Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-05-20
THE LEATHER PoCKETBooK

The pursemaker smiled with the sat
| isfaction of the craftsman who sees that
which he set out to make finished, com
plete, perfect.
Indeed, he could afford to smile, for
the object lying before him on the bench
was fawless specimen of the purse
makers art. 1t was a combined pocket
book and purse, of greater size than
usual, fashioned of the best materials
that money might buy-scented Russia
leather without delicate tinted silk with
in bound and clasped with silver.
The pursemaker was pleased. He was
proud of his skill. He was the best
workman in the shop-the man who was
always called upon to execute the special
orders which came from time to time to
the celebrated London firm of leather
workers which employed him. He earned
good wages, and, better STILL he had the
chance of satisfying himself in his work;
for he was no routine journeyman, con-
demned to turn out similar articles day
after day and week after week. To him
was permitted the privilege Of making
use of his imagination.
He picked up the pocketbook and ex-
amined it lovingly, and laughed aloud.
Tonight he was not at the bench where
he stood all day; he was at his private
bench, in the little spare room of his
fiat, which he had fitted up for his own
particular use.
The door of the room opened and a
woman entered. She was the mans
wife-a tall, dark, looking
woman. She was still beautiful, though
the bloom of her early youth had been
rubbed away. She had the look of one
who had gone through much suffering.
Her eyes had a hard, relentless light in
them, and the corners of her mouth were
drawn tight, as if at some past time
they had been sharp closed in the effort
to stihe the cries which her spirit for
babe her to utter, and had never learned
to loosen themselves.
When a girl she had been taken, with
others, patriots like herself, and had
been starved and chilled and insulted in
one of the prisons which the government
of her fatherland supports for its own
purposes. She had been a rebel against
this governmena-5, quite unashamed and
unrepentant rebel; so the authorities,
not content with administering hunger
and cold and insults, had beaten her with
whips heavy whips, which cut through
the skin of her back and scared her right
down into the uttermost depths of her
soul.
Later. when the authorities had tired
of administering physical violence
when, in short they had quite rubbed
away the bloom from her youth they
had sent her into exile, and thence she
had escaped and had made her way to
I ha nd ha1
married the pursemaker, who also had
reason 20 hate the government of his
native land.
The woman walked softly to the
bench, and, bending over the mans
shoulder, looked at the pocketbook. Then,
reaching forward she picked it up and
examined it with care She opened each
pocket, and, with a critical eye, meas
ured its capacity. Evidently, ike the
man, she regarded the thing as being
very good; for she smiled, so that the
tightly drawn corners of her mouth be-
came almost unloosened but not quite
Then, gently strokiug the mans hair,
she laughed.
ut is beautiful" she said 1T is very
beautiful. 1t is perfect-but was it
worth while to make it so perfect? That
| SILVER, HON-lHab SILK inning.
The man looked up at her when
one make an offering to the Great Ones
of the earth, one must make an Offering
| that is suitable. 1t is fitting that they
should have only what is perfect for
so it was ordained To the rich, the
best; to the poor :"
The man smiled grimly "IIere, at
| any rate, is gift fit for the very great
/ est of the Great Ones; and he, to whom
we shall offer it, should feel himself hon
ored, for he is not by any means the
greatest Yet--ah, well, our debt is
great; and who are we that we should
forget to pay our debts? Come, we viii
make it quite ready, and then We will 90
out, We will get the best supper that
London can provide and we win drink
a bottle of wine to our Great One"
lie reached across the bench. and.
opening a little cupboard, drew out a
small paper packet, Then, unwrapping
the paper he filled the pockets of the
purse with fiat sticks OF something that
looked like pale chocOlate-all bnt one
pocket. Yet they We're not sticks of
chocolate
There" he said. when he had finished.
Now we can go Tomorrow We will fill
the last pocket. Then everything win
be complete"
The streets were crowded. On either
pavement the people stood five and six
deep and before them was row of
scarlet coated soldiers; for a roval wed
ding was to be celebrated, and the Lon
don folk ever ready for pageant were
making holiday. There would be much
to see. Royal personages of all degrees