THE GLAD SPRING TIME
r' really seems to be here
at last, and of course
you want that new spring
suit now. No more cold
spells; the real spring that
makes you want to go some
wheremakes you want to
dress up and just saunter
about and feel at peace
with all the world.
We have just the kind of Spring
"Glad Rags" that you have been dream
ing about during these cold days the
kind of clothing that the Union Worker
wants, because they have in addition to
the cut, the ' fit, and the quality, that
pretty little thing you call "the union
label." We have just the styles and
colors and cuts you want up-to-date
neat, well made, the top of the market
in everything that goes to make up gocd
clothing bargains. And the price, that's
where we make our special appeal after
we have exhausted adjectives regarding
the clothing itself. Our bargain prices
are now! Not two months later.
We make our bargain price at the
beginning of the season, not after the
season is nearly over and the stocks
practically culled out. You get the choice
now, and at the bargain prices others
will offer after all the choice selections
are practically gone. This is one of the
features of our methods of doing busi
ness. We commend it to your careful
consideration.
SPEIER
SHMON
10th
& O
House-Cleaning Time is
House Painting Time
The Sherwin-Williams
Family Paint is made particu
larly to lighten house-cleaning
labors.
It is an oil paint and can be
washed and scrubbed. It brush
es out easily doesn't drag or
tire you to apply xt ; the girls
can put it on. Made in 24
good colors. Use it this
year on your cupboards,
pantry shelves, base boards.
etc., and you'll have less
work next year.
Get color cards they
tell more about family
raint.
Buy Your Wife a
New Idea Gas
Range
It will make her work easier
and your gas bill less. Prices
$20.75 to $40.00. Discount on
all sizes this week.
Gasoline Stoves $2.75
Gurney Refrigerators, best
made, $7.65 and up.
Lawn Mowers, 3.00 to 17.50
Guaranteed Lawn Hose
9c to 18c per foot.
HALL BROS. CO. 1517 0 Street
The Wageworker Shop is . in shape
to do all the printing for your union.
Call in and get acquainted with us
WOMAN AT
THE HEAD
By SADIE OLCOTT
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association
III the little ba inlet of Nordhastedt.
near Meldorf. a singular custom Is ob
served annually. According to tradi
tion, it dates back to the thirteenth
century. During that era the hamlet
was on one occasiou attacked by a
band of robbers, and the men of the
village were soon compelled to beat a
retreat.
Thereupon the women boldly at
tacked the robbers and not only van
quished them, but also took the leader
and several of the band prisoners. As
a token of their gratitude the men
have ever since allowed the women
to celebrate this great event by hold
ing a festival at stated Intervals, and
on such occasions they exercise no au
thority themselves, but submit in all
things to the will of the women.
Now. there lived In this hamlet a
pair of lovers. Carl Koopman and
Gretcben Boucher, who had often dis
cussed the relative hardship of men
and women's work. Carl averring that
women have a very easy time. When
a few days before their marriage one
of these festivals was to come off
Gretcben ordered Carl to report him
self at her home, where she lived with
her father and mother and a uumber
of younger brothers and sisters aged
all the way from fourteen years to
three months, and to remain there
during the day subject to her direc
tions. On the day of the festival Carl ap
peared, good natured. smiling, evident
ly much pleased at the novel situation
cf obeying his sweetheart for a whole
day. Be found Gretchen in care of
the family, her father and mother hav
ing taken a holiday and gone into
Meldorf to enjoy themselves.
"Wash the breakfast dishes." said
Gretcben.
Carl went into the kitchen, poured
some water Into a pan and proceeded
to wash the dishes. When be bad
finished he called Gretchen to Inspect
his work. " She looked over the dishes
and put her finger in the dishwater.
"Stone cold." she said. "Heat some
water and do them again. Look at the
grease oa them."
Carl was a trifle sobered at this, but
he was resolved to do his part and
obey orders Implicitly Me heated
some water and washed the dishes
again, scalding his fingers at the work.
