Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-27


orphan. and her grandfather. although
a farmer, has more than million doll
lars (Which sounds tremendous. but
wouldn't be as Impressive. | suppose.
IL one did 1t in pounds). and when he
dies. as he must before long. as he is
very old. Patty will have all his money.
Young people get on his nerves. so
Patty lives with the Trowbridges. who
are friends of his, and helps Mrs.
Trowbridge with her work.
lde really is Il sort of servant. but
she would go away instantly IL any
body called her that and she is so
afraid some one may think she is in
feriOr to the others in the house be-
cause she is paid wages for her work
that she does her hair deliberately.
wears smarter dresses than the rest
and puts herself rather forward with
strangers so as to impress them. She
wouldn't even like to be called a
"help," but says that she .'obliges"
Mrs. Trowbridge. and she wouldn't
stop long enough to draw another
breath if she were not treated better
if anything than Patty.
After "tea" we drove to the Empori-
um at Hermann's Corners. The EN-
porium is always open till half past
| 9. and there was going to be an
lice cream festival there that night.
didn't know what an ice cream feS-
tival meant. but Mr.. Trowbridge said
| l should see for myself. and it would
probably lie different from anything
| had yet experienced. Mr.. Trowbridge
| and Mr. Brett and | all drove in the
| buggy. 1t was rather squeeze in
| one seat. but 1t was fun. and we were
| very merry.
| The rest all squashed into big
| wagon and sat on the hay. would
have gone in that way. too, but Mr.
| Trowbridge wanted me to try his
horse. and we could hear the Others
laughing every minute as they came
| jolting on behind us.
| 1t was about seven miles to Her
mann's Corners. and after Il lovely
drive through charming. peaceful com
ming to be dusk.
l couldn't have imagined such /,
place as the Emporium. and when
was in the thick of it said to mysel
that it would be worth ones while com
ing over to the States just to visit 1t
II nothing else. If l had to choose be
tween l believe I'd rather see it thai
Niagara falls. FOR one knows Magyar;
falls from biographs and things, ant
nothing short of actually seeing coult
give one the slightest idea of Mr. VIII
Walker and his Emporium.
My first impression of the Emporium
was huge. rambling wooden build
ing rather like vast barn with
dozen smaller barns tackled on 10
and windows let in 1t is painted pc.
green and has a rough veranda run
ming partly around tia high verand
with no steps. or. If any, at such loni
intervals that you must search TO
them. But as there's no pavement W
just scrambled out of the buggy an,
cart on to the veranda, and there w
were landed among the most extraor
binary collection of things | eve
dreamed OF. The stock in the Empor
um having overfowed from the insid
on to the veranda. we stumbled abou
among boxes of eggs. sewing machines
crates of dishes, garden tools. broom,
rocking chairs. perambulators. boots
canned fruit, children's toys. lag
gage. green vegetables. ice cream free1
ers bales of calico, mems suits. pile
rn books. clotheslines and thousan
other goods
Just us we threaded our way throug
the groups of young men. who locke
at us good DEAL people were Iightin
the gas in the Emporium. 1t was IL
candescent and baZed up suddenl
with fierce light as if it were Il vo
cano having an eruption. All the We
men inside there was quite crow
of them. bareheaGed or in perfect
fascinating frilled sunbonnetsl shrieke
and then giggled. A man who wa