Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 295, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1913 — Page 3

ESTHER’S PRODIGAL

By CLARISSA MACKIE.

When Esther Trent’s Aunt Judith died and left her the little white house on the corner, Esther gladly left the home of her father, where a stepmother ruled supreme, and went to live alone • the little white house. Eather carried with her all the belongings of her own mother ps well as her girlish trinkets and keepsakes. In time the little old-fashioned parlor came to look exactly as had the parlor of her own home, even to the ancient square piano that filled one corner. , “For land’s sake, Esther, are you going to settle down here -and be a regular old maid?’’ demanded Loretta Camphell, who was prematurely gray and sewed for a living. Esther laughed. ' “I always wanted a home of my own, and if I waited till I got married, maybe I’d nev.er have one. I can be just as young living here as if I stayed at home.” “I don’t know, seems awful oldmaidy to me.” insisted Loretta; “just like my having white hair when I’m only thirty-five—seems as if I had to stop expecting to get married.” “I’m thirty-nine,” said Esther gently; “I don’t believe it’s any too young to set up housekeeping.” Loretta Campbell was thirty-nine, too, and she knew that Esther ’ aware of It, but she had a cheery boldness that carried her through very embarrasing situations. “I’m never going to be any older than thirty-five,” she said significantly. “Now, Esther, how you going to have this neck fixed? High or low?" After this Important item had been discussed and Loretta had returned to the sewing machine, the little dressmaker paused in her furious pedalling and turned her sharp face over her shoulder. . ' “Did you know Emmy Slocum was going to be married?” “Yes —some time this month, isn’t it?" “The nineteenth.” Then after a perceptible pause Loretta added: “I wofkder if Ed Slocum will come hanffi to the wedding?” “Im sure I don’t know.” “I heard they didn’t know what part of the world he was In,” pursued Loretta, now that the delicate topic was opened. “Indeed?’ “Yes. I heard his father told him he neqdnn’t never come home until he’d made enough money to pay back some of that he'd ill-spent. I call that pretty hard of old Jim Slocum —Pa says he was a limb when he was a boy aqd made no end of trouble for his folks—yet old Jim is hard as nails on poor Ed. Why, Ed can’t be a boy any longer—he must have stopped cutting up tricks long ago.” 1 Esther was silent. "Ed wasn’t what you’d call bad —he was just full of cutting up, but it seemed to cost his father a lot of money. Well, they drove him from home and I guess his ma broke her heart over It. I blame it all on old Jim Slocum —mean as all get-out!” “I wonder what Mr. Slocum will do after Emmy's married?” said Esther. “Nobody knows—Dexter won’t have him live with them —he’s as much as said so. Keep house for himself, I guess." “Why, he can’t do much. He’s real feeble —he must be seventy yqara old.” protested Esther. “Don’t seem to make any difference how old one Is—they get trouble just the same,” remarked Loretta. After Loretta had gone home that night, Esther washed up the supper dishes and then sought her little parlor, where she lighted the lamp with the dangling prisms and sat down by the marble top table. For a long time slfe sat lost in reverie.- She was thinking, of old Mr. Slocum so soon to be left alone. She, was thinking of the prodigal, Ed, who had run away from home twenty years before. She looked back on her own girlish grief over that event as one reads the story of a stranger. Once she had sat in the parlor at home, when Ed Slocum used to call upon her three times a week, just as she was sitting now. Then she was waiting for him with fluttering heart and eyes, that Were tell-tale. How .handsome Ed was—black-haired, blackeyed, light-hearted—the best fellow in the world, and it was this very easygoing nature of Ed’s that had led him - astray. She still treasured the hasty note in which he had taken leave of her. It seemed to be the delicate rosy thread that held her to her youth and hope. Some day come back. Some day he would return. He had loved her. Esther’s brown head drooped a little wearily at these sad memories, but. she was a brave soldier and she lifted her chin and took up the photograph album and turned to Ed’s picture placed there opposite that of her mother. Her eyes were dim when she laid it aside. "He’s my poor prodigal just the same,” she murmured to herself as she blew out the light and went upstairs to bed. Two weeks after that Emmy Slocum was married, and all Leavenmill was interested in the masculine housekeep* Ing of Mr. James Slocum. Of outside help he would have none. Emmy and her husband had gone west, and the prosperous Dexter had offered to pay the wages of a housekeeper for his father-in-law, but Mr. Slocum had eurtly refused. Ono December day Esther met old

