The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-04-29
MRS. PRINGLE'S
INCUBATOR
1t Was a Questionable
Success
By cLARIsSA MAcKIE

Mrs. Pringle found the advertisement
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 he 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 finan-
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
ings bank. Then she went home and
wrote letter.
The Pringles lived in an apartment
in New York, and, besides a 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 a 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. man,"
Cd hn oil
when the great idea had materialized
in the form of a huge express crate.
Liable to what?" Mrs. Pringle had
demanded. with her haughtiest air. at
the same time forgetting to remind
the man that he had not given her so
cents change
Nothing. ma'am," 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 l 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.
"An incubator? And WHATEVER would
yez be doin' with it here?"
RAISE chickens" explained Mrs.
Pringle.
Chickens. Maybe yez'u be kapin' a
/ COW, too. mum, and bit of a pig"
suggested Mary with irony.
THAT will do. Mary" said her mis-
tress severely. 81 am taking you into
my confidence because l want your
help in this matter, and l want to keep
/ it a secret from Mr. Pringle until it
/ proves itself success. I've bought
| several books on chicken raising. and |
! 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 a brooder ordered, too,
| and when the chicks are Matched the
brooder will hover them like a 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. l should think cleo
tric light would do very we'll"
"Humphr snorted Mary from the
kitchen.
"Mary?" called her mistress a little
later
Yes, num-" responded Mary.
"Do you remember that blue velvet
suit ! had last winter?"
"And winter before last" added Mary
guardedly.
''Of 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. Il knew you wouldn't
care for it"
There was an uncomfortable pause
But l would be likin' it, mum.
cried Mary explosively. Its 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' anC
bendin' over the tub. Thank you kind
~, Mrs. Pringle. I'll take the blue sui
as soon as yez is ready to hand it over
AS for them blessed chicks. III watch
over them like an old hin mesilf unit
they come out. and divvle worrud II
brathe to Mr.. PringIe until some foint
day l poke billed chicken under his
nose at the table, poor man."
very well. Mary" smiled Mrs. Prin
gle. I'VE will have to see that tn,
lamp doesn't get to faring. and W,
must be careful that the temperature
is kent inst SO IF yOJ1'll RIM out a mr.