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

Old BIZ Staeger was sweating and
Rrunting over doing up package. one of
those soldiers kits, and. as Jim Stack,
Bob Roberts and Phil Corbett, all old
.boys Of the road, burst into B.iis ele-
CANT bachelor quarters. one December
evening. and caught Bill actually at man
ual labor. they paused, astonisaed.
Old BIZ staeger, So years on the road
for soper & Marx. salary $4,000 com
mission so per cent, actually packing mp
package
It could not be-
Every hotel keeper between New York
and Kansas City knew shat IL took lo1r
porters TO pack BiPs sample cases and,
usually. two Wallets TO pack his personal
"Trip. for elegant old Bin scorned work
with the hands. 50 well his brains mad
served him.
And when "the boys saw what BIZ
was packing they had a laugh.
Bill had grown prosperous by contin-
ing himself strictly TO placing the goods
Of Soper & Marx.
Long years Of keeping his eye wholly
on his bulseye had blinded him to the
outside world. had cost him his sense OF
proportion in human affairs, had caused
him 10 think Of his feIowmen outside OF
his business circle as merely men, men
Hike himself, with his own likes, disliAes'
needs. habits and aspirations,
He was called shrewd, hard, narrow
but. in a certain way, companionable, as
drummers FOR great firms usually are.
He was one Of that type of bachelor
who 20 thru the years always successful
always loyal, and never asking them
selves, At the end, What?
So, being Bin Staeger Bin was now
quitting into his soldiers kit Bills idea Of
what Bill would like, for that day he had
ssen little girl of eight years knitting a
sweater in red, white and blue yarn and,
way down underneath his fat list Of
Eoper & Marx orders, his heart had kick
cd because he hadn't even tried 70 do his
bit.
Into Bn's package went SIS silver
backed shaving layout. 81 see that turn
cd black in two days Of camp life said
Jim Stack, sarcastic like.
Than some beautiful heavy silk pa
ianas that the haberdashers viii let you
look at for $40.
~Oh, weHP commented Bob Roberts,
twentieth season out for Stein & Steiner,
rsady-made cloaks, your soldier friend,
when he goes to wading in the Flan-
dsrs trenches, can cut 'em of at the
knees or higher"
"Oh, shut upp snapped Bill as ne
found spaces in his package for small
bars of fine soap, a dozen tubes Of fra
grant tooth paste, talcum powder, sill
ver-backed brush and comb and other del
icats and costly articles Of the masculine
toilet HUH remarked Phil Corbett,
30 years on the rails for Filter e. Softer,
wholesale ladies' shoes, Il see that khaki
boy sitting on the top Of Hill No. 304
polished up real lady-Hke."
Old Bill squirrned a bit but went on
and finished. Then ne plainly marked
ON his package:
~FOR A SOLDIER, SOMEWHERE,
~CARE RED CROSS, WASHINGTON.
D. c."
Look LookT roared jim, and Bob
and Phil, "he doesn't even know what
sort Of fellow win get all thatr
Then old Bin looked at The trio, with
calm, steady eyes. and said
What difference does II make ?" was
what that little girl replied to me"
And thsre was some suffering and a
nttla shaking Of heads, but no answer.
Moral: It may be better 10 look
gift horse IN the mouth than TO have q
gift horse look you In the heart