The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1909-07-09
CEREAL
STORY
by ]. B. Lippincott Co.,
BY Melville F. Ferguson

IVY oAN
grave at the top of my copy-book,
variety wal reputed to be the spice
of life casually remarked the Man,
Eravely contemplating the steaming
breakfast food before him. How
times have changed! How tickle the
fashion in spices! Pass the cream,
please"
His wife cast a sidelong glance at
him over the top of the coffee-urn.
She was used to his circuitous method
of attack, and more than suspected
what was coming. Therefore she held
Ter peace.
'This-er-pasty substance" said
he, holding up a spoonful and allow
ing it to plump back into his bowl in
4 long elastic gob-"haven't l seen
something like this before? Didn't
we have it yesterday? Didn't we
have it day before yesterday? Has
there been any day this month, or
last month, or the month before, when
we didn't have it,"
Il thought you were SO fond OF
7oereals!" deprecated the woman.
SGl CdA5SSS. A1S PAL
cereal, to the exclusion of all others
no. Come, now, be honest. What's
the prize? Tell me about the
premium. Enlighten me as to the gen
srous offer of the philanthropic manu-
facturer. What is it,"
"Oh. l dare say it's very amusing"
retorted his wife, with an ominous
snap in her voice. You're an in
CRATE. But for my interest in the
things you sheer at you wouldn't have
the coat you've got on"
It was true. He wished he hadn't.
He was attired in a vivid green smok-
~sng-jacket t%astefully trimmed with
purple walls of Troy about the collar,
cuffs, n tail. 1t was a nightmare his
thoughtful helpmeet had brought upon
him by succumbing to the offer OF
what was described as a magnificent
$50 house-coat to be given away alb
solutely free with a thousand cigars
-of awful memory. He sat in a chair
TO obtain which as a gift his better
half had made herself obnoxious
throughout the neighborhood by fore
ing upon unwilling friends and &C
quaintances unbelievable quantities of
soap, starch, and perfumery that they
didn't need and didn't want. He ate
from dishes that had been procured
by the assiduous collection of reams
of vari-coloyed trading-stamps. The
abOrtiye urn in which was served the
morning ration of coffee represented
weeks Of ~nauseating effort to dispose
OF the ten pounds of chiccory and
charred peanuts with which it had
been presented. Mastering these for
tifying facts in martial array in his
mind, he returned to the charge.
What are We going to get for moth
ing this time?" he demanded. Come,
tell me how it works"
Il just knew you'd be perfectly hor-
rid about It," said she. Its a beau
tiful gilt boudoir clock-something
I've wanted for ages and age. You
see, there is a little pasteboard letter
in every box, and when you get
enough to spell the cereal peoples
name they give you the clock as a
present. It's grand; Mrs. James has
one, and it didn't cost her a penny. I
wish you could see it,"
Didn't cost her a penny, Ell? No,
can't see it," rejoined the Man, with
sinister double %entendre. How much
do you pay for this stuff? Fifteen
cents a box? And we've been using
three packages a week for say twenty
weeks-that's nine dollars. Seems to
me you must have bought enough let
ters to get two or three clocks. The
fellows who got up this scheme must
nave a name long enough to reach all
the way around the box and lap over
some at that. What do they call
themselves"
ITS the name of the food you have
TO spell-not the company's. The let.
tiers are P-r-e-t-t-y-m-a-n-s P-r-e-d-i.
g-e-s-t-e-d Oats, and ] have them all
but one. I've four or five of some of
them"
WELL" said the Man, glancing at
his watch and shedding his giddv
house-coat hurriedly, preparatory to
the usual rush for his train, "if your
heart is set on getting this clock for
nothing, let us hope you find the miss
ing letter before l am bankrupted-
that's ALL"
Oats was a dangerous topic for
many days. The Man absorbed his
fodder in silence morning after morn,
Ing, leaving a constantly increasing
quantity in his bowl on the plea of al.
lowing himself more time to reach the
station.
One morning he casually asked his
Wifa which letter. in the mauic nanno