The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-08-22
The Better Man
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1878. BY Associated Lit
erary Press.

A year after his marriage to q farm
er's daughter Jacob Arson. farmers
son. removed to town and opened what
he proudly termed q commission house.
1t was in this way. 1t was an old
building at the railroad depot, and
Jacob bought butter and eggs OF the
farmers for a price and shipped them
to the city and sold them for q higher
one. He made as much as 4 cents q
dozen on eggs and 6 cents a pound IN
butter. Jacob Arson had always said
that he wanted to be q business man
when he grew up. and here he was.
He had a place, and be had a sign and
letterheads and cards. He did a worth
Of advertising in the country papers.
and the whole town congratulated him
on his business enterprise. Jacob had
always patted himself on the back az
some pumpkins. and nv he became
very chesty. One day when he had
shipped enough butter and eggs to re-
turn him a profit Of s. he went home
with his head held so high that It was
two minutes before he saw his wife.
II am glad business Is so good" she
said, ''but there are other things need
ed in the city besides butter and eggs
You have the room to store them and
the time to handle them. and why not
add potatoes. beans, turnips and other
things?" 4
"This thing was my idea in the first
place, wasn't It'll" he half demanded
in a voice not at all pleasant
LOT course"
"Well. l believe ] have the gump-
ton to carry 1t through to success
without advice from anybody"
But 1t was q suggestion. Jacob"
"Yes. l get lots Of them and would
make a failure In a week II needed
them. Leave business to men. Mary"
That is to say that the women have
no brains?"
''There isn't one in a hundred that
can take care Of herself when she be-
comes a widow"
There was no further talk Of busi-
ness between husband wife. but in her
earnestness of belief the wife did 4
rather foolish thing that caused some
neighbor now and then to say:
Jake. that wife Of yours has some
smart IDEAS"
"Oh. l dunno"
"She was telling my wife the other
day that you could handle more stun
Just as well as not and thus increase
your income"
And do you think 90 yourself7"
why. I've thought It over and. feel
sure you could"
And Jacob went home to dinner 10
say to IL wife:
80 yon are still determined to med
die with my business. are your"
II have said to two or three women
that I thought you could increase It"
Should there be q separation you
would probably 60 into the commits
sion business yourselfr
Il might"
"And show me how to make q small
fortune?"
THAT might come too"
Foolish talk. Of course, but every day
Reno produces something just a. fool
ish. 1t was a bone that was gnawed
at until separation finally anne
Ten days after Mrs. Arson went
home to her mother Dame Fortune
smiled on her. A relative died and left
her $4,000. Her husband said to every.
body that he was glad of her luck and
at the same time sorry for the likeli-
ho,d chat che -nw1N lc-n ovn.v Acllnr
Of it in some wildcat Investment
Got ideas and no experience. you
know" he added In q patronizing way.
Before the wife had decided just
what she would do It was the talk Of
the town that It would be something
foolish. whatever It q One day she
went to the city, and all the knowing
ones whispered. "Millineryw
Mrs. Anson didn't 60 to the shop.
ping districts nor enter any Of the
wholesale houses on Broadway. On the
contrary. a carriage took her to the
produce commission district. and she
made many inquiries and transacted
considerable buaineaa. Her husband
had never even seen the merchant be
shipped to. and q few inquiries proved
J that be had q poor standing - to char
acter and amount Of business done.
Not . word Of explanation when Ars.
Anson arrived home. The villagera
had selected the store she would rent
for her stock. but she passed Il by.
Opposite her husbands place OF busi.
ness was nm empty building much lar.
ger than his quarters. When the Vi.
layers came to know that II had been
taken on . I'VE years lease they a.
most shouted ont:
rs Mrs. Arson craSy3 What = 10
cation for q millinery storer'
While the building ri being put In
shape Mrs. Anson drove about the
country for . distance Of six or seven
miles In every direction and had ! tall
With farmers and their wives. She
gaSe them information that astonishsd
them. She signed contracts with many
Of them that made them sees lotS 81
money ahecd.
ss8ha A TRIMMING m trade FOR Me-