Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-07

The Tophams grew poorer every
year. On the 4st day of January
Samuel Topham registered a solemn
vow that on the very next day he
| would set forth in quest Of work for
| the ensuing year-work that would
| bring him in a steady income with
| which to support his growing family.
/ On the I'd day of January Mr.. Top
/ ham usually had a brilliant idea-a
brain splitting conception of a patent
| dishwashing machine or baby tender
! that might take the place Of paid
nursemaid. or an automatic flapjack
griddle which not only would grease
itself, but would also tip a suspended
pitcher of batter so that one might
have a continuous succession Of well
Drowned flapjacks as fast as one could
remove them from the self greasing,
nonburning, self adjusting griddle.
Anything in the way of work saver
or labor eliminator appealed to the in
ventive faculty of Samuel Topham.
As these ideas attacked Samuel on
the second day Of the new year, of
course he then abandoned the idea of
seeking manual labor and devoted
himself exclusively to the perfecting OF
this latest patent Under these cir
cumstances it became necessary for
Mrs. Topham TO find some means of
supplying her husband and seven lit
tie daughters with food and clothing.
This she did by home baking. She did
it cheerfully and without complaint.
for the Tophams, great and small. had
infinite faith in pas" inventions and
contentedly Scrimped and saved so that
one day all of them might live sumptu
ously on the proceeds OF his success
when it should really come to pass.
On this particular New Years morn
ing Samuel had registered his custom
airy vow with more than his accustom-
ed vigor.
There's no use talking. Sarah" he
said. sinking heavily into n kitchen
chair and looking appealingly at his
plump little wife from his prominent
light blue eyes. II haven't got the
heart to see you go through another
year like the last. Tomorrow morning
1 shall set out and find a job, some
thing that will at least bring us in
bread and cheese"
You've said that before, SAM" re-
turned Sarah placidly. You haven't
got to worry about that. Pm making
enough from my baking TO pay the gro
Ger and butcher. and we can wear our
old clothes for little while longer.
am sure the automatic griddle will be
a money maker. Why, whenever l fee
extra tired ! just think how easy we
! will have 1t when that automatic grid
die is on the market and you
] Samuel lifted fat hand and SHOOK
his head sadly. Pm afraid that the
automatic griddle is not a success" ht
announced in a hollow voice.
E ''Not-a-successT Sarah Topham':
voice showed more genuine dismay
than it had done in the case Of the
failure of the dishwasher and the baby
I tender, which had been the last tive
= inventions of her husbands restles:
brain. Now she removed her hand:
from a bowl of -four and surveyed
Samuel's gloomy cOuntepance with {
t, severe look on her usually good ma
tured face. You have heard some
thing new?" she asked
" Yes. | had a letter--a most pecul
Y iarly worded letter-from Mr.. Bow
man." admitted Samuel, taking an en-
velope from his pocket and surveying
the superscription resentfully.
J. well. what did he say. Samuel
You know you asked him for a candle
opinion of its merits He's your sec
o ond cousin and ought not to be afraiC
to speak right out"
He spoke right out" muttered Sam
uel bitterly.
What did he say?"
He said" returned Samuel reluc
e family, that no one except an unmiti
j, gated idiot and a conStitutionally laz.
and shiftless ioafer would ever hav,
spent a year OF Gods good time II
perfectng such a FOOLS idea as IN.
automatic griddle. / believe you Nigh
call that a candid opinion"
"Why-the-idea" gasped Sarah Tor
ham angrily.
II shall seek job tomorrow wen
on Samuel weakly.
He was surprised at his wife
u prompt reply. Its a good idea. Sam
d uel,' she said energetically. IN
to wait until the griddle is a success"
'Of course. Sarah. when you los
III faith in me | must go to the wall.
sc said Samuel Topham with dignity, an
so, folding the frankly written lette
of his second cousin, the inventor lef
I'll the kitchen and strolled into the pal
'u Tor of the cottage, where his morrl
III chair was dra wn before a glowing iii
tie air tight stove.
From the window he could see hi
n seven diminutive daughters coastin
down the hill that sloped from thei
cottage TO the hiGhroad. He sighe
re deeply. If his wonderful schemes ha
er- only carried out successfully these se'
en- daughters would each be an heires
wearing rich fur coats and ermin
ng hoods instead of bright little red CAP
to and cloaks fashioned by Sarahs bus
hands.
"Ha-humr' sighed Samuel, filing hi
yet pipe and reaching for the mornln
IN newspaper. 1t was necessary for San
UeI to subscribe to a New York dali
S,anpr IN order tn keen track OF m