Gretcben. permitted htm to put the
dishes in the cupboard, then told him
to do the morning sweeping. He sent
the dust up into the room, and It set
tled on the furniture Instead of the
floor. After an hour's work Gretchen
told him to stop, to get some wet tea
leaves, put them on the floor and do
the work over.
Having given him a scolding.
Gretchen told him that be was to
mlud the baby while she took the
children out for a walk. He was to
have the dinner ready by the time they
returned.
Carl saw her depart with misgiv
ings. The novelty of the situation was
wearing off. The baby was quite
peaceful for a time, then suddenly be
gan to bawl. Carl took It up and
walked about with It for awhile, then
put It down again. But the baby was
not minded to be put down. The
squawling recommenced. Carl took tt
up again, but the squawling being re
newed be repeated the process again
and again. In other words, he was
obliged to keep the baby in bis arms.
About noon the child fell asleep on
his shoulder, and he laid It In Its
crib.
It was now time to got the dinner,
and Carl congratulated himself upon
the baby belug eliminated from the
problem. Gretcben had put some ba
con In one dish and some potatoes
which he was to fry In another This
was all the cooking he was to do. and
he bad told her that be had often done
It while camping and would have no
trouble He sliced the potatoes and
the bacon and when be considered the
fire hot enough set the pans contain
ing then on it. having first heated
some fat for the potatoes.
Botb the bacnn and the potatoes be
gan to sizzle, and Carl was turning the
latter wheu the baby woke up. The
child cried to be taken up. but Carl
couldn't well leave bis cooking, so he
let tt lie till lie was afraid It would
burst a blood vessel, when he went to
It. a greasy fork In one band and a
towel in the other, aud tried to soothe
It. But the baby screamed harder and
harder, as much as to say "If you don't
take me up I'll commit suicide In
spasms." Carl tried to coax It, then,
losing his patience, scolded. Neither
bad any effect.
Meanwhile the fire was getting very
hot. and suddenly the fat used in cook
ing the potatoes caught fire and threat
ened the destruction of the house.
Carl tried to blow out the blaze. Fail
ing In this, he seized a cloth and tried
to fan It out. Then the baby ceased
crying, and Carl, suspecting something
wrong, looked at and saw that it was
making one of those gasps for breath
babies make between sqtiawls. He ran
to It. It recovered Its breath and be
frau again to yell In deadly rage. Carl
ran from It to the potatoes, seized the
blazing pan and threw the whole thing
out of the door.
When 11 few minutes later Gretchen
came home she found the potatoes In
the yard, the bacon shriveled to one
tenth its proper size, and Carl was
glaring at the baby as though tempted
to throw It In the Ore.
Seeing Gretchen. he threw the baby
down and rushed from the bouse, fol
lowed by a paal of laughter.
WHEN
FOWLER VILLE
ENTHUSED
Bv M QUAD.
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press
SHE COULD KEEP
A SECRET
By ELBERT T. BENTLEY
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association -'
For years William Stroug was the
village cooper. He was called Bill by
old and young. He was lazy and good
natured lie bad been married, but
bis wife bad divorced him, and be kept
bouse by himself in the rear end of his
cooper shop. BUI had never been
known to argue. He bad never made
a speech. He bad oever taken any In
terest In local matters. He bad just
made barrels and kegs and been BUI
Strong. One evening when the usual
crowd bad assembled at the grocery
aud postomVe Mr. Strong turned Fow
lervtlle upside dowu. Without having
given a bint of his Intentions be
mounted the horse block and began a
speech.
In the suburbs of the village dwelt
Mrs. Henderson, widow, forty years
old. Her husband had left her a poor
old bouse aud five acres of land.
There were a cow and a horse, and by
hiring the horse out by the day and
renting most of her land and making
ber own garden she bad managed to
get along after a fashion. Bill Strong's
speech was all about the widow. It
was au appeal rather than a speech
an appeal to the uiauhood and charity
of bis listeners. That's what knocked
the breath out of the crowd. As Fow
lervilie bad knowu Bill Stroug, a dozen
people might have been starving to
death any time and be would have
taken no iuterest. The speaker paint
ed tbe picture of a lonely widow, a
grieving widow and a bard up widow.
