Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-09-09


Bring me q big box, somebody.
said Adelaide. poking dusty cata-
logues on the cupboard with Mr..
sGray's umbrella, 81 don't quite dare
to burn this trash, but there's no use
having 1t here
sMr. Gray warned Julie, "is fussy
about having things changed. I've
told him It would be handler to have
the spool cases where the button
shelves are; but no, he says It's al
ways been Just so-and that settles
IT, 81.
But this.'' said Adelaide, Is my
corner, and I'm going to have 1t just
as fine as I can. I've sent for q cata.
iogue OF once furniture, and I'm going
to persuade Mr.. Gray to Ak this place
up
You don't know him." demurred
johnson, the old shoe clerk. This
store is Just about all the home and
family he owns; and he doesn't take
kindly to changes. When he cant
get the same old brand Of sheeting,
the same make Of lamp chimneys. or
the same old cut Of oyershoes, hes
terribly put out. I'd go easy with that
desk, Miss Adelaide.
The ONCE certainly looked neater
when Adelaide finally; tucked her dust
cloth into the roaring stove. 1t look
ed different, also. "A calendar had re-
placed the tattered tiger An arti-
ficisl palm waved It's too green leaves
above the safe. A damaged curtain!
taken from the stock, hung before
the cupboard. The desk, turned cor
nerwise, was bare except for q few
new pencils. Adelaide's fountain pen,l
q new scarlet penholderth thoughtful
;ly provided by Adelaide for Mr.. Gray'sl
personal use--and new bottle Of Ink.
Even the pigeomholes wore Sunday
air OF unprecedented neatness. The
enterpnising young woman eyed It all
with complacency.
But Mr.. Gray did not. He reach
ed town after closing time, three.
nights later; let himself In with his
own private key, and went straight
to the old-fashioneds ofiice to write a
letter. No one knows exactly what
happened during the first five min.
utes; but he spent the next thirty
hye In a frantic search for his own
battered penholder, twenty-five more
hunting for his own particular Kind.
OF ink, another fifteen IN digging up
the stack Of blue-lined paper that no
longer occupied the right hand cor
ner % the fourth shelf Of the fam
/ liar cupboard. BY the time he had
accumulated these articles and found
the necessary envelope and stamp. he
was too annoyed to be able to write q
good letter.
To calm himself. he reached for
Jacob Faithful, = for he read and re-
read Captain iarryat. In preferences
to anything more modern. But ia
cob. no longer rested face downward
on top Of the southeast corner Of the
safe.
Then Mr.. Gray's eyes sought .he
tigers. An exceedingly up-to-date
|girl returned the glance.
"I'll discharge Anderson by teie-
phone, !" muttered the angry merchant.
'df this Is his work :,
But Anderson, fortunately for him,
had no telephone.
The next morning. when Adelaide
arrived, the ofiice looked considers.
bly, worse than It had In the begin
ming, for her employer had spent
most Of the night restoring his anci-
ent treasures to their proper places.
Yes, / did 1t all. confessed AIDE
laide, cycling with CONSERVATION the
chaotic ONCE. But l thought you'd
like it.s -
"Do you think SO now?T demanded
Mr.. Gray, surrounded by scattered
palm leaves. +
NO. :" returned Adelaide. remaining
outside the railing. Il DON'T ~
E Come In. ] guess we'd better have
a clear understanding In this matter.
DO You see this book? Well. when I'm
livexed or puzzled like TO read IT.
there's something sort of slow and
restful about old Captain Marryat.
but / IKE to find him at home when
II reach for him. His homes right
/ here ON top OF this safe not under
sample packages OF hand-shucked
Iirlce. Do you see that tiger? When
"A get tired Of being tied down to busi-
/, ness, Il like to look at him. I've al
ways had a fancy that I'd like to hunt
tigers in tropical jungles. but guess
l.fhis Is the nearest I'll ever come to
llit Anyway. I'd be lonesome without
that picture"
S"If I'd known y
mo you see this desk? 1t was faith
er,s. So was that cupboard. This was
fathers penholder. I've fancy for
keeping things as nearly as possible
as father left them. I'm used to them
myself You see. they've been this
way for over fifty years. Now you're
comparatively new"
.sl'm nineteen, z
'Just SO. And you've lost several
| Jobs
Adelaide colored painfully.
without knowing exactly why.
| Yes, thought 80. Did you, by any
|, chance, introduce any. modern i'm,
proSements in the realestate bush
ness, the bank building, the Insurance
I ONCE. or up in the city hall? Did you
/ get In little missionary work on
Judge Whitney's spelling, and make a
few alterations In Doctor Truscott's
queer wayaof keeping accounts? DID
1 you think that avenue looked finer
than street when you lettered Gore
& Pelham's maps 2" &, 3sS
-Im afraid / well, ! did try to i'm.
prove things q little.
Just 50, !. returned Mr.. Gray. whose
! eyes were entirely kind. tits q habit
of yours, perhaps! A good habit TO