; . j ........ .,
FRANKLIN
PRESS.
JTOJCL
VOLUME XX.
FRANKLIN. N. C.. WEDNESDAY, JUNK 21, 1005;
KEEN
WITS
WIN.
. BY
ROBERT H. BABCOCK.
; When Henderson beard of it, a thrill
wept through him from head to foot,
(or be felt instinctively that the out
come of the absurd little contest that
he saw Impending would decide wheth.
er he or Dickson would marry Natalie
Piatt I say Henderson folt this in
stlnctively, because there really was
no reason whatever why the prettiest
girl that ever neglected her household
duties for the sake of studying art
should bestow her hand upon one of
two rivals merely because he had suc
ceeded in a painting of hers that had
been put up at auction. And yet Hen'
derson was sure that this was the
crisis. .
When Amy Burton had told him
what was to happen, he was in the act
of demanding of a girl in gipsy dress
what had been the result of a certain
' raffle in which, at her behest, he bad
become possessed of a "chance" earlier
In the day. The fair, for the benefit
of the village church, wMch, since two
In the afternoon, had been in progress
on the church green, was row drawing
to a close. To Its complete success,
the condition of the picturesque stalls,
which were on every side, bore witness
for the stock of each of them now con
sisted chiefly of "remnants," while It
was noticeable that i radically every
member of the crowd which still gaily
thronged about the stalls, carried one
cr more parcels.
Several hours before, it had been
wL.speTed about that toward the end
of the day such knick-knacks from the
stalls as had failed to find purchasers
Would be disposed of at auction, with
the Mayor of the village in the role of
auctioneer, and Henderson had heard it
like everyone else, but with no special
Interest. And then Miss Uurton bad
whispered In his ear that one of the
early items In the -sale would be $
water-color painting by Natalie Plattj,
and a thrill had gone through him as
he realized what tho announcement
meant j
For there was no doubt In Hender
son's mind that from the moment the
auctioneer called for bids upon Miss
Piatt's painting, it would be a question
only whether he or Dickson got it
Their rivalry for tho attractive girl
who at this moment was presiding over
a stall at the other end of the green
had lasted for several months, but
uemi yot had fu.'" T"""T men
come Into whai
collision. Now
every second pei
of the three
obvious to Hci
was about
"Your luckier than I am," hli com
rade went on. ' "I've been regularly
cleaned out by these eternal raffles and
what-do-you-call-em's. Those Clemens
gifts would have your last dollar for
their blessed poor children'! soup kit
chen. I expect you'll have to give me
a Hft home!"
But Henderson only half-heard Wil
lis, for he was taking stock of the
situation. With a start he noticed that
tue auction had begun, but It was only
a flowered sofa pillow which the Mayor
was .describing to 'the audience as
combining comfort with elegance,'
and the young man's attention wan
dered away He was looking for Nata
lie Piatt, and presently caught sight of
her fair head and graceful figure. She
was standing behind her graceful stall,
now deserted, like the others, and
trifling with the ribbon of a basket
of candy; apparently unconscious of
the auction; but Henderson was not de
ceived. Miss Piatt knew what was
coming. But where were her sympa
thies!
"There's Dickson!" whispered Wil
lis, and Henderson looked in the direc
tion In which he pointed. His rival
was standing at quite the opposite side
of tho crowd. Owing to tho position of
Miss Piatt's booth, Henderson doubted
If Dickson could see the girl without
leaving his position, and this he was
Inclined to consider an advantage.
Just at that moment, however, Hen
derson stopped thinking about the ar
rangement of things, for suddenly he
felt Willis' hand on his arm, and
turned just in time to hear the jocular
Mayor begin: "And now It gives me
peculiar satisfaction, ladles and gentle
men " after which Henderson heard
Natalie Piatt's name, but lost the rest
In taking In the painting which the
Mayor was holding aloft. And he saw
what it was, Henderson knew thai
there would be no truce in the contes
for Its possession. For the palntln;
represented its author herself.