It was a case worthy of any man's
charity. It bad brought tears to bis
eyes aud a sadtiess to bis heart.
Spring was here, the speaker con
tinued. Four out of five of the wid
ow's acres ought to be planted to corn
and potatoes. He bad uo money, but
be would give three days' work. Who
would furnish tbe seed, who do the
plowing, who work with him at the
planting? Here was a missionary field
at borne. It was because Bill Strong
made tbe appeal lu such a surprising
way that the crowd took bold. In five;
minutes all was Nettled. Nest day the
widow's acres were being plowed, and
within three days tbe planting bad
lieeti finished.
Bill Strong had a second appeal
ready He mounted tbe same horse
block and thanked bis colaborers in
the name of charity and then proceed
ed to say that the widow's bouse was,
old and tbe roof leaked. As she sat
there in her loneliness tbe water drip
ped down on her grieving bead. He
had no money, but be would give bis
work If others would give the shin
gles and nulls. Others did so. and a
brand new roof appeared. Then came
the third appeal. Why not paint the
old house and make It match the
newness of . the roof? Two coats
would be the thing, and such was the
enthusiasm that one of the merchants
Insisted on being one of the brush
wlelders. There was an old fence In
front of the bouse. Bill Strong made
no appeal about that. He didn't have
to. Others saw the need, and a new
fence was built. A new roof was also
put on the cow shed and tbe well pro
vided with a pump. Fowlerville en
thused from top to bottom.
The women came to do their part.
They presented the widow with dishes,
carpets and furniture and gave her of
their wardrobes. They clubbed then
pin money and bought ber a sewing
machine. The Sunday school scholars
bought tbe old horse a new harness
and a stack of bay for their share.
The Yotiug Ladles' Literary club dis
covered that the widow's cow was on
her last, legs with old age. and the ani
mal was sold to the butcher and a
young one purchased. Never did so
many gifts reach a widow's bands.
She was somewhat In debt, and tbe
Young Men's Athletic club insisted on
paying them. So many actions, call
ing for so many tears, kept her eyes
red and swollen all the .time, while
Bill Strong was looked upon with
more awe and admiration than if he
had won tbe welterweight champion
ship of the world.
By tbe time all these good things
had been done it was time to hoe tbe
corn and potatoes and weed the gar
den. Fowlerville turned out en masse
for that. It was made a sort of legal
holiday, and over a hundred men and
women turned out to make a picnic
of the work. Those who didn't turn
out furnished the lemonade and sand
wiches for dinner. When the hoeing
and weeding had been finished men
and women agreed that there was
nothing more to be done.
But Fowlerville made one more ral
ly. It raised a clear hundred dollars
In cash and placed the purse in the
hands of the widow. She had shed
many, many tears, but she squeezed
out a few more.
Next morning the town bebeld Bill
Strong moving his few household
goods out of his cooper shop. He had
a busy air about him. He also bad a
changed look. When be had gone to
a clothing store and priced a twenty
five dollar suit and been to the rail
road depot to Inquire the price of a
ticket some one made bold to ask:
"Well. Bill. Is everything all right?"
"Right as right." was the hearty re
ply. "You seem to be a busy man this
morning?"
"Yes, I am. Me and the widow Hen
derson were married last evening, and
we start, for Niagara Falls on our bri
dal tour tomorrow morning! Much
obliged to you fellers for fixing us up
In such good shape!"
"I've got the confoundedest wife yon
ever saw,"
"What do yon mean by tbe word
confoundedest? It conveys no mean
ing to me."
"That's the reason I apply It to my
wife. She Is beyond the pale of defini
tion." "Do you use the word opprobrious
ly?" "By no means. She's a Jim dandy."
"Oh, you've got something on your
mind something she has been doing!
Get it off and have done wltb It."
"Right you are. and when I ve told
you you'll agree with me that con
foundedest Is tbe best word by which
to describe ber. You knew we live In
the country and I'm a commuter. My
monthly commutation ticket costs me
$24.50. I have always been used to
carrying my ticket in my bat. It's
very convenient, you know. 1 place
it between tbe lining aud the crown.
