rm.il rirS -?. "in- -""f .
.1 T'-T T
"AndLih&n-tiievilnmnQ school-boy,
wrtt his satchel
And shining face, creeping like snail
Unwilling "to school
SAikespe&re.
-Denver Sun.
The factory foreman
HT was just such an American vil
lage as you see In pictures. A
background of superb bold moun
tain, all clothed in blue-green cedars,
with a torrent thundering down a deep
gorge, and falling in billows of foam;
a river reflecting the azure of the sky,
and a" knot of houses, with a church
spire at one end and a thicket of fac
tory chimneys at the . other, whose
black : smoke wrote . ever-changing
hieroglyphics against the brilliancy of
the sky. This was Dapplevale. And
In the rosy sunset of this . blossomy
June day, the girls were all pouring
out of the broad doorway, while Ger
ald Blake, the foreman, sat behind the
desk, a pen behind his ear and his
small, beady-black eyes drawn back,
as It were, In the shelter of a precipice
of shaggy eyebrows.
One by one the girls stopped and re
ceived their pay for one week's work,
for this was Saturday night. One by
"a fee! fob what?"
one they filed out, with fretful, dis
contented faces, until the last one
passed In t"mt of the desk.
she was slight and tall, with large
velvety-blue eyes, and a complexion as
delicately grained and transparent as
rose-colored wax, and an abundance of
glossy hair of so dark a brown that
the casual observer would have pro
nounced it black; and there was some
thing In the way tlu ribbon at her
throat was tied and the manner In
which the simple details of her dress
were arranged that bespoke her of for
eign birth.
"Well, Mile. Annette," said Mr.
Blake, "and how do you like factory
life?"
"It is not disagreeable," she answer
ed, a slight accent clinging to her tones,
like fragrance to a flower, as she ex
tended her hand for the money the
foreman was counting out.
"You have given me but four dol
lars," she said. "It was to be eight
dollars by the contract."
"Humph!" he grunted; "you ain't
much accustomed to our way of doing
things, are you, mademoiselle? Eight
of course; but we deduct two for a
fee "
"A fee! For what?" Annette de
manded, with flushed cheeks and
sparkling eyes.
"For getting you the situation, mad
emoiselle to be sure," said Mr. Blake,
In a superior sort of way. "Such places
don't grow on every bush. And folks
naturally expect to pay something for
the privilege."
. "I did not !''. flashed put Annette Du
velle.' "Oh well all right"- Because- you
know, you, ain't obliged to stay- unless
you choose'.'", , ',.".... '.
"Do you mean," hesitated Annette,
"that if I don't pay you this money "
"You can't expect to stay in the
works,", said Mr,( Blake, hitching up
his collar.' ' V."Vrt" ,,
"But the other two dollars?"' -
"Oh,'! salu Mr Blake, "that's, a per
centage the girls all pay." f', ;.. .
"But what Is It for?" " . .
. "Well, it helps out jny salary." Of
course, you know, the girls all expect
to pay something every week for keep
ing their situations in a place where
there's' so many anxious to get in." -
"And Mr, Elderslie?"
"Oh, Mr. Elderslie," repeated Blake.
"He hasn't-much to da with it I am
master . at the .. Dapplevale. . Calico
Works."
"Mr. Elderslie owns it, I believe?"
"Well, yes, he owns It But I man
age everything. Mr. Elderslie reposes
the utmost confidence in my capacity,
ability and and responsibility. Mr.
Elderslie is a good business man. He
understands his own Interest And
now if you've any more questions to
ask "
"I have none," said Annette,' quietly.
"But I want this money myself. I
work hard for It I earn it righteously.
How can "I afford, and how can the
others among these poor laboring girls,
to pay it to your greed?"
"Eh?" ejaculated Mr. Blake, Jump
ing from his seat as If some Insect had
stung him. (
"I will not pay it," calmly concluded
Mile. Annette.
"Very well very well. Just as you
like, mademoiselle," cried the foreman,
turning red In the face. "Only if you
won't conform to the rules of the Dap
plevale works "
"Are these the rules?" scornfully de
manded Annette.
'Tray consider your name crossed
off the books," went on Mr. Blake.
"You are no longer In my employ.
Good-evening, Mademoiselle Whatever-you-may-call-yourself."
And Mr. Blake slammed down the
cover of his desk as if It were a patent
guillotine and poor Annette Duvelle's
neck were under it
Two or three of the factory girls,
who had hovered around the open door
to hear the discussion, looked with
awe-stricken faces at Annette as she
came out with the four dollars which
she bad received from the cashier in
her hand.
"You've lost your place, ma'mselle,"
wjiispered Jenny Furton, a pale, dark
eyed little thing who supported a crip
pled mother and two little sisters out
of her mulcted earnings.
"And he'll never let you In again,"
added Mary Rice. "He's as vindictive
as possible!"
"It matters not," said Annete. "He
Is a' rogue, and rogues sometimes out
general themselves."
. "But you can't starve," said Jenny.
"Look here, ma'amsello, come home
with me. It's a poor place, but we'll
make you welcome till till you can
write to your friends.
