The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-18
The EVENING STORY
The Breakfast Food Man.
(By Frank 81. WiIliams.l

snowy road in his huge red auto
mobile, spied the girl little distance
| ahead of him. He pulled the car to
standstili I'LL beside her and smiled
her becoming Tam O. Shanter and
| sweater jacket.
Hello, neighbor." he cried.
Hello, Mr.. Breakfast Food Man."
the girl replied. rather grudgingly and
somewhat sarcastically.
The man grinned, though rather un-
comfortably
II suppose he said, 'sthat you think
making my money in such a prosaic
way as feeding the public at the break
fast table? Would you think any the
better of me il my money was tied up
in railroad and government bonds, as
suppose your fathers estate is?''
The girl surveyed the man critically
from heel to head while he REDEEMED un-
TITS hard to TELL" she replied can
didly at last. When I think of that
awful Wheatfiaka that you manufac-
ture, 1t seems to obscure whatever good
qualities you may have. I see you
through falling flakes of that unspeak-
able stuff"
tWheatfiaka is every bit as good and
better than Wheato!" he fared. "And
that's the only other brand on the
market that has sales anywhere nearly
is big as oursi"
At this the girl simply raised her
eyebrows. Then. on second thought,
Naturally that's your opinion-but
we eat Wheato at our breakfast table,"
She turned, definitely, and started
down the road.
Watt cried Hugh. jumping from
his machine. Don't go away like this.
You probably think of me as utterly
impossible, but I'm hanged if I'm go
ing to let breakfast food come be-
tween Us.
"I could explain to you how Wheat
haka is made and show you how per-
fectly pure and wholesome it is, but
you you U wouldn't understand it. I might
tell you that we are soon going to be-
gin an advertising campaign that will
wipe Wheato off the market, but you
don't understand business"
Indeed" CALCULATED the girl.
But you can understand this" Hugh
rushed on. You can understand me
when / say 1 love you. I've loved you
from the moment I saw you, and, no
matter how you think of me now, no
matter what you say, I'm going to-
make you love me and marry me! Just
as I'm going to be successful in this
fight against Wheato. I'm going to win
you!"
A deep. indignant flush suffused the
girls face. Then she laughed mock
ingly.
Really. Mr.. Breakfast Food Man."
she cried, you can't make a girl mar
ry you by the fine tactics you would
employ in a business campaign. If
your endeavors with Wheatf1aka are no
more successful than your endeavors
will be to win me. it will certainly go
hard with you"
Naughty and stern, she stood with
averted face until Hugh, somewhat
abashed, climbed into his machine and
whirled down the road.
But Hugh's buoyant nature soon re-
asserted ITSELF He had never yet fail
ed in anything that he had undertak-
en-. Why, then, should he fail when it
came to winning wife?
Confident that when the time really
came the girl would capitulate, he pig
eonholed his courtship for future at |
tention, and gave all his energies into
the prosecution of his campaign |
against Wheato.
For a week or more the campaign |
progressed in most satisfactory man |
ner. Consumers and jobbers through |
out the country responded in a wonder |
fully gratifying manner to Hughs ag-
gressive advertising. He felt that his |
efforts were already crowned with sue
cess. His statesmen everywhere report |
ed that the sales of Wheato had
greatly decreased.
Then suddenly, out of a clear sky, |
came a storm cloud. The Wheato COM
paly, in page advertisements in many
leading newspapers, published a COM |
plete report of the method by which |
Wheatflaka was manufactured. In |
this report it was shown that three |
times during the process the food was
touched by human hands.
The Wheato company pointed out to |
the public the danger of contamina- |
ton and pollution of the food through |
this agency, and further declared that |
was manufactured by the most |
cIeanly process which could possibly be I
used.
The effect of this advertising was to
cut the sales of WheathaI1a in half at
once. Hugh Immediately ordered the
entire process of manufacture changed, |
but he realized that it would be some
time before the food recovered from its
slump.
For the time his campaign against
Wheato was abandoned. He was too
busy endeavoring to hold his own busi-
ness together to bother much about the
enemy.
It was a rather discouraged Hugh
who came upon the girl for the second
time as he p1owed through the deep
snow in his big car.
Arrayed as before, she was standing
just inside the gate leading to her
home. The house where she and her
mother lived was a big affair,
a half mile or SO down the road from
Hugh's home.
The girl actually smiled as she saw
Hugh's disconsolate and haggard face.
why, it's the Breakfast Food man."
she laughed. Have you come to
marry me, Mr.. Food?" she asked gay
mot yet replied the man logged
". But I'm going to some day. Heav-
ems, how I love you!" he cried as he
yazed hungrily at her flushed face. II
never knew what it was before to love.
Now, when can't have you right when
[ want you my whole being cries aloud
Tor you
The girl, her face all ahame, laughed
again this time rather constrainedly.
REALLY you are a very original lover,
Mr. Food" she said. None of the 9TH
er men have ever said such things toI
ne so unconcernedly."
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