James Slocum hobbling toward ‘ nomei carrying a heavy basket of groceries. "Can’t I help you. Mr. Slocum?" she asked tinddly. . -■» “No, thank you, Esther—when I can’t carry my own bundles it’ll be time for me to lay down and die,” he said, not, unkindly. “I’m sorry you are all alone,” ventured Esther, feeling very sorry for the harsh old ffian who had driven his son from his door, and whose* daughter had left him to make a home for herself. 7 / „ “’Taln’t any matter!” muttered Jim; then, with a sudden change of tone he added in a broken voice: “ *Tls some matter—Esther, I’d like to see my Ed before I die!” Tears came into Esther’s brown eyes. “Of course you would,” she said gently. “Have you any idea where he is now?" .“No —I reckon he’s dead,” said the old man drearily. ' . “What makes you think that?” “I ain’t heard from him for a long while. Last time there came a letter, it was for my wife—he didn’t know she was dead, and if just cut out the newspaper notice of her death and wrapped it around the letter and sent ’em to the address on the outside of the envelope. Some place in Kansas —and I’ve never heard a word since, and that seven years ago—but I. think he’s been here —I think he keeps track of us.” “What makes you think so?” “One Sunday Emmy and I went to the cemetery to my wife’s grave and it was covered with beautiful white flowers—like "nothing that grows hereabouts—and ever since then on her birthday there’s always white flowers on the grave. Emmy and I don’t know, but we guess Eddie did it It hurts me, Esther, that he’s afraid toemeet me face to face.” He sighed heavily. “If he only knew, Mr. Slocum, I am sure he would cdfce.” “We can’t find him, Esther. I can’t remember the name of that Kansas town and there came a wedding present for Emmy—a beautiful set of knives and forks. There was no name attached and the postmark on the box was blurred. We could only guess it was from Eddie.”" It was after that that Esther Trent took upon herself a mighty task. She bought postal cards* by the dozen and on each one wrote an appeal to Edward Slocum to return to his aged father, who needed him. These she sent to many towns and cities in the state of Kansas, in the hope that she might by chance strike upon the place where Ed Slocum made his home. These postal z cards she carried to the postoffice in the next village. Weeks passed and there came no response to Esther’s anonymous appeal. There had been one town which bore her own name, “Esther,” and she had cherished a fluttering hope‘that Fate might decree that there was magic in the name of his old sweetheart. No news came from her dear prodigal, and at last Esther gave up hope and turned her attention to making James Slocum as comfortable as he would permit her. There was not much to do, for the old man was proud; he had plenty of money to keep him in comfort. One bitter night when James Slocum, almost helpless from an attack of rheumatism; had been compelled to accept Esther’s aid, the Slocum kitchen was aglow with warm light from the stove. Esther was moving around bent on household tasks, and Mr. Slocum, his helpless foot propped oa a chair, was reading by thd light of a green shaded lamp. The supper dishes were washed, and Esther had prepared,the old mah’s bed in the little room off the kitchen. She untied her apron and reached up to the hook for her knitted shawl when there came a knock at the door. Esther answered it to admit a slencfer, erect man, whose sparkling black eyes searched her face eagerly and then darted to the wrinkled face.pl the old man. “Father!” cried the man, and he went past his old sweetheart and knelt beside James Slocum. It war several moments before the old man could command his voice to speak. "Son,” he said, “it was Esther Trent who brought you back.” “I know it, father,” said Ed humbly,. But when they looked around Esther had disappeared. “Never mind. I’ll go around after her In a little while,” said Ed. are a few things that must (be discussed first —and I want your biasing, father.” Esther was putting out the light when there came a ring at her / doorbell. Trembling in every limb she turned up thewick of the parlor lamp and went to the front door. Ed Slocum stood there; his keen, eager face upturned to hers. “May I come in, Esther?” he asked. Esther smiled tremulously. What could she say to him after all these, years of waiting? Within the little parlor, familiar because it held so many well remembered things, Ed Slocum's face worked strangely. At last he held out his hands to Esther. “Esther, I’ve meant to come back all these years; I've kept myself straight for you and mother. I—l went to a place In Kansas—l picked it out because Its name was the same as yours, and your postal card reached me at last. I thought they didn’t w®t me here, and I stayed away, but when the card came, I knew. I disposed of my business. I am here. Are you going to welcome the prodigal son?” Ho smiled down wistfully, at her. * l -. “I knew you would come back some day,” whispered Esther, her head oa his shoulder. (Copyright, WU, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicated

