Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1921-05-06
CHAPTER THREE-cortinued.


Indeed 1t was the tin soldier, who |
stood on his little shelf looking out
Of the window, who first reminded
Bob of the loneliness and discomfort
of the coin. AS a rule whenever the
conscience Of the boy was touched
Mr.. Bloggs had something to say.
It was late in February and every
one was complaining of the cold. Even
the oldest inhabitants of Bingville
could not recall so severe winter.
MANY families were short Of fuel. The
homes of the working folk were In
sufficiently heated Money in the bank
had given them q sense Of security.
TRey could not believe that It's magic
power would fail to bring them what
they needed. So they had been care
Tess Of their allowance of wood and
coal. There were days when they
had none and could get none at the
yard. Some men with hundreds Of
dollars In the bank went out into the
country at night and stole rails Off
the farmers fences. The homes of
these unfortunate people were raw
aged by influenza and many died.
Prices at the stores mounted higher.
Most of the gardens had been lying
ItIIe. The farmers had found 1t hard
to get help. Some of the latter, in
deed, had decided that they could
make more by teaming at MIllertOn
than by toillng In the fields. and with
less effort They left the boys and
the women to do what they could with
the crops. Naturally the latter were
small. SO the local sources Of supply
had little to offer and the demand up
on the stores steadily increased. Ger
tain of the merchants had been, in a
way, spoiled by prosperity. They were
rather Indifferent to complaints and
demands Many of the storekeepers
irritated, doubtless, by 0yerwork, had
lost their former pollteness. There
were days when supplies failed to ar
rive. The railroad service had beer
bad enough In times of peace. Now
1t was worse than ever.
Those who had plenty of none!
found 1t difficult to get suflcien
quantity of good food, Bingville be
ing rather cut off from other center
OF life by distance and poor railroad
Some drove sixty miles to Hazelmea,
to do marketing for themselves an
their neIghbors.
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. Patterson Bins
however, in their luxurious apartment
at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in NeV
York, knew little of these condition
until Mr.. Bling came up late in Marc
for talk with the mill superlntenC
ent. Many of the sick and poor su
fered extreme privation. Father ONE
and the Reverend Otis Singleton (
the Congregational church wei
among the people, minlstering to Il
sick, Of whom there were many, an
giving counsel to men and womt
who were unaccustomed to prosperi
and Unqualified wisely to enjoy
One day, Father O'Neil saw the WI
Ow Moran coming Into town with
great bundle of fagots on her back.
''This looks a little like the old cou
try" he remarked.
She stopped and swung her fagc
to the ground and announced: st
that an may God help usl It's ha
times, Father. IN spite O. all the me
ey, it's hard times. It looks like the
wasn't enough to go 'round-the, shI
be takln' so many things to the {
country"
elbow is my beloved Shepherd?" /
good Father asked.
"Mother o God The house is IL
cold, he's been layin' abed for we
an Judge Croker has been away
the circuit"
ssToo bad!" said the priest. 81
been so busy with the sick and
avine and the dead have hardly
dime TO think Of YOU
Against her protest he picked
ne fagots and carried them on
own back to her kitchen.
ne found tfe Shepherd in swet
citing I'D n bed and knitting sock
HF4ow Il nv dear boy7" the good
Ak,nws nmgKnfT