Responding to some HttTe Impulse ol
valnty, Miss Piatt bad chosen to por
tray herself In a character of whose
attractiveness she had been assured
times enough that of skipper of the
little dingy of which, when summering
at her family's place in Maine, she was
wont to bo captain, mate and all hands.
Of course, the girl artist had not given
jhq nlrtvnj's subject her own face
puxxled horror. And this look was re
flected on Willis', fact as Henderson
withdrew his hand from his pocket
and, without speaking, held out on
tali palm a single ten dollar bill.
But In an Instant Willis realized
that they were not "done" yet, for
Henderson's face had grown calm
again, and his jaw was set in a way
that his chum knew of old,
"fou think you can get the money T"
he whispered. "Not from me! I told
you that I was cleaned out, you know.
Whp do you expect to get It from?"
: "I am going to try," said Hendersou,
"to get It from Natalie Piatt"
"You are!" was all Willis could gasp.
Now to describe this little develop
ment of affairs has taken some words,
but it happened very quickly, and the
auctioneer, encouraged by appreciative
smiles from ' his hearers, still was
urging them to extravagant deeds. ,
. "You will bid for me," he whispered
to Willis, "when it begins again. It
may prove wise to withdraw gracefully.
' With a start of surprise, and an in
voluntary blush, Natalie Piatt found
Henderson standing in front of her
and she could only look at him with
a puzzled expression. Henderson be
lieved -that he had not been observed
as he crossed the room but he did not
waste words.
"If. I am to get that picture," he
said, simply, "It will be necessary for
you to lend me some 'money. Can
you do It?"
The girl, was as quick to grasp the
situation as Willis had been, but she,
hesitated. She had made up her ac
counts half an hour before, and it
would have been easy to Bay that her
takings had been handed In a lib that
struck her as excusable. But a look
Into Henderson's eyes decided her.
"How much do you need?" she
asked, softly.
"I think fifty dollars will be
enough," he said.
Miss Piatt took from her pocket a
small key, which she Inserted into the
lock of a black enamelled money-box
which stood on a shelf just beneath
the counter of her stall, opened the
box and took from within It five ten
dollar notes, which she silently hand
ed to Henderson. The young man
gave her ono look which said every
thing, and then turning, started back
with long stridos for the corner where'
he had left Willis.
Even, as he had stood with Miss
Piatt, the sound of renewed bidding
had reached his ears a contest that
had begun with an offer of forty-five
dollars from Dickson upon whom the
auctioneer's gibes evidently had not
been lost
Forty-six dollars!" came from the
obedient Willis.
"Forty-seven," snapped" Dickson.
But Henderson's rival had been
fact that he no longer
vijing man, and
to
uiblie defeat
secured Miss PlatTS-palnt-
It was -simply because
'bad not been on sale at her
rhere was a booth at wmcn
pictures, autographed books and photo
graphs were displayed, and there the
water-color must have, been from the
first Natalie Piatt, however, had elect
ed to make the sweet-stall tho scene of
her activities, which Indicates why the
contents of the various other booths
failed to be examined with any great
attention by Messrs. Henderson and
Dlcksoh.
Henderson knew well that the girl
"" whose labors with the brush had been
at first the amusement but finally the
pride of her well-to-do people was the
last in the world to have wished that
her painting should be the cause of a
public contest between the two men
whom she had good reason to know
were In love with her. Probably Miss
Piatt haa' no idea even that her work
was among the unsold articles.
And then there came to Henderson
tne feeling that he had had so many
times during the last few weeks, that
the bitterness of losing to his rival
did he lose would be lessened had he
-. felt surer that Dickson was worthy of
Natalie Piatt's love. On meeting
Dickson, Henderson had felt a certain
distrust that he knew did not Bprlng
from jealousy, and later a story had
reached him which he preferred not
to believe, but could not help remem
bering. That Dickson was a danger
ous rival there was no doubt Hen
derson, looking across the crowd,
- could see him chatting with Mrs. Arn
' old at the flower stall, and admitted
that he was a handsome fellow, and
one to attract even so proud a girl as
- Natalie Piatt. As to himself, Hender
s son always had known that the girl
who loved him would do so mainly for
the manhood and some brains which
be believed he possessed. What
, chance had be? - Henderson's only an
swer to this was a flash of the eyes
and the resolute drawing up of an un
der Jaw, In the set of which thof who
knew hint always had been able to
read-4he last ditch!