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

ROYAL DRESS GOST

Victoria of Spain Most Costly Attired of Queens. Where the Old Clothes Go—Some Discarded Garments Are Sold, Some Returned to Maker and Others Given Away. ' 11 • '• r London.—lt goes without saying that the expenditure of queens on dress is of necessity high, and it is higher today by a good deal than it was 25 or 50 years ago, says a writer in London Answers. s > The most expensively attired consort of a reigning European monarch is generally supposed to be the queen of Spain. * Her Spanish majesty’s dress bills for gowns alone run to more than $15,000 a year. She purchases most of her dresses in Paris and is more punctilious about being modishly attired than any other royalty. Her majesty rarely wears a gown more than half a dozen times, practically never has a gown altered, and never, at home or abroad, is seen two days in succession in the same gown. „ For her morning and afternoon gowns Queen Victoria pays from $75 to $l5O. She purchases about seventy of such gowns in the year, and, taking the average price at $125 each, this would mean ap outlay of $8,750 on morning and afternoon gowns alone, while her bills for evening gowns would amount to about $9,000. The queen of Spain seldom orders less than half a dozen gowns at a time, and frequently will order as many as twenty or thirty. Her majesty, however, ' has an understanding with most of the modistes whom she patronizes that every gown she does not care about when it is completed may be returned. The German express is, of all great royal ladies, the least modishly attired. Her majesty holds the opinion that in matters of dress royal ladles —ladies

Queen Victoria of Spain.

of the royal house of Hohenzollern, at any rate —should be a law unto themselves. The German empress orders the bulk of her gowns in Berlin, her bills for which run to from SB,OOO to SIO,OOO a year. One of the dressmakers patronized by the German empress was for-

WHERE HAS HE GONE?

What Has Become of the Early Photographer? Artist's Gruesome Poses —Didn’t Care About Draperies, But Insisted on Throwing Up the Physical Defects of the Setter. New Orleans. —Whatever become o’ th’ ole time tall, cuffless photographer that wore a flowin’ tie an’ smelled like collodion an’ called his abattoir a “art studio?" I wonder where he went and when he died, fer ther must, have been sdme special arrangements made ahead fer him. Who kin fergit how he used t* pose us in front o’ a screen showin’ a castle with a rustic bridge leadin’ up t’ it an’ a couple o’ swans? writes Kin Hubbard in the New Orleans Tlmes-Democrat. “Now, then, set perfectly still a little an* look about here. Raise your chin a little more. Higher, higher. That’s fine. Now, turn th’head a little slantin’ like. That’s It, that’s it Now, that’s fine. Ah, that’ll do.” Then he’d turn out a photograph lookin’ like you had a stiff neck augmented by a little dash o* spinal trouble —like you had just murdered a whole family with an ax an’ wuz facin’ th* judge without a pang o’ remorse. .Th’ early photographer had a sort o’ a pritch that had been handed down from th’ celebrated Spanish Inquisition days which he used as a prop fer your head. When applied t* th’ back o* th’ neck It produced an expression like you wuz puttin’ on* a collar. “Oh, I see, you. wish t* be taken t’gether. That’ll be fine. Now, then, just you please take this seat That’s it Put th’ feet closely t’gether. Now th* hands on th’ knees. That’s fine. Now throw th* chin up. Up a little more. That’s fine. Now, you stand by th’ left Perfectly erect with feet t’gether carelessly. Let th* left hand hang limp. That’s fine. Now, place th* right hand on his shoulder showln' th* right finger—Oh. 1 see. Th* ring Is on the left hand. We’ll have t* change sides.

RUSSIA BUYS EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON

The "Russian government has just purchased for its embassy the Washington residence of John Hammond, which was built for Mrs. George Pullman and never has been occupied. The price paid by Russia is said to have been $500,000.

inerly a dressing maid at the German court. She retired from the royal service on account of ill health when she was about forty years old and to supplement her pension she started dressmaking in a small way, and her former royal mistress most graciously gave the woman her phtronage. Queen Mary Is also most economically attired for the consort of a great European sovereign. Her.majesty’s bills for gowns when she was princess of Wales ran to abouts3,ooo a year, and as queen they do not much exceed that figure. The queen, of course, does not “wear out” any of her gowns, but she never allows a morning or afternoon gown to be put out of the royal wardrobes until she has worn It at least a couple of dozen times. For her evening gowns Queen Mary pays from $125 to S2OO, and for moiling or afternoon gowns from SSO to $75, and for tweed walking dresses ; from S3O to S4O. There is a custom existing among most royal women, as well as among others who spend large sums on dresses, of disposing of the dresses and gowns that are put out of their wardrobes to certain dress agencies, and the money so realized is used to defray part of their dress bills. Two large dress agencies in Paris have the handling of most of the left off dresses of European royalties. These transactions are conducted by the chief dressers of the various royal women and the former are allowed to .ake a certain commission on the sales. The sale of the queen of Spain’s dresses annually amounts t > about $4,000, and of the czarina to about a hundred pounds less. Neither Queen Mary nor the German Empress, however,

