Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1909 — Page 4

A CHINESE FAIRY TALE.

A delightful Chinese fairy tale by Bbl Bln Far Is told in the Housekeeper. "Why do we never see the fairies?” Mked Mermel. "Because,” replied her mother, “the fairies do not wish to be seen.” "But why, honorable mother, do they not wish to be seen?” "Would my jade jewel wish to show herself to strangers if she wore no tunic or shoes or rosettes?” Mermei glanced down at her blue silk tunic embroidered in white and gold to her scarlet shoes beaded at the tips so as to resemble the heads of kittens, and looking over to a mirror hung on the side of the wall where the sun shone, noted the purple rose'tes in her hair and the bright butterfly’s wing. "Oh, no! honorable mother,” said she shaking her head with quite a shocked air. “Then when you hear the reason why the fairies do not appear to you except in your dreams, you will know that they are doing just as you would do were you in a fairy's shoes.” “A story! A story!” cried Mermei, clapping her hands and waving her fan, and Choy and Fei and Wei and Sui, who were playing .battledore and shuttlecock on the green, ran into the house and grouped themselves around Mermei and the mother. They all loved stories. ‘‘Many, many years ago,” began the mother of Mermei, “when the sun Was a warm hearted but mischievous boy, playing all kinds of pranks with fruit and flowers and .growing things, and his sister, the Moon, was too young to be sad and serious, the fairies met together by night. The sun, of ourse, was not present, and the moon had withdrawn behind a cloud. Stars alone shone in the quiet sky. By their light the fairies looked upon each other, and found themselves so fair and radiant in their robes of varied hues, all wonderfully fashioned, fringed and laced,, some bright and brilliant, others, delicate and gauzy, but each and all a perfect dream of loveliness, that they danced for 'very joy in themselves and the garments in which they were arrayed. “The dance being over, the Queen of all sighed a fragrant sigh of happiness upon the air, and bow'ing to her lovely companions, said: " ‘Sweet sisters, the mission of the fairies is to gladden the hearts. of the mortals. Let us, therefore, tTfiis night, leave behind us on the earth the exquisite garments whose hues and fashions have given us so much pleasure. And because we may not toe seen uncovered, let us from henceforth be invisible.’ "‘We will! We will!’ cried the sister fairies. They were all good and kind of 1 eart, and much as they loved their dainty robes, they loved better to give happiness to others. "And that is why the fairies are invisible, and why we have the flowers.” “The flowers!” cried Mermei. "Why the flowers?” “And the fairies’ garments! Where can we find them?” asked Fei with the starry eyes. y “In the gardens, in the forests and by the streams,” answered the mother. “The flowers, dear children, are the bright hued garments which the fairies left behind them when they flew from earth, never to return again, save invisible.”

On His Job.

Railroad men are telling this incident as having occurred on a Kansas train some time ago. The rails spread and the engine, tender and baggage car left the track, but the jar was not hard enough to disturb the sleepers in the rear Pullmans. In the last Pullman the porter was shining shoes and thinking that the train was stopping at an unusual place, he went ahead to see about the difficulty. He was told that within a couple of hours the engine could be put back and the track repaired. So he got .busy with his shoes again. Suddenly a head popped out of one of the berths and a man shouted: “Say, porter, what are we stopping here for?’’ “Oh," answered the porter, "we had a wreck ” “A wreck? Wow! Oh-oh-oh-wow-wow! My neck! My neck! My chest! My back! Oh-oh-oh!” —Kansas City Journal.

Didn't Know the Slang.

An English woman who not long ago moved to Kansas City, Kan., met a friend on the street the other day, says the Times, and startled her by asking: “Do you know where I could find a joint?" *'A Joint?” gasped the friend. "What on earth do you want to find a Joint for?" "Why, Just a natural craving. I’ve been looking all over town for one."

The Rub.

“He says hla motto is 'Lire and learn.’ ” “Well, If he Isn’t more successful at the former than the latter we’ll be going to his funeral soon.” —Philadelphia Press. Very Doubtful. “1 don’t think they would be happy, if married." “Whom?* "That Henry James heroine and that Mario Corelli hero." “Our dub is going to talk about Henry VIII. today." . “Haven’t you any fresh soandal ?*

The Bald Truth.

"Barber, ,do you know of anything that would be good for that bald spot on the crown of my head?*’ “Yes, sir, but it would be pretty, expensive.” "“How much?” “Probably not less than $25.” “Is it a sure thing?’’ “Yes, sir.” “What do you call it?” “A wig, sir." That was the time the barber did not get any tip. Also he lost a customer.

Going, Going, Gone!

“Did you ever stop to inquire of yourself where all. the pins go?” asked the cnviginator of silly quesUOnS. “I never did,” replied the party of the other party “but I've noticed cm? king that seems’ to have escaped general notice.’’ “What’s that?” queried the querSt. ;v “That umbrellas go pretty much the same way.” answered the other.