And then the young mn glanced up
"""and saw that It was beginning. The
platform, which, until a few minutes
before had been occupied by the village
band, now had been cleared and upon
It, behind a table piled high with odds
and ends of all kinds, stood the popu
lar Mayor himself, while, at the sight
of htm, the crowd was deserting the
stalls and gathering about the new
center of Interest;
It was at this moment that Norton
Willis, Henderson's chum, ran his
arm through' that of his friend with a
"Hey, messmate, this way to the auc
tion sale!" and then continued: "By
the way, Henderson, old man, did you
know that a painting of Miss Piatt's
is going up pretty soon?"
Henderson nodded.
"You're not going to let Dickson
. get It are you?" Willis went on.
"Not If I can help It"
"flood boy!" approved his chum;
- "but, by George, he'll give you a fight
for It Beatrice Mills told him what
was up, and all our crowd Is waiting
to see the fun,"
While talking, Henderson and Willis
bad taken np their stand In the crowd
within a few yards of , the auc
tioneer's platform. Suddenly the latter
demanded:
"How about the money?"
"Plenty, I think," said . Henderson,
tranquilly.
the
ward I ri theiec
hand anu" Vler with the otner,
dark blueTlflrt drawn tightly anon
her limbs, while tendrils of her luxu
ant hair blew out gloriously irom
neath her crimson tam-o'-Bhanter.
was enough! Henderson wanted t
picture as he had wanted few tnin
before, and he doubted not that Di
son felt similarly.
The auctioneer still was praising t
painting to his audience, so Hendersc
had time for another glance rounu 11
room. And he thrilled again as he sa
that the girl of his heart abandoning
her little pose of unconsciousness-
was now leaning upon the counter of
her stall and watching the proceedings
with an Interest which she made no
attempt to disguise. He felt his eyes
feast upon her for one Instant more,
after which they sougni uicKson.
Through the dense crowd Henderson
could JuBt see his rival, standing be
side one of his men friends, with excite
ment written upon his handsome face,
and his eyes riveted upon the picture in
the auctioneer's hand.
And then suddenly,the Mayors de
mand for bids was replied to by a vig
orous call of "One dollar!" from the
center of Ire crowd, "Two dollars!"
from Dicksoi, and the battle was on.
Five dollars!" Henderson's voice
rang out and almost immediately the
bidder in the crowd s center responded.
Ten dollars!"
"Fifteen!" came from Dickson.
"Twenty!" This offer was made
a smiling woman who stood near.
Dlatform
Make it twenty-nve,- wnn
Willis to Henderson, and Hen
called out, "Twenty-five!
"Thirty!" came from Dickson1
"Forty!" flung back bis rivals
Perhaps the two young men s
had betrayed their eagerness.
events it was now patent to Hen
that even such of the spectators a?
not know him and Dickson had real!
what was going on, and that be ail
his rival were being regarded wl
looks of amusement, mingled with cu
osity, as to which would prove
winner.. All this the young man
in at a lightning glance while he wai
for Dickson's next bid, but then ttf
were Interrupted,
Evidently the Mayor had decided tha
he personally was playing a less promt.
nent part than was desirable In this
particular episode of the sale, for ha
now interpolated a speech which ap
parently was designed to lend a fur
ther touch of humor to the proceedings.
"Ladles and gentlemen," he began,
In dulcet tones, "a word, a word, I beg!