"That’s fine. Now throw th’ chin well batck —a little tiny bit more. That’s fine. Now, all feet close t’gether an’ steady. That’ll do." Then Friday you get th' proofs -an’ you and your wife looked like Lewis an’ Clark takin’ their first view, o’ Mount Tacoma alter a ten days* march on empty ‘stomachs. Th’ ole time photographer alius posed you in such a Way as t’ feature your Adam’i apple. He ’ didn’t care about th’ arrangement o’ drapery er whether your coat wuz buttoned straight, but he wuz there t* see that your Adam’s apple got everything that wuz cornin’ t’ it. If you had a hairlip er a wend In th’ neck he alius made 'em th* principal points o’ interest in your photo. If you had a bulgin’ -forehead he’d powder th’ high lights an’ pull In your chin. If you had a-retreat-in’ chin he’d pry It out an' make an interior o’ your nostrils. If you looked like a turnip he’d insist on a front view, an* if you looked like a hatchet he’d prescribe a. side view. If you wanted t* stand up an’ show your feet an’ watch chain he’d bring forth a Utile column-shaped pedestal t’ stand by an’ you looked like you wuz waitin’ fer somebuddy t’ shoot a apple off your head. Kver’buddy you see in th* old family album looks like they had either lost their only friend er wus settin* In an electric chair. Always sad er terrorized. If you looked pleasant er natural you had t’ sit again. Tdgy if you want t’ look like Ger trade Elliott er Jack Barrymore th* “artist" *ll fix it fer you. If you look like a sewin’ • machine agent an* feel like you would like t’ look like a great author t’day's photographer *ll show you how t’ git th* desired expression by restin’ th* left cheek in your hand an* lookin’ anxiously int’ th’ future. If you want t* look like a great society leader an* have a goitre th’ modern photographer ’ll remove It without pain, an* if you want t* look like a smilin’ cow he’ll look after your bridge work without extra cost

ever sell their left-off dresses. Queen Mary’s left-off gowns are given away to the poorer dependents of royalty, or are distributed through certain charitable agencies to poor gentlefolk. The German empress disposes of her left-off dresses In much the same way, except that they are practically all given to people In some way or other connected with the court

THIEF’S HAUL $30 IN PILLS

Highwaymen Make Unfortunate "Catch” When They Hold Up Medicine Peddler. Atlanta, Ga. —Thirty dollars* worth of pills and an oil land book showing grants which were made in Georgia in the days of Qglethorpe lay in the bottom of Giddings Johnson’s one-horse chaise as he jogged along after dark into the suburbs of Atlanta. He was thinking In a dejected way of the trials of a medicine peddler, when Madge, the ambling horse, shied, as though she felt a returning youthfulness. Then, from out of the dark, stepped four figures, and four voices directed Giggings to hold up his hands. Four highwaym< -i began at once to search the one-horse-shay, while Madge lapsing back into her usual drowse, stood with her head between her knees. One of the highwaymen exclaimed with pleasure as he lifted a heavy, square object from the chaise and dropped upon his knees before it in the roadway; yet, what he opened to the moon were land grants which were a relic of Oglethorpe, and were old when Georgia, as a state, was young. But his displeasure was .lost In the delight lof another of the bold robbers who was dragging from the chaise a heavy box. He set it down in the dust of the road. The highwayman upon his knees rose hurriedly, the other two crowded about, and eagerly they looked on, the moon shining palely upon them as the box was opened. They might have been treasure seekers, remnants of a pirate gang, or just what they were. The lid of the box ripped, a part of It tore loose. The remainder of the lid was pried off, and the four bold robbers, the moon shining palely upon them, bent forward and in the wan light looked upon the treasure of S3O worth of pills. “Let’s shoot him,” suggested one with a look toward Giddings Johnson. "Why not make him take all the pills?" advised another. But a third, with that sixth sense peculiar to real highwaymen, beard the far-off approach of a vehicle, spoke In brief, sharp words to the others, and all four melted into the shadows of the night Then did Johnson remember that a shotgun lay in the bottom of the chaise. In a moment he had it out, put it to his shoulder, aimed, pulled the trigger —then remembered tiuft he had forgotten to load It He got out replaced the pills and the book of land grants, returned to the chaise, drove to the nearest telephone and gave word to the police.

