Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-02-17
EThe Mystery CT Sally:
BY CHARLES SLOAN REID.

tCcnth since the baby came, about
thirteen months before. But we real.
lied that at last we had found a treas
ule. Sally was inventive. The lia-
leidoscopic repertoire of amusement
which she furnished for our tootsy-
wootsy was something to command
the admiration of the most callous.
Drained pessimist of the neversmies.
This aggregation of inventive gen.
ius had been purchased at weekly
installment of 81. Cheerfully. we
should have made it s. on demand,
within week after her arrival.
But Sally seemed to be devoid of
the graft contamination and. indeed.
she spent her money like lord, more
than half of her weekly pay going for
gimcracks of one kind or another for
the amusement of our little one. A
car ride to the park each day for the
pleasure of our baby formed one of
he1 personal eXtravagances. Baby
soon became so much attached TO her
that mamma" was no longer interest
ing, except at certain periods during
the day, and these periods Sally man
aged so cleverly that no disturbance
came to the household serenity
through baby's impatient demands.
One thing soon became apparent.
Sally had the going habit. She want
ed to be away from the house more
than half of the time, but, as our lit
tie one always came back from these
little excursions in excellent spirits.
ard barring the harrassing fears that
baby might contract some of the many
contagious or infectious diseases of
childhood-s as measles, chicken
pox, whooping cough or some other
horrifying thing-this habit of Sally
was not at all inconvenient to the
household. ',srNs = ~. ..iSi. 5ssE,
Another thing which recommended
Sally was the habtual neatness of her
person, and what became an interest
ing mystery to us was the matter of
how she could spend from 50 to SO
per week solely and unselishly for
the amusement of our little one, and
dress herself with such taste on the
remainder.
Finally, we decided that Sally must
be getting credit somewhere, and that
We should raise her wages, in order
that she might be enabled to meet her
obligations.
But about this time saw Sally
emerging from bank one day. had
been some distance away and unob-
served by her.
"Ah!" exclaimed under my breath,
she is borrowing of the bank"
The cashier OF this bank was par
ticular friend of mine, and / deter
mined to learn something OF Sally's
financial operations. This l had no
trouble in doing, and soon learned to
my amazement that Sally was no bor-
rover, but depos.tor, to the extent
OF $40 or $50 week.
My wife and I held consultation
over the matter, for the mystery had
deepened. Why one who could indulge
the daily extravaganza OF Sally, and
yet deposit $40 per week, should hire
herself out at a wage of 81 per week
was amazingly mysterious-and yet,
Sally was not thief. Not the small
est item OF anything Of value had been
missed from the house, and no coins
or bills ever were kept about the
place.
So the mystery of Sally deepened.
Tut notwithstanding this. Sally was
b. incalculable odds the best nurse
we ever possessed, or ever could hope
10 have, and we determined that moth
ing should dispossess us of her SER
vices-no. not If it became necessary
to raise her wages to $40 per week,
which extravaganza l could of course
Ill afford.
So Sally remained, keeping UP her
usual program, only investing new
means OF amusement each day. How
long we should have kept her l do
not know. But accident plays a great
er part in the movement OF human
| affairs and 1t was an accident which
| led to the separation of our Sally from
| uS.
An employe from our mills had been
F., seriously crushed in dray collision
| over on the East Side, and had gone
over to investigate the responsibility
| for the accident This matter being
soon concluded, I was returning to
| the Office when met jenkins, a friend
OF mine. Jenkins likes fakir, or \
| side show performance better than
anything; and the East Side was
noted for Its attractions for fakirs
and showmen of one kind or another.
"Hello, old man." called Jenkins
from across the street, walt mo-
ment."
81 waited, and Jenkins came over.
"Do you know" he began, II have
found one OF the smoothest artists in
the show line down here that I've seen
| in long while"
whats his class?" asked.
| Wild animal tanner, and he has been
|, playing TO crowded houses here for
the last six weeks. You want to see
this, especially the afternoon perform
ance, at which time he gives an extra