I esteem highly the modest offers that
bavs thus tar been made, but evidently
the attraction! of this work of art
which I am offering have not appealed
to you with that force which might
have been expected. A gem of purest
ray serene, this picture, my friends;
for which the lowest possible further
bid should be, In my opinion, not less
than twenty dollars In advance pf what
has been offered. In this way
"By George!" gasped Henderson's
henchman, turning upon that young
man, though the Mayor had not fin
ished his harangue, "can you stand this
pace?" . . ,- .." "
"Oh, t think so," replied Henderson
easily, as he slipped his hand Into his
pocket But then Willis, watching his
friend, felt a cold hand get him by the
throat, for suddenly there bad ap
peared on Henderson's face a look of
Heft
alf
a
WOMEN IN MOST TRADES
BARRED ONLY FROM SOLDIERING
AND POLE CLIMBING,
There Are Female Hostlers, Boiler
Makers, Engineers, Teamsters, Min
isters, Butchers, Undertakers and
Architects Engaged In 301 Gainful
Occupations.
Of the 303 principal gainful occupa
tions in which the en of this country
are engaged, it is astonishing to learn
that1 there are only two in which no
women are found The reason for
these two exceptions, moreover, lies
through no fault of the fair sex. In
the one Case she Is prevented by Un
cle Sam In the other the prohibition Is
undoubtedly due to the tact that she
apparently Is physically disqualified
from climbing pole. Thus It comes
about that there are no female sol
diers nor are there any telegraph or
elephone llnewomcn in the united
States. : ;.
In all other branches of labor, sup
posedly masculine, the women of the
United States have a free field, and
the statistics gathered by the census
bureau show they are not backward in
taking advantage of It. There are, for
Instance, female hostlers, some of
whom may be employed by tho 190
women-keepers of livery slables.
There are 193 fomalo blacksmiths.
Moreover, thai such arduous work has
not frightened women away Is evident
from the fact that ten years ago there
were only CO.
In the comic jouriiuib the boiler fac
tory lias long been synonymous with
the superlative of noise, yet the census
bureau gravely records the fact that
thero are eight women steam-boiler
makers at work in this country.
"If she cannot climb a pole, shehasat
least summoned up sufficient courage
to climb upon the roof of a house, for
among tho pernors engaged In the
business of roofing and slating two
women are recorded. Ten years ago
there were three, and in lieu of more
specific Information one can only con
jecture what may have happened to
the ono who dropped out.
The next tlmo your water pipes
burst how would you like to have a
woman plumber come and fix them,
Just for a change? You might have
to hunt around a bit to find her, for
thero are only 120 of her In the United
States, as against nearly 98,000 of her
male competitors; but that she has
evidently found the field a profitable
one Is amenable, because in 1890 the
womenl ms numbeanly 46.
Ten I n' lpctrl-
clan
now II
nlcnl
for
percent In 10 years. Where, In 1890.
tb numbered only 1143, there are
now 8378. Their brother clergymen,
oy tha way, number 108.205.
The female "drummer" is not much
In evidence. There are only (46 of
her about one-hundredth of the total
number of commercial travelers, but
of that numerous class .known under
this generlo term of "agents" 10,566
are women. Of the more than 630,000
clerks and copyists, only 85,246 are
women, but In the fields of bookkeep
ing, the 74,153 women employed rep
resent nearly half the number of men
similarly engaged. The un nf antniL.
women la, three times larger than It
was 10 years ago. and now musters
150,000, but the men still hold their
own with 403.000. The real feminine
deluge has come In stenography and
typewriting, In which 80,118 women
find employment as against only 26,
240 men. Even the messenger boy's
field hag been sadly cut into, for the
6663 Ctrl Mercuries renresents a
trifle more than one-tenth of the lads
thus employed.
Aa occupation that women ara And.
ing especially adapted to their abil-
mes ana tastes Is that of pottery.
The number of womnn nmnlnvpri In it
has been steadily growing until It has
reached almost 3000. Women- do not
even shrink from shooting oil wells if
there Is money In It. for 53 are so
engaged.