Annette turned and Impulsively
kissed Jenny on her Hps.
"I thank you," she said, "but I do
not need your kindness. My friends
are nearer than you thluk."
And Annette Duvelle went back to
the little red brick cottage, all thatch
ed with the growth of the woodbine,
where she lodged with the wife of the
man who tended the engines In the
Dapplevale works.
"Does he. cheat you, too, of your
money?" she asked, when Simon Pet
tengill came home,-smoke-stained and
grimy, to eat his supper.-
"One-sixth I have to .'pay him;'.' said
Simon, with an involuntary groan, as
he looked at the five little ones jaround
his board. ' Yes, miss, he's a villain;
but the world s full, of , such, f And I
find it a pretty hard world to -get on
with. Mr. Elderslie never comes here,
or maybe things would be a bit differ
ent. Mr. Elderslie lives abroad; In
Paris, they say."
"He is in this country now,", said
Annette. "I Intend to' write to him."
"'Twon'fdo no good, miss." '''
"Yes, it will," said Annette, quietly.
.,.
The petals of the June roses had
fallen, a pink carpet all along the edge
of the woods, and the Dapplevale
works wore their holiday guise, even
down" to Simon Pettingill's newly
brightened engine, for . Mr. Elderslie
and his bride were to visit the works
on their wedding tour. ,
"It's a pity Ma'amselle Annette went
away so soon," said Simon to his as
sistant; " 'cause they say the master's
kind-hearted in the main, and she
might have spoken up for herself."
Gerald Blake, In his best broadcloth
suit, anu mustache newly dyed, stood
pmillng In the broad doorway as the
carriage drove up to the entrance, and
Mr. Elderslie, a handsome, blonde
haired man, sprang out and assisted a
young lady, .n a dove-colored traveling
suit, to allgut.
"Blake, how are you?" he said, with
the carelessness of conscious superi
ority. "Annette, my love, this is Blake,
my foreman."
"Mademoiselle Annette!"
And Mr. uerald Blake found himself
cringing before the slight French girl
whom he had turned from the factory
door a month before.
"I must beg to look at the books,
Blake," said Elderslie, authoritatively.
"My wife tolls me some strange stories
about the way things are managed
mere. It became so notorious that the
rumors reached her even at Blythes
dale Springs, and she chose to come
and see for herself. Annette, my dar
ling, the best wedding gift we can
make to these poor working girls is a
new foreman. Blake, you may con
sider yourself dismissed."
'But, sir "
"Not another word," cried Mr. El
derslie, with a lowering brow, and
Gerald Blake crept away, with an un
comfortable consciousness of Annette's
scornful blue eyes following him. '
Elderslie turned to his wife.
"You were right, my love," said he.
"The man's face is sufficient evidence
against him."
And a new reign began for poor
Jenny Burton and the working girls,
as well as for Simon Pettenglll.
Annette never regretted her week's
apprenticeship at the Dapplevale Cal
ico Works. Waverley Magazine.
Proposed In Record Tim.
"Blinks has a perfect mania for con
denslng everything. Did you hear
how he proposed?"
"No."
"He held up an engagement ring be
fore the girl's eyes anO said 'Eh? "
' "And what did she say?"
"She just nodded." Tit-Bits.
If we were a railroad conductor we
would like to haul the pay car around
and meet happy peoplb all the time.
They are always happy for a few min
utes after they draw their pay.
Posts for Wire Fences.
There Is probably a greater mileage
of wire fence in Texas than any other
three States, and Texas people ought
therefore, to be the best judges of how
to make them permanent. About
"strain posts" a Texas stockman in
Farm and Ranch says:
Numerous plans have been given for
making secure corner posts for wire
fences. I have tried many plans, and
have found every plan to make a
corner post bear the strain of a long
fence to be a failure. The strain con
tinues without intermission, and final
ly the corner post gives way. With
short fences the difficulty is not so
great. I have built some hundreds
of miles of .wire fencing. My plan
now Is to use what I call a strain
post, Instead of putting the strain on
the corner post I put down a good
comer post; and at least twenty
feet from this put down another good
post, large and deep Into the ground.
COBR POVT STRAIN P031
POSTS FOB WIRE FENCES
At the ground, I run wires to the
top of the strain post, and ' stretch
these wires tight. This puts most of
the strain on the strain post, and all
the strain placed on the corner post
comes at Its bottom; Again, the
strain post is not put. into the ground
straight, but lenns to the corner. The
effect of this is that the strain tends
to force it deeper into the ground, in
stead of drawing it out. It will be
found easier to put In a good "corner
post and two strain posts than to put
in one corner post in the way often
directed. I show the plan in .sketch
sent herewith. It will be best first
to stretch the wires around the strain
post, making them secure to it, and
then to complete the fence by building
a short fence at the corner. Of course,
such care is not needed for short lines
of fencing.
Wagon for Fruit Barrels.
