The central record., 1911-10-13
CLAYTON'S
CORDIAL
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press

tQe enus WuO udS Cdot Al onC ey"'
who is tall and scrawny and has q
limp, you must figure out that her
chances Of getting married are not
more than one In a thousand.
Such a woman was Sarah Clayton
Of Harpersviile. For thirty years she
had been the champion homely girl
and woman Of Bennett county. She
realized 1t, but she couldn't help It
Sarah's father and mother didn't like
her looks at all. Some folks were
mean enough to say that FASTENED
their end. Sarah had two brothers.
They ran away and went west to be
killed by the Indians. Some folks say
that If Sarah had been a reasonably
good looking girl neither brother would
have left home. At the age of twenty
eight she was an orphan and brother
less. and. while the property she In
herited was enough to give her q COM
Portable living. 1t was no. enough to
bring a husband.
While Sarah realized all the draw
backs. she was not entirely ciscourag-
ed. She had a belief that something
would happen some day. and she
didn't go around making herself and
other folks miserable Twelve years
carue and went and nothing happened.
but she was still on the job.
At the state election, with the tenn
perance question as an issue. Bennett
county and four others surrounding II
went dry-no more Of the foamy, no
more corn Juice.
You can't figure ont what this tenn
perance question bad to do with Sarah
Clayton. who scarcely knew what was
going on until Bennett county was as
dry as a bone. Well. homely as she
was. Sarah understood the man side
Of human nature very well. She knew
there would be an intense longing for
the unattainable.
After the temperance movement was
In full swing and the pinch was on
"Claytons cordial" appeared. It pass
cd as a soft drink. Some folks said II
was cider. some root beer and some
thought 1t came under the head of
ginger ale. Whatever 1t was, 1t bore
the label as above. and 1t jumped into
popularity at once. II filed an aching
void. It soothed and comforted. II
Quenched that longing in the neck.
1t did more. 1t saved hundreds of
homes on the point Of being wrecked
1t had got 50 that not one husband
out Of twenty In the FIVE counties
could speak decent word to his wife
once In three days. And then there
were loss Of ambition, indigestion,
headaches. pains In the stomach and
giddiness. and all these things the cor
dial was warranted to and did drive
away In short order.
Sarah made the Hrst fifty bottles
with her own hands. Then she had
to hire q boy. then she had to hire q
man a. well, then she had put IL on
sale at the drug store. Nothing ever
made q name for itself as fast Is
"Clayton's cordial" 1t could not be
made and bottled fast enough to sup
ply orders. OF course the spinster
had calls from men who wanted to
buy her secret A dozen In her own
town stood ready to pay a good price
for It There were two sorts Of men
came-married and unmarried. The
married men were turned down at
once. The secret was not for sale.
The unmarried ones were told that
the cordial must stay in the family.
That wasn't saying right out that no
one but husband would be given the
recipe, but the unmarried callers
caught on one after another. There
was money In that recipe. but there
was Sarah behind it-Sarah the home
". They thought Of the balmy cor
dial and then looked at the homely
woman. No. no! It was too much.
Sarah understood and did not blame
them. Neither was she cast down.
She Just went right ahead turning out
the great and only discovery and sup
plying other markets. and the orders
) and dollars kept rolling in.
And one day he came. He was an old
bachelor Of forty-Hve. He had spent
most Of his years In the woods and far
, from women. He had never even
, thought Of marriage. he wasn't q bad
looking man. and he bore a good char
, acter. He happened to see Sarah Clay
! ton In the postoface. and In the jerk of
lambs tail he was In love. In his
eyes she was the most charming wom-
an he had ever seen. She must be bis
or Life would be naught to him. With
! out having heard Of her cordial from
any one he followed her home and
told bis love and gave her half an
hour to make up her mind.
"But I am afraid you are actuated
BY mercenary motives" she said.
, "Why. I've got enough to keep M
! both and am making more all the
|. time"
"But you see have made q whole
lot Of money out Of my cordial"
"Cordial be hansedi II you have any
money use It to buy clothes with
D "And you are not after the recipeT'
E ''Never had a recipe IL my LIE and
. don't want one. lwa.t you"
Il After the marriage Sarah was VIII
, ing to sell the recipe. When the best
|. ofIer had been reached she wrote 10
down:
~Oid cider. twenty parts.
"Gingef. two parts.
"Horseradish. Eve parts.
Brandy seventy-three pafts."
sThat b all" she said.
3 Ard you've made $1,000 and hus'
J band ept Of itr
II sWhy-why. I think I've done fairiy
well for . homsly % mai1r