.t
cut. be hEisl = trap door in the workr'-nm
. a the rear If she storc and pushed b.
>woepinzs into the water, hynealh
F Blake guarded the formula of his polish
mixing the y.,~lcr himself IIrspen, one
evening a seek loykel IN kss wuEkr,-,n.
-ettin. out the arvk ,uPply Na onc.
~, even Madeline. had rtcr lsru admitted
To- witness ,hss operation
Mr. Blake came Ia b. wrh ka"su
fsarr uu the streets aud 80 the ba,lns>~
hle of Sshu,uc ili, bu>inc-. -uor,-~ gave
hinl Importance. IIl- drvsis of charity
aud hts Gay. hsepitabic bsnv made him
beloved Ills gray hair made hlm al %
ie-i Il rs-peei ils> hove and care for
MaIeline gave him 4 romantic setiIns. aud
the httle town q Sehanlc held MT Blake
as an example u everything go,'i
Madeline va ten shsn heS father al.en
ed the shop and bsii the cottage IA Sc-
home She was sent Ia >eho.si till she
W. eighteen Then she ,oslk the rrins oi
the domestic establishment bus her father
insisted GA retaining the I'D and trusted
housckeeger who bad beeu the only
mother Madeline had known The sITi
wAs glad Of TIN. arrangement and the
years BEGAN 10 hy rapidly IN her pretty
home. She became enc q the pgettltst
elris Il Sehome, AOd one of H. uCst royal
entertainer She gas blonde \
plump dgure and big blue eye> made her
pieture Of health aud an attractive com
panion. Her home wa always open 80
the Twelve. club Il young men who o1m
prised the bet blood 1t Sehome. aud NJ
entertainment ever grew uu' ot the ~secEci
council Of that ciryle which failed 10 pro
( vide Madeline with an honorei place.
I These golden years went over Sehome
With no regrets to the Twelve, nor TO Mad
( cline, aud the evening when she celebrated
/ the completion Of her twenty Second year,
+ the Twelye taking liberty that was rs
I liberty 10 them, introduced Ben Budi It
I the Blake cottage and TO it, mistress,
( II We thirteen admirers, nov that you
are admitted to the circle, said Madeline
With the spirit of the occasion a. Budt
was presented,
l'nlucky number, said Budd. Bu
. DENY that / IN the unlueky one.
\. the months went by the Twelve NJ
( sr~,ted that evening aud voted tha, thiT
t,vu was a hoodoo For Madeline aud Ben
we're uudeniably acting ike u young coupl'
headed directly for an engagement, min
ister and honeymoon. This was declared
. ! -. nd tn -
punishable by death To which Ber
calmly replied that, as they had dealt tn,
cards. they should not complain if he playec
a winning hand 1t WASH sportmanhke
said Ben. And the Twelve couldn beal
to be called unsportsmanike So they
made bets that Madeline woulln't hay,
him. and did their best to monopolize her
and defeat Ben plans
Ben Budd was new sensation in Sc
home. He possessed an income, fact
that was unusual enough in the early day
ON Puget Sound to make it, I=lsseSsor :
marked man. But the town had come &
| admire him on his own account.
Every athletic or sporting event which
came to light ia Sehome felt the care oi
Ben Budd' management. Everything
he undertook became genuine, and he took
pleasure in making it pay him something
for his trouble
And Madeline Did she love this pngl
listic, romping, generous, calculating
enigmatic youth of the mysterious income
Yes. With her whole heart aglow with /
woman first love. Yes! But MIR. BLAKE
objected to the match, nor would he give
any reason for his denial
The Twelve, which had goodnaturedl.
opposed Ben's suit. took Mr.. Blake ; re
fusal as Il personal matter, and openly ex
pressed its displeasure Mr.. Blake grew
angry when the talk of the town took uI
the matter and sided with Ben The gos
sips decided that Mr. Blake, growing ole
in a business career, distrusted Ben 5 liti
of industrious leisure. But the towr
quietly decided that the interesting par
of the play was to come, for no one doubte'
Ben ability to win this, as he did ever.
game into which he threw his heart
MIR. Blake, said Ben, you calle'
me young sport from nobody know
where. Now want you to listen to M
version of it, If, when have told yol
| -. ,,,,..olP ,,o,, 10 not favor my Suit