EDISON SAYS TANGO WILL GO

Turkey Trot, Diaphanous Gown, Smoking by Woman and Other Fade Also Fleeting. New York.—" Faddists and extremists have been common in all ages," said Thomas A, Edison. "The turkey trot, the tango, the diaphanous gown and women smoking will vanish when the novelty wears off. Such extremists represent only a fractional per cent of our people and we need not fear for the others." Mr. Edison believes In eugenic marriages, but deprecates the teaching of sex hygiene in schools to pupils not old enough to do their own thinking.

CANP FIRE STORIES

CAPTURE OF PLYMOUTH, N. C. » mi m - - Town Was One of Most Important Places on Sound and Was Commanded by General Wessells. In reply to a query the National Tribune gives the following account of the capture of Plymouth, N. C., and the reason for the surrender of General Wessells: It was felt necessary to keep a garrison at Plymouth and other places around the North Carolina sounds, though these were reduced to the minimum. They were kept there in Isolated position for two years, this giving the enemy time to plan operations to overpower them. Plymouth, N. C., one of the most important places on the sound, was held by a brigade commanded by General Wessells and which consisted of the Eighty-fifth New York, One Hundred and First and One Hundred and Third Pennsylvania, Sixteenth Connecticut and six companies from other regiments, in all 2,400 men. The position was fairly fortified, with three gunboats in the water to assist the garrison, and it was fell that this would be sufficient, but the enemy had built an ironclad ram, the Albemarle, and collected a force of three brigades, uqder Gen. R. F. Hoke, numbering in all. at least 7,000 men. For some reason our people knew nothing of this gathering of forces, nor of the strength of the Albemarle. ‘April 17, 1864, Hoke suddenly appeared at the same time as the ram came down the river and attacked Fort Warren, the up-river putpost. One of our vessels went to the assistance of the fort, but was quickly disabled. Hoke pushed down a mile and attached Fort Wessells, but was repulsed several times in his assaults. However, the enemy surrounded the fort and got within 200 yards of It, while the Albemarle ran by Fort Warren, rammed the Southfield and sunk her, and. then disabled the Miami, killing her captain, Lieut.-Com-mander Flusser. The Albemarle then shelled the garrison, the attack on the forts was renewed, and, though the enemy lost heavily, they were carried, and the Confederates reached the town, so that Wessells was'compelled to surrender, giving up about 1,600 prisoners, 25 guns, 2,000 small arms and much valuable stores. The Confederates admitted a loss of only 300, but our people estimated it at 1,000. The prisoners were taken to Andersonville, where most of them died.

Loved the Old Flag Still.

After the battle of Mill Spring, when the Minnesota regiment returned r to Its quarters at Camp Hamilton, they marched past the colonel’s marquee with banners flying, and their splendid band playing “Hall Columbia.” Standing in front of the tent were Dr. Cliff, Zolllcoffer’s brigade surgeon. Lieutenant Colonel Carter of the Twentieth Tennessee (Confederate) regiment, and several of the federal officers. It was observed that “Hall Columbia” affected both the Confederate officers to tears —they wept like children —and Carter remarked that: "Although com' pelled to fight against the ol<F flag, he loved it stm.”

Couldn't Believe Him.

Two boys of the Fifty-eighth Massachusetts agreed to settle their dispute by a fight, and it was understood that whoever wanted to quit should say "Enough." One got the other down, and was hammering him unmercifully, when he called out several times, “Enough!" One of the group who gathered to see the scrap demanded fair play, and said: "Why don’t you let him up? Don’t you hear him say that he’s got enough?" "I do; but he’s such a liar I don’t believe him."

What He Was Afraid Of.

During the war the town loafer at a country village stood his chances of being drafted. On one occasion he said to one of his old cronies: "Well, they are going to draft ag’ln, and they are going to put my name in the wheel. What they want me to fight for is more than 1' can tell. 1 ain’t mad, an’ I don’t want to fight when I ain’t mad. And then, on the other hand, it I should be drafted and sent to the front, what honor would it be to a fellow to get killed and have his name spelled wrong in the newspapers?"

A Towel Relic.

Mathias H. Lowe, Wallie Run, Pa., took a towel with him to Gettysburg which he had used during the war. It was spun and woven at home and was part of his kit of saber, revolver, tlncup and spurs. It was used by the boys at the reunion of the Eighth Pennsylvania cavalry.

Evidently Must Be the Case.

Somebody has our new umbrella. Every time that person raises that umbrella our name stares him In the face, and yet It Is not returned. We have come to the conclusion that the poor fellow can’t read. —Exchange.

Always Switched Off.

The telephone service is said to be improving, but every time we get in the notion to say somethng nice about it our phone bell rings and a sweet voice inquires: “Is this Robertson'* grocery?”—Cynthiana Democrat