The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-01-24
WINNING AN ARGUMENT
BY ALLIE BROCK.


man in the smoking car Of the subur
ban train. "She always beats me III
anything of that sort The last time
l was shown up as false alarm In
applying logic to every day AFFAIR."
was no longer ago than yesterday.
when l got home from the city las
evening my wife said to me: There
was a man here today to see about
fixing the flower beds and the garden
for the winter. He looked so shabby
and sort Of homeless that I gave hin
your other light overcoat.'
THAT ought to be a good start to
ward getting him home,' / said IL
mirth provoking way. 1T was thought
full move on your part. l suppose yor
figured that some lonely widow alont
the road would fall in love with hin
when she saw the graceful lines o.
that coat enfolding him and woult
rush out to haul him in
Don't try to be funny said m,
wife.
"'What really interest me NOR,
than his immediate future i said, ii
the object of his call. Did he wal
long enough to specify what was thu
matter with our flower beds that need
ed fixing?'
my wife favored me with the star,
of disdain which she considers espe
cially cutting and effective against m!
kind Of sarcasm.
why, I suppose he wants to fl,
them up for the winter she said. Tn
not an expert on such matters, but :,
have an idea that some sort of atten
ton must be paid to them before zert
weather comes. / told the man t.
come back this evening and see you
There being no adequate reply t.
this under the matrimonial code, / al
lowed the subject to drop and awaited
my visitor. He came with the shad
ows, adorned with my overcoat.
81 was wonderful he said, If yo,
wanted your flower beds and your gar
den fixed up for the winter Then h,
leaned restfully against the porcl
pillar.
What's the idea?' / asked. Won
they be there next spring If leav'
them alone all winter?'
Eyes, but you don't understand,
the tired citizen explained. THE!
ought to be bedded down with ferti
lizer-spaded up and covered over
the way they fix 'em in the parks
"'And then what?' demanded. TIL,
light of my household was listening
from the darkness of the hall and :
wanted her to see the uselessness o
the appointment she had made for me
""Then your flowers and vegetable,
will have big start next spring. the
horticultural explained, because TIN,
ground will be ready for 'em. / DE-
this every year for most of the peo
pie in this town. ! charge dollar foi
my time and you pay for the fertilizer
and stuff
"'See here, you imitation gardner !.
marked after I had glared at him |;
moment, you're the worst booster fol
yourself that ever came down thai
road out there. Your efforts to gel
dollar out of me- are SO feeble and
amateurish that I'd have a laugh all tt
myself il 1 wasn't getting sort of tired
of your kind Of cattle.
"'You've got a lot of nerve to say
that you bed down the vegetable gar
dens of most of the people in thii
town every year, so they'll be ready to
do business with a rush in the spring
time l told him. why, there isn't
another suburb on this branch of the
railroad that turns out such a worth
less lot of garden truck as this one
"Now I know what's the matter
it's all your fault. If you'd keep your
hands off the gardens and let things
alone people might have chance tc
raise few spring onions at a cost OF
not more than Sc a dozen, and we
might even get an occasional radisf
that wasn't soggy sponge. Not con.
tent with getting my fall overcoat by
merely standing around and looking
frostbitten, you expect me to give you
a dollar for taking exercise that would
keep you warm while you are spelling
my garden!'
MY caller snlfted MS weight 10 the
other foot and looked uncomfortable
for a few seconds, but he was ready
with his defense.
"'Well,' he said, "a mans got to
live.'
"There!' my wife exclaimed trt
from the darkness behind
me. That's the point you always over.
look!'
$50 this morning that depressed
person was busy in our garden with
spade and wheelbarrow when / left
home. Lovely woman may not be
strong on the finer points of logic,
but she certainly has the gift of win.
ming in any argument. Chicago
Daily News.