Professor Waugh, of Massachu
setts, says in a report: In handling
the fruit in. the orchard, between the
trees and tho storage-room, or later
between the storage and the shipping
station, some suitable wagon ought to
be provided. A stone boat Is some
times used and is not the worst thing
that could be found, especially for
short hauls and small loads. It Is
better, however, to have one of he
low-down wagons made especially for
handling fruit. In the Illustration one
is shown as it was actually iunde up
at home. Some sills were hung by
strap irons from the front and rear
axles of a common wagon frame, and
on these some boards were laid, nink
lng a floor for carrying the barrels.
Handling barrels of apples in and out
of the common high wagon Is hard
and expensive labor, and It la apt to
damage the fruit.
The Dairy Barn.
The dairy barn, as built in the near
future, may not have so much loft
room, but instead a number of struc
tures in the form of silos, but not air
tight or so solid. Into these several
months' or the entire winter's supply
of roughage maV be cut Inland
Farmer,
"Worming" the Peach Tress.
"Worming" the trees to destroy the
peach borer Is In the routine of the
peach grower, and the present is the
Beason for it, provided precautions
have not yet been tafcen earlier to
make It unnecessary. But with every
precaution examination is needed to
find out if the vigilance was to no Dur-
pose. Whether the one or the other,
now Is the season for it The external
evidence of the presence of the peach
borer is the gum exuded by the tree
ind the sawdust.
8
WAGON FOB HANDLING FRUIT.
Increasing the Corn Crop,
P. G. Holdon, Professor of Agricul
ture ntvtho Illinois Agricultural Col
lege at Chainplttln, Is a man whoso
name and memory should bo much re
spected, not only by farmers, but by
all who are consumers of American
grown corn. When a college student
lie was teaching school in Michigan.
He asked his students to each bring
him an ear of corn from the crib at
home. Thoy did so, and he showed
them the different grades, from very
good to very poor. Then ho asked
each one to plant three seeds from the
best ear In a box, and water It. Tho
result was an excellent crop of large,
well-filled ears. The parents beeamo
Interested, and soon began . to plant
only the best corn for seed, much to
the advantage of their crop. After ho
went . to Illinois, he began to talk tho
benefits of selected corn for seed to
the farmers, and soon not only were
most of them converted to his Ideas,
but the farmers of Iowa and Missouri
were looking for better seed. Later
on he became director of a farm near
Bloomlngton, wJiere they usually
planted twenty thousand acres of
corn, with an average yield up to
that time of forty to fifty bushels per
acre. The first year Jie Increased tho
yield by ten thousand bushels above
the best previous season. On some
acres he brought the products up to
seventy bushels per acre. This year
ho had a special train from which to
talk about corn to the farmers of
Iowa, and if we have this year the
largest crop of corn ever grown In
the United States, Professor Holdon
I i - it. 1IA . . . .
m enuiiKu u uiu cretin or imving aim
ed millions of those , bushels to the
crop by his advocacy of the doctrine
of uilng only the best seed.
Home-Modt Corn Cutter.
This Idea of a corn cutter comes
from Australia where the mnchine ,is
used In harvesting sugar cane , and
sorghum, as well as corn. The imple
ment has been tried by a number of
farmers in this country and pro
nounced a success. It is made' by
bolting the blade of a strong heavy
Bcythe to a sledge or sled, as shown
In the illustration. A rod of wrought
iron about one inch lnN diameter" Is
HOME-MADE CORN CUTTER.
bent to former follower, as shown.
One of these machines is expected to
cut about 2Va acres per day. After
cutting, the crop is less easily handled
than when cut by hand, but the total
saving in labor is considerable.
Wire Chicken-Catcher.
A chicken-catcher Is needed on
many farms which can be made from
No. 8 wire. Five feet of wire will
be long enough. Bend a loop at one
end for a handle, with a shepherd's
crook at the other end, bending the
crook small enough, of course, to hook
around the leg of a chicken while it is
eating. If the hook Is made the least
bit flaring, but closed up about a half
inch, it will hold the chicken securely
by the foot. This is the best way to
catch a chicken when wanted on short
notice. Many farmers train a dog to
catch chickens, but this causes a com
motion among the fowls and is one
way to make them wild. Uneasy,
frightened fowls are not thrifty, like
quiet, contented birds.
Pulverizing the Soil.
Considering the pulverizing of tho
clods that turn, up in the most heavy
land after plowing, prevention is the
best method. If the field is well
drained and not plowed when wet,
there may be no clods. It will, how
ever, take two or three seasons to thor
oughly fine the soil that has been in
jured by previous mismanagement.
Fall or winter plowing, turning the
land In ridges and leaving it as rough
as possible, so as to expose the moist
surface to the frost, will do the work,
but unless there are underdralns ' to
carry off the water the plowing may
do as much harm as good.
Large Requirements of Celery.
Celery grows best In a soil of high
humus content, fs a great user of wa
ter and a large consumer of plant food.
Quality suffers when there Is a lack of
ample food and drink, the crisp and
sweet qualities giving way to stringi
ness and bitterness.
Half the secret of keeping a pleas
ure garden in proper - condition con
sists in duly regarding he Httle things
that ought to be done , and doing all
I Work at the right time.