Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-06-12
MRS. PRlNGLE'S
INCUBATOR
1t Was a Questionable
Success
By cLARIssA MAcKIE

IN the pages of her favOrite magazine,
and after she had read it carefully for
the third time her great idea came
Times were rather hard with the
Pringles. Mr.. Pringle, the wage earn
er of the family. had been sick for
three weeks, and be had suffered a
consequent loss Of salary. while his
expenses had gone relentlessly on.
with the addition Of doctors fees and
bills for medicine. Now he Was back
at his desk in the insurance Office. and
his loyal little wife racked her brains
to think Of some way to earn money
and thus help George out of his inan-
cial difficulties.
Then she saw the advertisement, and
the great idea came to her. She put on
her hat and went directly to the saw
wrote letter.
The Pringes lived in an apartment
in New York. and. besides parlor.
dining room. kitchen and two bed
rooms. the architect had allotted them
an extra room. small and cubbyholey,
with one window opening on an air.
shaft. This room Mrs Pringle had
used for wardrobe. but in the zeal
of her new endeavor she now packed
her pretty gowns into all sorts of i'm
possible places and had Mary. the
maid. scrub the cubbyhole and wash
the one window.
You're laying yourself liable, ma m. !"
warned the expressman gloomily.
when the great idea had materialized
in the form of huge express crate.
Liable to what?" Mrs Pringle had
demanded. with her haughtiest air. at
the same time forgetting to remind
the man that be had not given her so
cents change.
Nothing maam." said the man
hastily. and he disappeared as if glad
to get away from the fourth floor of the
Myona apartments
II suppose he thinks forgot that 80
cents" smiled Mrs. Pringle trium-
phantly as she called Mary to help
her carry the crate into the cubbyhole.
For the love Of hivin. mum. what
liver have yez here?" gasped that hand
maiden as the crate dropped from her
fingers
Its an incubator. Mary" said her
mistress impressively
IAN incubator? And whativer would
yez be dom with it here?"
RAISE chickens" explained Mrs.
Pringle.
Chickens. Maybe yez'll be kapin' q
COW. too. mum. and bit Of a pig"
suggested Mary with irony.
That will do. Mary" said her mis-
tress severely. II am taking you into
my confidence because want your
help in this matter, and want to keep
it secret from Mr.. Pringe until it
proves itself success. I've bought
several books on chicken raising. and l
know them by heart I've bought eight
dozen eggs Of White Leghorn fowls
you know they are very small and just
the thing for an apartment house incu-
bator! l have brooder ordered. too.
and when the chicks are Matched the
brooder will hover them like mother
| hen"
Seems like them chicks oughter have
a sight OF Gods blessed sunshine.
num-" commented Mary as she drag
ged the remnants Of the crate away.
The sun shines directly down the
skylight at noon. Mary. and they will
have some then; but. you see. being in
cubator chicks. they probably do not
require sunshine. ! should think cleo
trio light would do very WELL"
"Humph" snorted Mary from the
kitchen.
"Mary?" called her mistress little
later.
Yes. num-" responded Mary.
DO you remember that blue velvet
suit l had last winter?'
And winter before last" added Mapy
guardedly.
"Ot course. though it's almost as
good as new this minute"
Except fer the skirt bein' cut too
wide fer this sayson's style" corrected
Mary, standing pudgy and fat footed
IN the doorway
II was thinking of giving it to the
laundress. Mary She's about the right
size" observed Mrs Pringle. with fine
diplomacy. II knew you wouldn't
care for it."
| There was an uncomfortable pause.
But l would be lkin' it. num-
cried Mary explosively, ""ris me that
always thought it the purtiest dress
yez ever had. Shure. that Ann Ma.
guire could never get into the coat
she's that stretched with washin' and
bendin' over the tub Thank yon kind
~. Mrs. Pringle. III take the blue suit
as soon as yez is ready to hand it over
AS for them blessed chicks. I'll watch
over them like All old hin mesilt unit
they come out and divvle worrud ri
brathe to Mr.. Pringle until some tuine
day poke billed chicken under his
nose at the table. poor man"
Very we'll, Mary" smiled Mrs. Prin
gle. I'VE will have to see that the
lamp doesn't get to taring. and we
must be careful that the temperature