If I put it In my portemonnule. which
I carry in my hip pocket when I'm
hurrying to my train loaded down with
the bundles which all commuters are
condemned to carry. I have a bard
time getting It out from under my
coat If it is in my bat 1 can get at
It very easily. There's a ferry at tbe
city end of the route where the ticket
must be punched. Formerly com
muters were only required to show
their tickets, and we used to just lift
our bats to tbe gateman. and be
could see the ticket. It was comical
to see a long line of passengers taking
off their bats politely to tbe gateman.
But the practice must have concealed
some skullduggery, for the officers
of the line stopped It. and now we ail
must have our tickets punched.
"Anyway. I always carry my ticket
In my hat. Well, one morning when I
went to the city I felt for my commu
tation ticket, and It was gone It was
one I'd Just bought, and Its loss in
volved nearly $24. Thinking I might
have put It in one of my pockets. I
ransacked them all. It wasn't in any
of them I searched 'the floor, but
there was nothing there. At last 1
gave It up and paid my fare.
"My wife is a very economical wo
man and considers me the perfection
of carelessness. I knew If I told ber of
my loss she would scold me for both
wastefulness and carelessnes. I made
up my mind to get on tbe best I could
for awhile, paying my fare out of tbe
loose change I carried till tbe end of
the month, when I would buy a new
ticket. It was no use. A few morn
ings after my loss as I was going out
my wife gave me the customary kiss,
at tbe same time banding me my but.
She looked inside and. not seeing the
ticket, felt for it.
"'Why, dear.', she exclaimed. 'I
thought you always carried your com
mutation ticket In your hat.'
"I was obliged to confess I bad lost
It. My wife said: I told you so. If you
had kept It in your pocketbook.. as 1
always advised you to do, you wouldn't
have lost It. There's $24 gone, enough
to buy me a spring bat with three big
ostrich feathers.'
"I hurried away, ostensibly to catch
the train, but really to escape a scold
ing, aud since It would be cheaper to
commute even with tbe loss of four
days than to pay single fares I bought
a new ticket. I kept it in my pocket
book In my hip pocket with a lot of
memoranda, cards, etc.. my cash for
daily expenses being In my vest pock
et. I had no trouble for n month, when
I bought another ticket. On tbe 4th of
the month when I was getting ready
to go to the city I clapped my band to
my bip to make sure my ticket was
there, and. behold, portemounaie. tick
et and all were gone. Somebody must
have picked my pocket.
"I thought my wife would cry. 'Fif
ty dollars gone In two months.' she
moaned. 'We're going right down Into
tbe poorbouse. Why will you be so
careless?' A
"If I'd kept it in my hat.' I snap
ped, it: would not have been lost. I
put it where you told me to put it. and
there you are.'
" 'Go and buy another one." she said.
'We can't afford to have you siieuding
forty or fifty dollars a month to save
$24.'
"Well, to make a long story short. In
six months I lost five commutation
tickets. What had brought about such
bad luck I couldn't tell. I'd commuted
for seven years and never before lost
a ticket. Thinking some one might be
robbing me some of tbe servants I
told my wife when I lost the last tick
et that I was going to put a detective
in tbe bouse. '
"'My dear.' she replied. 'If I say
something to you will yon scold taeT
"'Certainly not, pet; 'fire away.'
" 'Well, I've been robbing yon of
your commutation tickets.'
"I nearly fell In a faint.
"'You know Tom Edwards, financial
man for B. & Co. Well. Tom gave me
a tip on some stock that was going to
be "cornered." "shorts squeezed." and
all that. He said if I'd give bim $100
be'd put me In wltb tbe pool. But I
must keep tbe secret. I hadn't the
money, but I raised It. a bit here and
a bit there, using your tickets, which I
got redeemed at the railroad office.
The pool sold out yesterday, and Tom
has sent me a check for $1,000.
"What do you think of that, eh?
Isn't that confoundedest?"
"Bats: The pith of your story Is that
your wife kept the secret."
"From me."
