Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-11-21
JIMMIE TRAuT The DREAMER.
by Kenneth Harris.


Grimms @Goblins" began it for
Jimmy Traut- Grimm's and The
Arabian Nights" OF course there
were other fairy stories Jimmy got
hold IF where magic finder boxes.
rings, lamps and the like brought
treasure and consequent happiness
to their lucky possessors.
Jimmy used to dream over these
delightful happenings by the hour in
his childhood, and he found it
geat comfort. When he was strug-
Cling with his home lessons that
tangled themselves up hopelessly In
his puzzled brain, it wos so sweet to
imagine some benefcent brownie or
other appearing Unexpectedly to
wave a wand and cause the exas-
perating examples to arrange thoem-
selves in neat and correct solution
on the tear-blistered paper before
him, and TO picture the subsequent
surprise and fattering commenda,
tons of his teacher Or when circus
day was approaching and he was be-
moaning the parsimony of his par.
ents, face downward in the clover in
a secluded corner of the orchard,
then TO think of leprechuan whom
he might seize and squeeze out the
price of a whole row of the best re-
served seats, What pots of gold
Jimmy discovered at rainbows' ends;
what plumber of robber bands in Sc
cret caves; what wishes he wished
in series of threes! Well, we all
have wished and imagined the same
things, l suppose. only we get over
such nonsense as we grow older
Jimmy never did.
He came to the city. He did not
at all intend to stay there. He would
merely remain long enough to make
fortune and then return to dazzle
everybody with his splendor and mu-
nificence for the fist of his days. II
Jimmy's dreams bad come true pow
erty would have been abolished in
that little village of his, can tell
you
But the dreams didn't seem to
come true. Jimmy wasn't much
more than an errand boy at first and
it was rather rough shedding for him.
The boss didn't cal! him in and after
telling him that he had observed
with qualification the evident deyo-
ton to the business he, Jimmy, had
displayed, make him a junior part
ner. The only time the young man
was called into the sacred presence
during the first year was when he
was informed that the next time he
took an hour and half to go from
Market street to State street and
back he would be fired.
He rose to his clerkship, for. IL
spite of his dreaming, he could and
did work in a way and he was liked.
Nobody could help liking Jimmy.
He had little to say for himself, but
he had a wonderfully ready smile
and an equally ready sympathy for
anybody's troubles. He was careless
with his money, too, it may be re-
marked. He didn't have a great
deal, but what he had anybody could
get away from him He was what is
known as an easy mark"
In the course of a few years he
had one of the great happinesses of
his life. He met the princess. She
was the only daughter of his en-
ployer and vas young and beautiful.
Jimmy opened the door for her as
she came in one day and she smiled
graciously at him as a princess
should, and ten minutes after that
Jimmy had won her blushing ac-
acknowledgement Of her love for him
and her father consent 70 their
union. The same old partnership
followed, of course Just then Tam
init, the chief clerk, touched him on
the shoulder and said: IF you've got
those invoices ready, Mr.. Traut, I'll
take EN-"
For two years that happiness
lasted and then the princess married
Albert P. Wrenshaw, of Wrenshaw &
3idiles. Perhaps that ought to
nave cured Jimmy, but it didn't.
At last Jimmy married. II Mrs
rraut was not really the princess
The was at least a mighty capable
woman and did wonders with
Iimmys small salary 1t was Ger.
ainly a wonder that she could
make it stretch to the needs of that
anily, for 1t got to be sizable
amily in time She was rather In
olerant of Jimmy's dreaming-his
peculations on the convenience. for
Instance, Of a tablecloth that when
yer spread instantly covered Itself
With a square meal, adjusted in size
the appetites Of any number Of
ersons who should sit around IT,;
a carpet that would solve the
uestion Of family transportation 10
lichigan for the annual two weeks
acadon. It was nonsense. But foI
Il that Jimmy feasted royalty or
| he rare viands Of the magic table
10th and voysSed on the carpet