Wise Precaution.

The mercury was trying to ooze cut at the top of the farm-house thermometer and the old farmer was pitching chunks of ice in the pond. “What are you doing that for;’' queried the summer boarder. “That’s t’ keep th’ pesky ducks from layin’ hard-b’iled eggs,”- answered the rural philosopher.

Reform Movement.

The milkman had been brought to see the error of his ways. ’“Thomas,” he said to Lis assistant, “I am going to, furnish my customers with absolutely pure milk after this.’’ “So?” querm.d Thomas. “That’s what,” continued the miik man. “Hereafter we win use distilled water only.’’

Limited.

The inquisitive visitor to the studio of the famous but crophety artist propounded the query; “What do you mix your colors with?” “With brains sir,” replied”* the painter ’in dignified tones. “Ah,” commented the visitor; “so you paint miniatures.”

Too Much For Him.

“How true that old saying is about a child asking questions that a man cannot answer,” remarked Popleigh. “What’s the trouble now?” queried his friend Singleton, “This morning,” replied Popleigh. "my little bey asked me why men were sent to congress and I couldn t tell him.”

He Had Hopes.

“Anyway,” said the amateur poultry raiser, “if I don’t make anything at the game, I have hopes that my hens will soon be self-supporting.” “How do you figure that?” queried the gentleman from Missouri. “They have taken to eating their own eggs,” explained the a. p. r.

The Sorrow Of It.

“It’s too bad,” observed the man who seemed to be thinking aloud. "What's too bad?’’ queried the party who had overheard the observation. "That our neighbors always know when we have fried onions for supper, but never get next when we have strawberries and ice cream,’> explained the noisy thinker.

No Cause for Complaint.

"Landlord,” said the boarder at the summer resort hotel, "you advertised that you had), ‘good fishing’ here. I’ve fished every day. and all I've caught is half a dozen carp and three or four bullheads.” “Didn’t some of the fish you hooked get away?” asked the proprietor. "Yes, of course.” "Well, those are the good fish we advertise. What are you kicking about?’’

Not What He Wanted.

“This cash register you sold me is a fraud,” declared the country editor. “Just like the sample,” argued the salesman. “I thought that was a model in miniature. Why man, I can’t put potatoes, turnips and the like in those tiny bins."

Wisdom of the Wise.

“I never trust a man who is continually harping on the beauties of honesty," said the sage of Sageville. “Why not?” queried the youth. "Because," explained the wisdom dispenser, “it sounds too much as if he were arguing with himself."

“Poor man!’’ said the kind lady. “How did you go blind?" “Well, mum,” answered Tired Treadwell, "de foist time dat I noticed it was when I was out lookin' fer work.”—Chicago Record-Herald.

Tit for Tat.

“I told teacher, pop, that you said she taught you when you was a little boy.” »*, “What did she say?" "That stupidity must run In the family.’’—Baltimore American.

Too Late.

His Wife—“lf I had my life to lire over again I would never marry." Her Husband —"I’m sorry you did not tell me that when I. proposed.”

HUNKY SMITH’S ETHICS.

The peculiar ethics of Himky-Qmith, burglar, petty thief and pickpocket, were never more clearly brought before his partner, Lefty Jones, than on the night in which the duo made off with a considerable quantity of jewelry from the Taber mansion. Hunky had been unusually silent all the evening, and efforts made by Les-; ty to arouse him as they plodded down the railroad track, Hunky carrying the swag, were without avail. Finally Lefty, laughing more to himr self than to Hunky exclaimed: “Gee, I left your card on the sitting room table under a paper weight. I gpes& they won’t miss it. all right ,all right.’’ . Hunky stopped short and glared at Lefty. ~ “You didn’t go and leave my card there?” he questioned. “My professional card with my nanie on it?” “Snre,’’ assented Lefty in amazement. “You’’ started Hunky, but broke off the sentence to turn abruptly and race back in the direction of the Taber home. Lefty, in tremendous astonishment, gazed after Hunky for a moment, and then followed. Why should Hunky act like that?” It had always been a matter of professional pride with Hunky to leave his card at every place he made a successful job. It was a bit of bravo, but few people in the world know him as “Hunky Smith,” the name which appeared on the card. Lefty .had noticed’’" that Hunky neglected to leave his card at the Taber residence and consequently had left it for him, thinking Hunk’s negligence was due to an oversight. Puzzling his brain over the matter, Lefty retraced his steps until the big Taber home loomed up before him. Then he waited in a shadow until HUnky appeared. There was a foolish smile on Hunky’s face when he joined Lefty and the two again moved off down Ihe railroad. £ * Well?” exclaimed, Lefty querulously. Hunky turned and gazed vacantly at Lefty for a moment. Then he extended his right hand and showed a small wad of paper, which had evidently been considerably chewed by someone. “The kid did that,” declared Hunky, pride in his voice. “He’s found my card and chewed it like that. I didn’t know she had a kid,” he added softly. “Well, I’ll be !” exploded Lefty. “What did you do with the stuff?” “Oh, I left it,” answered Hunky, carelessly. “I didnt mind robbing her —she’s got a rich man and can get more, but when it comes to taking stuff from her poor, helpless little kid, that may need the stuff badly some day, I can’t do it, that’s all.” “Why you big stiff!” cried Lefty. “What’re you gassing about, anyhow?” “I’d dike stuff from her and her man, all right,” went on Hunky, with 5, faraway air, “but I wouldn’t let her know that it was me that took her stuff, and when it comes to robbing her kid, that’s too much. I put the swag in the crib with the kid. I founa him under the table chewing and fussing over my card, that musta blown off,” he added. “What’s this kid to you, anyhow?” fairly yelled Lefty, in the agony of losing the results of their night’s work. “Who’s the woman, anyhow?” Hunky turned and looked at Lefty as though he had just discovered hi 3 partner after a return from a long trip. “Why,” he said, calmly, yet with an intonation of surprise. “Don’t you know? She’s my sister!”—Frank H. Williams.