Have We froimtron Itcma In tha
newspapers chronicling the fact that
some woman-out west has been elect
ed town marshal or even sheriff? Re
membering these, let us not be aston
ished, therefore, when Uncle Sam
tells us that there are no less than
719 women on duty as night watch
women, firemen and nolinompn New
York World.
- 'I HE. PULPIT.
I am
1 1
A MAN WITH A MEMORY.
The Way He Saved an
Friend From the Gallows.
A man 'was charted at Svdnev with
murder and by way of defense called
evidence to prove an alibi. At the
time the crime was committed he was,
he said, In his own home listening to
a friend who was reciting a novel to
him. The expression, caught the ear
of tho prosecuting counsel, and when
a witness went into the box to say that
he was the man hv whom th nriron.
er was being entertained he tackled
him on this word. The witness repeat
ed that he was "reciting" Horace Wal
pole's "Old English Baron." not read-
Ing it, but reciting from memory, and
ii uaa lanen mm two and a half hours
to get- through the whole hnok Wall
If he could remember it while In a
,ut in the bush he ought to be able
ember it now In court, and
-mantled a demonstration.
page or two." he said,
fiat his renkkj; w
A SCHOLAHtr SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. JOHN C. AGAR,
Suljfcll The Flnl Vamptatloa.
I)roikl.rii, N, Y.-Stmdiiy morning. In
tho Church of the New Jerusalem
iSwedenhorglniil. ''.io pastor, tho Rev.
John C. Ager, preached on "The First
Temptation." The text was from Jint
thrw lv:l-l: "Then was Jesus led up
Into (lie desert by lie spirit, to be
tempted by the evll.- And having
fasted forty lii) n ml forty nights, he
after Unit wiu hungry. And the
tempter nunc to Him ami said. If thou
net the Son or (iml speak, In order Unit
these stones niny become loaves. But
Hp answering S'lld. It hits been writ
ten. Not by bread alone shall a man
live, but by every wore that gootb
forth from Hie mouth of God." Mr.
Ager mid: "
The gespel o. Multhenr describes
peclllnilly thrrv temptations of Iho
Lord In the wilderness j;titiiedla' . ly
after Ills baptism The form of
llio narrative snggests at once that
these stories arc not history, but are
parables, which picture Hie three gen
eral ways In which fallen Immunity
Is approached mid enticed . Infernal
iultiicm-fs. And when' no' understood
they become In the fullest sense a
revelation of illvlue t-nth lo men. And
so limlersto-iu they suggest at once
that there Is some sort of threefold
ness in our spiritual experiences. And
when wo exnmluo our spiritual ex
periences carefully we lire nble to dis
tinguish in our Inner life three distinct
phi lies of thought and feeling.
The first or lower of these three
planes of life we are all familiar with.
It includes all thoughts and reelings,
all motives anil Impulses and appetites
that have reference exclusively to our
lire' In this world. This we call the
natural num. -
Distinctly above this lies what we
cult ordinarily the religious life. Its
thoughts and feelings and motives
tin vp primary reference to those Inter
ests Unit outlive our life In this world.
Its largest nud dominant factors are
fnllb, conviction amr Truly. Faith
and conviction are beliefs, though be
liefs have been touched and quickened
by religions eniotlnu. Duly Is tho eon'
duet Unit heller or ruitb or conviction
Imposes; that is, the dominion of truth
over the lower impulses nnd appetites.
Consequently tills realm or the life Is
predominantly liilellectuiil. Its dom
inant Impulse Is love or truth nnd loy
alty to truth. It lies distinctly above
the natural man nud Is culled the snir-
it tin I inn n .
These two realms of thought, feeling
ml action we can ensllv distlnculsh.
