Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-04-29
The House That
Jack Bought
BY DORA NOLAN.
&c by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.1

melOdramas few as mean as Jack
Elgers'. However, Jacks uncle was
dead, and because of the little for
tune which he had broken the Ten
Commandments to accumulate, in
less than six months after his demise
1t bulged the hip pocket of his nephew
IN the form of large roll of bills.
Then the nephew sat down and
made out a score against his Uncle
John. There was the time when q
hundred dollars would have saved his
fathers life-and the expenses of the
pitiful funeral, 1t had taken his
mother year of scrimping and work
Ing by gaslight to pay them. Then
her illness at the, time when he, Jack,
had just started in on his first job
ne would never forget that! Well. 1t
was too late to do anything for his
mother now; but somewhere In the
big city there were men and women
In just such distressing circumstances !;
he would search thefn out and make
Uncle John, dead, TO for them what
Uncle John, living, had refused to do
for his own kin. AS for touching any
OF the money himself, the idea was
repugnant to Jack. He didn't need 1t.
But if there should be any left he
would make Uncle John give him
present--the idea tickled his sense of
humor!
The ease with which Jack Elgers
paid off all the items on that score
would make a convincing argument
for the divide-everything-u equally
variety of socialists. Now, in quest of
some slight remembrance for himself,
we find Jack strolling down that
broad avenue known the world over
for its display of luxury and lovely
women, and lingering three $1,000
bills, all that remained of the miser's
hoard.
Jack was gazing, without much In
terest, at display of dewdrops of
the millionaire variety when he no.
ticed girl gazing intently into the
window of the next store. Exclusive
Shop of Original Creations" the sign
read. He moved on and stood beside
her. ''By Joye," he exclaimed inward
ly, "that girl might be natures own
model of feminine beauty and all the
others on this avenue, In their con-
ventional getups, mere copies and
adaptations of the original"
Jacks eyes followed those of the
girl to the gown they were fastened
| upon. "Well, I'll eat my haiti" This
exclamation on Jacks part was invol-
untary as well as audible and was
called forth by the embroidered bor-
der on the gown in question.
This extraordinary theme consisted
Of the same motive repeated several
tfmes-a small shingled cottage snug
Cling close to the ground 1t was only
a step from it's latticed porch to a lit
tie garden laid out in paths and blaz-
| ing with flowers of the grandmother
variety. Across the front of the
house stretched row of dormer win
dows and above them red brick
chimney puffed curls of silvery smoke
At Jack Elgers' exclamation the girl
turned to look at him; the situation
seemed to Jack to call for some fur
Their remark. SO with his usual d.
rectness, 'Pm settling scores with
Uncle John by spending his money in
the last way he would want 1t spent.
II you want that dress, why, he'll play
fairy godmother"
The girl started like one waking
from dream. "How absurd !" she
answered. cts the house want, not
the dress-I designed that myself"
With these words she vanished into
the shop.
Jack Elgers had seen the only thing
he wanted on the avenue, and he
could not go in and buy It, cash down
Also there was that business trip to
the West he was due to start on the
next day: 1t didn't leave him much
time If he could only do something
TO make her think Of him occasionally
while he was gone! Squaring his
shoulders and taking firmer hold on
his stick, Jack opened the door of the
little shop and walked in.
"Could / speak with, the-er-archi-
tect of the house depicted on that
gown in your Window he inquired of
the saleswoman who came forward
II will ask madame" replied the
clerk, and disappeared behind a screen
at the rear of the shop. Miss Has
tings," a voice called
Carol" echoed another one. you
are. wanted out In. front"
81 thought began Jack without pre-
amble when Miss Hastings stood be-
fore him. 'that perhaps you would be
so kind as to tell me whether there is
such little house-in the flesh /
mean. If so, / wish to buy it,
Carol Hastings answered as direct
ly, Eyes, 1t exists-in my dreams.
But one can't buy dreams with
money, not even with Uncle Johns"
sometimes one can help along In
the fulfllment of them, though" re-
turned Jack, and he smiled with such
good nature and friendliness that the
xrl smiled back II am going to
rove that to you before many days."
| re added. "Good-day" And he de-