A Shrewd Investment.

Wit illumines one of the dueling stories in Monsieur Ronzier-Dorciere’s recent book, “Sur Le Pre.” Prince Pierre Bonaparte and a French gentleman, Monsieur De la Valette, fought with pistols. Monsieur De la Balette fired first and missed. The Prince fired, hit De la Valette just above the belt, but did not wound him, owing to a fivefranc piece iq his waistcoat pocket, against which the bullet was flattened. “Sir," said Prince Bonaparte to his adversary, holding out his hand, “let ua make friends, and allow me to congratulate you on the foresight with which you have invested your money.”—Youth’s Companion.

Rare, Rarer.

An English naturalist was showing his fine collection of spiders to some American friends. All at once they were alarmed to see that a giant specimen had escaped from his case and was approaching them. One at those present, a Philadelphia physician, had the presence of ralndi to jump up and kill the animal. "What a pity,” exclaimed the Engllsh naturalist. "Do you know that was a very rare species of spider?" “Never mind,” returned the culprit I’ve made it rarer!” , ——

Suspiclous.

Mrs. A. —“I believe Henry fooled me. When we were married, but I believe be was a widower.*’ Mrs. Z.—“ And why are you suspicious, dear?” Mrs. A.—" Because ha can actually understand what I say when my mouth is full of hairpins. It takee knur experience to do that.”

NOW OPEN A BRANCH OF The 99-Cent Racket Store

HOLIDAY GOODS OALORE i i You can find everything in the Toy line on display. Hundreds and thousands of beautiful Toys to fill the wants of the little ones can be found' on exhibition at .our Branch Store. Do not wait until the last minute to buy your Holiday Goods —start right now. You can buy them and leave them in building until wanted by paying a small amount down and balance when you get goods. Anything else in Holiday line that you are looking for and do not find at the Branch Store can be found at our Main Store in the Makeever Bank Building. ! * Our Toy Store is in the old postoffice building on Washington Street, Rensselaer, Indiana. E. V. Ransford, Prop. The 99-Cent Racket Store.

ELUS THEATRE Tuesday, 7 December I

‘Wintergreen Farm’

“Aunt Samantha says she just lives her quiet, peaceful life.”

Beautiful Pustoral Play. To see “Wintergreen Farm,” pronounced by all one of the prettiest of pastoraj plays, is like taking a trip to the quiet New England village of Meekinsville, and being introduced into the household of Aunt Samantha, and there meeting such quaint personages as Bill Jones and Sally Tomkins, to say nothing of the honest, plain spoken Obedias, his pretty daughter, Ruth, played by Miss Pauline Mayo, "Bud” and little May, all of whom belong under the home roof. And then there Ebeneezer Stebbins, the village sexton, who has a habit of "just droppin’ in,” and Richard Thornton, in love with Ruth, and Tom and Nellie, city cousins, who add life to the place. Mulligan, a bad sort, also appears on the scene, though not a very welcome visitor. The big New York scene in the third act introduces one of the greatest characters in the play, that of "Wraggles,” besides such East Side types as Blokey and Hardy, both queer customers. Now that David Fox and Jacob Kirk, of Smithville, Monroe county, have plead guilty to whitecapping Thomas Vanest, an effort is being made by Sheriff Cox to collect the reward of SSOO which was offered for the conviction of the guilty ones. There are also other claimants for the reward. William J. Richey, the Methodißt preacher who left his charge and family at Charlottesville a year” ago with a young woman and was later arrested in St. Louis, was found guilty of wife desertion, with a prison sentence, by a Jury in the circuit court at Greenfield. He is 39 years old. Geo. W. Purcell, former state labor commissioner, and atoone time right hand man to ex*President John Mitchell of the United Mine Workers of America, died at Terre Haute from a wound inflicted during a quarrel with Taylor Suttles at Atlas, a mining camp near Lincoln, Ind. , \

Butter Wrappers furnished at this office —printed or blank. > Try the classißed column. \

HANGING GROVE.

