Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1913-03-06
WINNING AN ARGUMENT
BY ALLIE BROCK.

My wife is the greatest hand q a
argument you ever saw. saIA TIA
man In the smoking car OF the OuhuH
ban train. she always beats ne at
anything of that sort The last time
l was shown up a a false alarm In
applying logic to every day Affairs
was no longer ~ than yesterday.
When I got home from the city last
evening my wife said to me: There
was a man here today to see about
fixing the flower beds and the garden
for h winter. He looked 30 shabby
and sort OF homeless that I gave him
your other light overcoAt' Is stfad
That ought to be good start to-
ward getting him a home I said in
mirth provoking way. Tt was . thought
ful move on your part. I suppose you
figured that some lonely widow along
the road would fall in love with him
when she saw the graceful lines Of
that coat Unfolding him and would
rush out to haul him In 4dG Wow
Don't try to be funny said my
wife.
What really interest me more
than his immediate future I said, Ii
the object Of his call. Did he wait
long enough to specify what was the
matter with u flower beds that need
ed fxing?' tsn1a" ~ .Ts2Ep
my wife favored me with the stare
OF disdain which she considers espe-
cially cutting and effective against MY
kind of uay = -aNbs'
why, I suppose he wants to NJ
them up for the winter she said. I'm
not an expert on such matters, but I
have an idea hat some sort OF atten-
tion must be paid to them before zero
weather comes. I told the man to
come back this evening and see you
There being nc adequate reply to
this under the matrimonial code, I al
lowed the subject to drop and awaited
my visitor. He came with the shad-
ows, adorned with my o~vercoat.
al was wonderful he said, II you
wanted your flower beds and your gar
den fixed up for the winter Then he
leaned restfully against the porch
pillar.
Whats the idea?' I asked. Won't
they be there next spring II I leave
them alone all winter?'
"'Yes, but you don't understand
the tired citizen explained. They
ought to be bedded down with fertt-
lizer-spaded up and covered over.
the way they fix 'em in the parks
land then what?' I demanded. The
light of my household was listening
from the darkness Of the hall and I
wanted her to see the useIessness Of
the appointment she had made for me.
"'Then your flowers and vegetables
will have a big start next spring the
horticultural explained, because the
ground will be ready for 'em. I do
this every rear for most Of the peo-
pie in this town. I charge a dollar for
my time and you pay for the fertilizer
and stuff
here, you imitation gardner I
marked after / had glared at him q
moment, you're the worst booster for
yourself that ever came down that
road out there. Your efforts to get
a dollar out Of me are 30 feeble and
amateurish that I'd have . laugh ell 70
myself If 1 wasn't getting sort Of tired
Of your kind Of cattle. aati
you've got a lot of nerve to- say
that you bed down ths vegetable gar.
dens Of most Of the people In this
town every year, so they'll be ready to
do business with a rush in the spring.
time I told him. why, there isn't
another suburb on this branch Of the
railroad that turns out such b worthp
less lot Of garden truck az this one 81
"'Now / know what's the matter
it's all your fault. II you'd keep your
hands of the gardens and let things
alone people might have a chance to
raise a few spring onions ut q cost OF
not more than So a dozen, and we
might even get an occasional fAdish
that wasn't a soggy sponge. Not con-
tent with getting my fall overcoat by
merely standing around ana looking
frostbitten, you expect me to give you
a dollar for taking exercise that would
keep you warn while you are spelling
my gardenl'
my caller shifted his weight to the
other foot n looked uncomfortable
for q few seconds, but he was ready
with his defense.
"TWell, he said, a mans got to
live.'
"'Therei' my wife exclaimed tri
umprantly from the darkness behind
me. That's the pcint you always, oySrl
look!'
80 this morning that depressed
person was busy In our garden with
spade and wheelbarrow when I left
home. Lovely woman may not be
strong on the finer points OF logic,
but she certainly has tho gift Of win
ming in any argument."--Chioago
Daily News.