Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-06-04
Evening Story.
"MAINS.MADE"
(By lines MacDonald.)

| week, WeStty MAINS IedCueu tllo Soi
ner on Fifth avenue and turned Wash
ington squareward His punctuality
was so noticeable that the little maid
! In the kitchen Of the great house at
the corner involuntarily glanced over
to see If her clock was right, and quite
often the people of the great house
lunched and dined according to the
time set for them by the modest MI.
Mains.
Mains believed in sunlight and air
as a brain stimulant and he scheduled
his day so as to cater to that belief.
At eleven every morning he STOPPED
his work, and at two he was usually
| before his desk or at his drawing table
ready to begin his afternoons labor.
To look at Mr.. Mains one might
think he was a rather well set up
stenographer or shoe clerk, or possibly
| a shipping clerk-or just clerk AS
| a matter of fact he was none OF those.
Not single man you might meet from
| Washington square to Columbus circle
| would he likely to know who you
meant IL YOU mentioned Westly Mains
yet IL you asked any reputable ar
chitect in New York, he could tell you
in q minute. But Mains wasn't an ar.
chitect, either.
In few OF the houses on upper
Fifth avenue and the drive might be
found a room, or an alcove. that con,
tanned some such furniture as could
only be produced by an artist WIZ
constructive genius for the application
OF art to utility. And underneath
somewhere on each table or chair, you
might find burned with close pressed
red-hot iron this simple legend:
mains Made"
Many an inscriptions imitator has
branded his own things In the same
manner. but all to no purpose. Tor IN
each one of the Mains designs there is
an identification key. some trick IN the
design or some piece inlaid in the
making, known only to Mains and re-
corded in the little book that lies In
certain safety deposit vault. So the
Mains made things are made on the
integrity Of Mains, and are, and VIII
be for long time to come the highest
achievement of art in furniture.
At II o'clock on certain morning
the Young mistress Of the great house
at the corner banged up the receiver
~ her telephone on its hook and
stamped her foot angrily. She had Just
, been in conversation with her archi'
tect and. as a consequence, she was
diseusted and disappointed beyond
measure. It seemed that although her
new summer home out on Long Island
would he completed within the time
specified, there was one thing which
the architect had been unable to DO.
She had set her heart on Mains
| made music room-and Mains had re-
fused to take the job. He had In.
formed the architect that the limited
capacity of his shop would prevent his
taking any more work for the next
two years.
"Then why doesn't he enlarge the
capacity Of his shop?" demanded Irene
Wedgewood. savagely.
"simply because he doesn't want
to-" said her architect.
"Ofer him double money" she
urged.
II did" said the architect, crisply
"but money means nothing to Mains.
perhaps If see him." she suggest
| ed. with visions Of her past success as
persuader of men.
"You might succeed" conceded the
architect YEARLY. but I doubt it."
So few minutes later the imper
ious Miss Wedgewood sailed down the
steps of the great house. At this mo
| ment. however, the mind of MI. Maine
was on other things, and his helated
effort to dodge the young woman who
came charging out Of the gate with
head down. was trifle too late.
"I-I-beg your pardon" Irene
| we6yewood had the grace to say. 50
~ wasn't looking where I was going.
| "Tm entirely uninjur ed" smiled
| Mains. amusedly, looking down into
her pnger-clouded eyes. Somebody
| going 10 catch IT. he grinned to him
| self humorousy. as he passed on
from that spoiled darling Of the
rich
| And Miss Wedgewood's temper was
| not soothed by the little Jay servant
who informed her that Mains would
not be in until o'clock. 1t was ar
outrage. 1t was his business to be in
However. she was determined to set
| him, and she went back promptly a
2 o'clock.
| II was said Of Mains that nothing
could surprise him, but he was sur
prised when Irene Wedgewood wa:
ushered into his studio that afternoon
! .why-why." she caught hersel
saying. you're the man l ran dowl
this morning"
and you were terribly angry whe1
you did It," laughed Mains.
Irene Wedgewood smiled up int
Mains eyes, engagingly. 1--WE com
Toto persuade you. Mr. Mains, to pei
suade you toto reconsider, and Yin
dertake the furniture for my must
room. Tn Irene Wedgewood, and MI
Howard Colby Is my architect"
| "Yes, Colby spoke of that yestel
day." said Mains. 'Awfully sorry, yo
Know, but | don't operate furnitur
factory, Miss Wedgewood-jus littl
shop down below Eighth avenue.
only employ twenty men, althoug
they're The highest paid artisans
the world I'm sure you understan
a. - -.