The Detroit times., 1917-12-15
This Is a Christmas
Story, All About Old
Bill Staeger, Drummer

Bill Staeger, Drummer
Old Bill Staeger was sweating ana
grunting over doing up a package. one OF
those soldiers kits, and, as Jim Stack,
Bob Roberts and Phil Corbett. all old
"boys of the road. burst into Bills eIe-
oant bachelor quarters. one December
evening. and caught Bill actually at man
ual labor. they paused, astonished
Old Bill Staeger, 80 years on the road
for soper & Marx. salary $4,000. COM
mission 80 per cent, actually packing up
a package,
It could not be.
Every hotel keeper between New York
and Kansas City knew that 1t took four
porters to pack Bills sample cases and,
usually. two Wallets to pack his personal
grip for elegant old Bill scorned work
with the hands, so well his brains had
served him. .,
And when tine boys saw what Bill
was packing they had laugh.
Bill had grown prosperous by comm
ing himself strictly TO placing the goods
of Soper g. Marx.
Long years OF keeping his eye wholly
on his bullseye had blinded him TO the
outside e4trlltA e4trlltA, HAD cost him his sense OF
proportion in human affairs, had caused
him To think Of his fellowmen outside OF
his business circle as merely men, men
like himself, with his own likes, dlsllkes,
needs, habits and aspirations.
He was. called shrewd hard, narrow
but. I'm a certain way, companionable, as
drummers for great firms usually are.
He was one of that type Of bachelor
who go thru the years always successful
always loyal, and never asking them
selves, At the end, What?
So, being Rill Staeger, Bill was now
putting into his soldiers kit Bills idea OF
what Bill would like, for that day he had
seen little girl of eight years knitting a
sweater in red, white and blue yarn and,
way down underneath his fat list of
Soper & Marx orders, his heart had kick
ed because he hadn't even tried to do his
bit.
Into Bills package went SIS silver
backed shaving layout. Il see that turn.
ed black in two days Of camp life said
jim Stack, sarcastic like.
Then some beautiful heavy silk pa
ianoas that the haherdashers will let you
look at for $40
"Oh. weIlp' commented Bob Roberts,
twentieth season out for Stein & Steiner,
ready-made cloaks, your soldier friend,
when he goes to wading in the Flan-
ders trenches, can cut 'em off at the
knees or higher"
"Oh, shut up' snapped Bill as he
found spaces in his package tor small
bars of fine soap, dozen tubes Of fra
grant tooth paste, talcum powder, sill
ver-backed brush and comb and other del
icate and costly articles of the masculine
toilet. "Huh!" remarked Phil Corbett,
so years on the rails for Filter & Softer,
wholesale ladies' shoes, "I see that khaki
boy sitting on the top Of Hill No. 304
polished up real lady-like."
Old Bill squirmed a bit but went on
and finished. Then he plainly marked
on his package:
FOR A SOLDIER, SOMEWHERE,
CARE RED CROSS, WASHINGTON,
D. c."
Look Look roared jim, and Bob
and Phil, "he doesn't even know what
sort of fellow will get aH thatl'
Then old Bill looked at the trio, with
calm, steady eyes, and said:
"'What difference does it make?" was
what that little girl replied to me"
and there was some suffering and q
iittla shaking Of heads, but no answer.
Moral: It NAV be better TO look
gift horse in the mouth than to have
2iSt horse look you In the heart.