Floyd Porter is working on the Monon section. Miss Laura Phillips spent Wednesday with Bertha Cook. Mrs. Richard Foulks returned home from Logansport Monday morning. Miss Vera Lefler went to Rensselaer Monday morning. R. S. Drake came home Wednesday evening from visiting the stock show at Chicago. Mrs. J. R_ Phillips and Mrs. Mary Ann Robinson visited at Wash. Cook’s Wednesday. J. R. Phillips went over to Monticello Monday on a short business trip. y Kary McDonald, of LaCrosse, returned home Monday morning, after a few days’ visit with relatives here. Mrs. Ann Rishling went to Monticello Monday to spend the day with Mrs. Harvey Phillips. Horton & Mosley have just completed a fine big machine shed on their ranch, northeast of Lee. Jerome Harmon has moved from the McAffee farm to Rensselaer, and will move to a farm next spring. Mr. Newbolt, of Buffalo, is shredding fodder in the Osborne neighborhood this week. Chas. Wolfe shelled corn Wednesday. T}ie first shelling that has been done outside the elevators. Squire C. W. Bussell attired in his long-tailed black coat, went to Newland Wednesday to officiate at the marriage of a very popular young couple of that vicinity. Geo. Johnson announces that he is a candidate for roud supervisor in his district, and does hereby request the support of all his friends at the election on December 18th. Grover Petree came from Wisconsin Tuesday, where he has been working for James Lefler the past summer. He started on the eleven o’clock train Thursday tor his home in Heiskell, Tenn. The election date for electing road supervisors has been set for Dec. 18. Each district will hold its own election, and where it is possible the present supervisors will hold the elections except the district where the trustee resides, in which case he is required to hold the election.

Because he secured the consent of her mother without first asking her own word, Miss Grace Turnemeyer; 16 years old, refused to marry Harry Rose, 19 years old, sou of Charles Rose, of Vincennes. Rose had already obtained the license and the wedding diner was in preparation at the Rose home. Inspector Edward McCann, of Chicago, has been denied a new trial. McCann was found guilty of extorting* money from thieves and prostitutes.

\ PPIgSR &y%] JyfA mvH Twßi ■ m I r!

MILROY.

Mrs. E. Johns is ill and Dr. Clayton, of Monon, is in attendance. Mrs. G. L. Parks visited her mother, Mrs. Ravenscroft, on last Sunday. Mrs. Nettie Hoover spent Saturday night with her sister, Mrs. Jennie Griswold. Miss Ara Griswold went to Chicago* to spend Thanksgiving with her sister and family. G. L. Parks was in the north part of the township Wednesday on business. John Southard and G. L. Parks and families and Jas. Boon spent Saturday evening with Mr. Miles and family. G. L. Parks and family and Jas. Boon called on Mrs. Frank May Tuesday evening, bringing their graphophone and entertained with some fine new selections. Frank May, who has been afflicted with rheumatism, was not benefited by taking treatment at the springs, and is now taking treatment of Dr. Stuart, of Monon, with possibly some slight improvement. Mrs. Geo. Foulks has recovered from typhoid fever so far as to be able to visit her sister, Mrs. Frank May, the first of the week. Mr. May has been staying with D. Z. Clark while taking treatment for rheumatism.

The Ft. Wayne & Wabash Valley Traction ‘company has adopted the swastika aar lts official emblem. The points of the swastika are formed by the eight large stations and county seats It reaches—Ft. Wayne, Huntington, Wabash, Bluffton, Peru, Delphi, Loganaport and Lafayette. The emblem will appear ou all the company’s rolling stock, stationary and property. The Fulton county commissioners met in special session Monday to receive bids on eleven voting machines. The Empire Voting Machine company, of Rochester, N. Y., was the only bidder and was awarded the contract. The new machines are to be the United States standard model and will cost $760 each, making a total expenditure of $8,250. P Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CASTO R I A Mrs. Stephen Finney, wife of a wealthy farmer at Miami, was killed by a Lake Erie & Western freight train Monday while attempting to cross the track. It was announced at the headquarters of the Great Northern railway Monday that James J. Hill has offered to give the Huron college of Huron, S. Dak., $60,000 for its endowment fund. The condition of the gift that the college raise $200,000 additional In two years.