The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-12
FTREsIDE CHATS.
MFR. Perkins Has Philosophic Reason.
Again.

Mr.. Perkins, said Mrs. Perkins, as
she returned from call on neighbor
at mid-afternoon, what do you sup
pose Mrs. Bronson says?,'
''She says she's sorry she married
Bronson, probably
mo, she doesn't She thinks Bron-
son one of the best of husbands, and
so do I. She was going over to the
grocery this morning.
THAT is thrilling news
And the grocer is going to get her
fifty quarts of Strawberries in the
morning for s cents a quart. He said
he'd do the same for us. That's two
cents a quart cheaper than at retail,
and the cheapest they will be this
season.
II told her you'd send word right
over
''Um!"
"And Wen get the sugar and do
them right up
s"That's three times you have said
UNI What does it mean? Mr.. Per-
kins, you solemnly promised last jan
uary that when strawberries came
into market this summer you would
buy-a whole carload. Are you going
to funk now %
my dear woman he replied as he
| took a memorandum book from his
/ pocket, Il1d that on the lOlH OIL last
January, at of the clock in the morn
| ing, with the snow a foot deep on the
ground and more coming, we had a
talk about Strawberries.
"And you said you'd buy a carload. -
"Taken unawares, as I was, and la
boring under more or less physical
excitement, it is barely possible that I
made use of some such expression. I
will even admit that I did make use of
.xvol12,,
well, my dear, I no doubt meant to
keep my promise. In imagination
saw that car of berries come into the
city and roll up to our Kitchen door.
In imagination 1 had to buy a carload
of sugar to do them up, while you were
working like slave for days and days.
got to figuring it OUT
ooh, you are always and forever fig
uringv'
Il have to keep out of the poor house.
When I had figured the cost of the ber-
ries and the sugar found that we had
paid just twice as much as for the same
work was left out of the calculation
entirely. 1 dote on the gentle straw
berry. Mrs Perkins, but there must be
financial limit to my doting."
you don't mean to go back on your
promise, do you ?''
1--WE will figure anew and see how we
come cut In the first place, there are
so quarts of strawberries at eight cents
quart. mat IS IOuE QOlIdTS 10 D6Slu
with How mulch sugar will be neces-
sary?"
Il think / can get along with 20
pounds, and the price is the same as
for the berries
That's S1.6O for sugar, or $3.50 in all.
How long will it take you to do them
up?"
mot over two days. and my time
| isn't to be counted
livery we'll Now, then, when we have
taken out the hulls and poor berries we
cents for extra coal burned. The wear
and tear on the stove and dishes we can
| put at rs cents We now have a SEEM
| ing total of $7-15-
.And the berries, sugar and every
thing don't stand us over seven cents
| a quart Mr.. Perkins, you have proved
| that 1t is the most economical thing we
j could do. I don't see what you were
saying 'Umr about"
I'VE are just coming to the nub of
| the thing, Mrs. Perkins. On the face of
them it seems a stroke of economy but
| let us go a little further. There is ev-
| cry reason to believe that you will over
| heat your blood. Indeed, I fail to see
how you can avoid it. This will mean
an eruption at the very least, with
/ three or four calls from doctor and
half a dozen prescriptions. estirnat tie
| the expenses at at least ten dollars
But it's all nonsense!" replied Mrs
Perkins I've done up bushels and
/ bushels of berries, and nothing fol-
lowed
sOr, instead of a cutaneous eruption,
you may come down with blood poison
ing. It is quite on the cards, as any
doctor will tell you. Then the bill will