The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-08
The Better Man
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1918. by Associated Lit
erary Press
BY M. QUAD

er's daughter Jacob Arson, FARMER
son, removed to town and opened wha
he proudly termed commission house
1t was in this way 1t was an ole
building at the railroad depot. an(
Jacob bought butter and eggs of the
farmers for a price and shipped then
TO the city and sold them for higher
one. He made as much as 4 cents 6
dozen on eggs and 8 cents a pound or
butter. Jacob Arson had always sale
that he wanted to be business mar
when he grew up, and here he was
He had place, and he had sign and
ietterheads and cards. He did 81 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 as
some pumpkins. and now he became
very chesty. One day when he had
shipped enough butter and eggs to re.
turn him a profit of So he went home
with his head held so high that 1t was
two minutes before he saw his wife.
III 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?'
This thing was my idea in the first
place, wasn't it?' he half demanded
in voice not at all pleasant
"Of course"
"Well. / believe I have the gump.
ton TO carry it through to success
without advice from anybody"
"But 1t was a suggestion. Jacob"
"Yes. | get lots of them and would
make failure in week If | needed
them Leave business TO men, Mary"
That is to say that the women have
no brainsf'
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 bust
ness between husband wife. but In her
earnestness of belief the wife did
rather foolish thing that caused some
neighbor now and then TO say:
Jake, that wife of yours has some
smart IDEAS"
"Oh. | dunno"
"She was telling my wife the other
just as well as not and thus increase
your income"
"And do you think so yourself?"
"Why, I've thought it over and feel
sure you could"
And Jacob went home to dinner to
say to is wife:
80 you are still determined TO med
die with my business. are your"
II have said TO two or three women
that thought you could increase it."
Should there be a separation you
would probably go into the commits.
sion business yourself2"
II might"
sand show me how to make small
fortuneT'
THAT might come too"
Foolish talk. of course. but every day
Reno produces something just as fool
ish. 1t was bone that was gnawed
at until separation finally came.
Ten days after Mrs Arson went
home to her mother Dame Fortune
smiled on her A relative died and left
her $1,000 Her husband said to every
body that he was glad of her luck and
at the same time sorry for theAikeli-
hood that she would lose every dollar
of It In some wildcat investment.
Got ideas and no experience. you
know" he added in patronizing way.
Before the wife had decided just
what she would do it was the talk Of !
the town that 1t would be something |
foolish, whatever 1t was. One day she |
went to the city, and all the knowing |
ones whispered, Millinery
Mrs. Arson didn't go 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 business. Her husband |
had never even seen the merchant he
shipped to, and few inquiries proved |
that he had poor standing as to char |
acter and amount Of business done.
Not word Of explanation when Mrs. |
Arson arrived home. The villagers |
had selected the store she would rent |
for her stock. but she passed it by. |
Opposite her husbands place of bust
ness was an empty building much lar.
ger than his quarters. When the vii
layers came to know that 1t had been
taken on five years lease they al
most shouted ont:
as Mrs. Arson crazy? What a To-
ration for a millinery store"
While the building was being put in
shape Mrs. Arson drove about the
country for a distance of six or seven
miles in every direction and had talk
with farmers and their wives. She
gave them information that astonished
them She signed contracts with many
of them that made them see lots of
money ahead.
"She is drumming up trade for her
Rillinery store" was the general YER
dict, and some went so far as to say
that she was a hustler. One morning
, sign painter began work. and at the
end Of three days. watched by a gap
Ing crowd most of the time. the MAJ
had produced the following:
s,ov. |