The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-12-24
me Case ofMjssfcBrsrS.

AuoiC arc WIG OukWoit us Uhos Ae
people laz there are the tuberculosis
nits that make 'em cough; and there
ara the trlchins geras that make
reosls Asss's ~ liAs \ AsA bnive
But these vetmiats srs nothing to The
bus that IS ksepins an everlasting
hump o. uisuie Breps-shs that was
hissrvA sisGton-naking wrin'
kles in her forehead, scratching crows
feet Arossd her eyes and giving hel
face the drawn snxisus look OF q
person who iR sent 70, and eAa't come
AwfuIly nice Girl Min vas when she
was working ia She Blue t'ront ten
years age; helped her father and
neither and put Jshn Msnry Through
the high school; just as mise = two
legged girl as ever turned tho lam
dswn 10 sage her steady fellows eyes.
AND when she landed Billy Brown
she Arst break she mads-and sone
claim that she had the bag even
then-was that church wedding. 1t
was awfal, and JabtL Wortkiugton
still has on his house the mortgage
that he put there TO give Minnie that
send OF. Wish wouldn't be 50 bad,
II Only the Worthingtons sad tt
stand il; for their life is lived, and
Billy aid John Henry will take care
of her felix's; hut she has been living
up to that wedding every siDcp, and
there's The trouble.
It's the social bug gBawing at her
innaras. The bug just keeps her
hoppisg night and Day. It's shame
sou; for she has staked her LIES
on feeding that bug; she
has fed 1t the children she might
have had children being snfashlon
able and incenvenient;) she has fed
her husbands money, the family
peace, the comfort Of the household
and the beauty Of her passing youth
all to satify the bug.
Gradually, Minerva Brow hs,
,ia,, and olomb and climoed She
aimed at State street six years ago
md joined the church that wa
attached to the largest houses. She
began to teach Sunday schoo!-.n th-
prlaAry cla.sea, 90 that she cruld gel
IN terms with the little ones and
hereby gets into the big houses.
And she got j.. Anyone can get int
my hes.s-once. But when Mia auo
ler bug got ia once il took the police
aud fire department 20 yet her out
She established relations; she got on
erm'; she called again. She put the
people in the big house under ooligs
ions, usd when they pala her il
,ocal favors she could feel the little
,ug swell in her daodenaA with
Ireat pride. So she began to feed
,esple sinners who had too much IT,
TAT a. it vas. And Billy bsgsu t.
i've on the lefI-overs. fhere are
whole weeks tog ther when the,
ion't have a warm meal Ia the hosse
just ieft-overs froa their 81
ilaners, and memories of these at
,ther houses, together with canned
almsa aad crackers. The hir d cir
lasn't had a square meal since last
summer when the State street no
oility was out OF town. They never
luy enough pork chops to leave one
or het;ir 4 as for pataise, and bread
VI 10 can't afford to take money from
he bag to put In plain coarse food.
SO she draas Billy around in his
,rotting harness, Keeps hin up al
past bed time, nightafte'
light, aud his boss says that salad
5 as bad as n cocktail to make man
the next day, aud 80 Billy
hasn't had a raise for three years.
But the bug is getting fat. He has
.aten out a woman's heart; he has
aiken the joy from two lives; he has
,lighted home; he ought TO be IA
lappy bug. But still he gnaws and
-naws. And Min is figuring on break
ng into Topeka society where they
ometimes have real wine on the
a bles-a thing done only at rare in
ervais on State street.
Science, which gets after all the
Jugs that lnfest humanity, should do
for Minerya's social bug.
Billy would give years salary II be
ould get something that would kill
hat bug.
And there are whole families In the
anne tix.-Em poria Gazette.