They make tip the twofold life of every
mil n wno is Honestly trying to live n
true life In the world. Rut they evi
dently do not Include the highest spir
itual possiiiiiitics or nmnnii life. There
li iinolhti, rciilni or lire clearly set be
fore us m the divine word, although
few Christians know practically much
about Salt Is, in fact, the essence of
v.
mild mwuu"
indulged In by tho world about nsHlint
ine sins we no longer tolerate, so our
rlarllled conscience now demands that
our life shall be purged of these con
ventional mid reputable evils. And In
llils tiisk we are not helped by the ap
proval of public opinion. Hut there is
niiiitlipr selfish satisfaction that does
help ns. . It Is tho sweet satisfaction
of feeling that we are good nnd Hre
deserving r nil the happiness the.Ixird
tins In store for nil who are good, This
feeling takes ninny forms In the mind,
lint In genera! It Is the feeling that we
are ns virtuous as most of those we
know nud fur more virtuous and kind
ly nnd self-deuying thnn very many
whom we know. This is the sweetest
satisfaction our merely natural lite Is
capable of, and lu tunny wonderful
Ways It holds us up to the work of re
pressing external e'lls nud discarding
nil lower satisfactions. .
So. when tho hunger for a better life
has been thus fur quickened In ns, this
Is the wny In which we nrn always
tempted to satisfy It. It is described
here ns n temptation to make, the
stones of tho desert Into bread. The
stones of the desert are the aspect that
splrltunl truth takes on when it is np
prebended by the natural mind or the
self-life. This Is the aspect that splrlt
unl truth takes on in the letter of the
word, which Is truth adapted to tha
lowest spiritual needs of men. There"
rewnrd and punishment are presented
ns the motives for refraining from evil
aim doing right. It Is nn appeal to
wnnt is culled enlightened selfishness.
This aspect of t lib truth Is nccessnry
to stnrt ns on the wny toward Iho
heavenly lite. Hut to convert these
stones Into bread Is to bo permanently
satisfied with these purely sclllsh ns
peels of (ruth and wllh this sclllsh
stnge or right living, this doing right
nnd refraining from wrong doing for
tlie sake nf the approval of others, and
ror the snke. of the Kelf-siitlsriictlon it
affords. To stop at this point, to be
content with this altnlnnieut, which Is
it temptation thnt cunfronls us nil
ngniu nnd again. Is to appropriate to
ourselves the letter Unit killetb nnd to
shut our eves to the snirlt that innUetli
alive. For It is making the letter of
the food Into bread In this wny thnt
makes It destructive of spiritual life.
The I.ortTs answer to the tempter
ii-iti-iics us now we must meet nils
temptation. This answer Is inotcd
from His words of win ning to the chil
dren of Israel when they hnd Just
pnssed through their forty years of
trial In the wilderness. To them lie
snld, "Thou shnlt remember all the
ways which the Lord thy Goil ha 111 led
thee these forty yunrs In the desert.
And He suffered thee to hun
ger and fed thee with innnmi, which
thou knpwest not; neither did thy fath
ers know that He illicit make thee
know that man doth not live by brend
only, but by every word that proceed
eth out of the mouth of the Lord doth
uinn live."
These words, now quoted In part by
the Lord ns His reply to the tempter,
contain the truth by which tills tempta
tion must always be met. The temp.
tntlou Is to permit ourselves to rest in
tiia sense of our own goodness and to
g our jrood works of
MERELY TALK.
He nays If he should take w
He'd have an undemanding :
Thnt In Iho partnership of llf ,
He'd lie the one commanding: i
That, while he'd not be nu-an and crass.
He'd have It undoretood ha
Was nbaoluttly, eolely boee. , .
lie sayi be owuld but would bet
lie says if madam should Indulge
In too expensive fancies,
Bhe'd quickly find he bad the bulge
On her extravagances.
If uly. he'd take her to task; .
But If she would be good he
Would IUy her n that she could uk.
lie HAjra be would but would beV .
lie tnlke a good deal In that strain,
And seems to (ret quite nettled
If doubts aro urt;.d. He will explain
lie's gut the whole thing settled. -If
he om-e tried It wllh a bit
Of tender womanhood he
Might make her to his whims submit.
lie saya he would but would be?
Chicago News.
JUST FOR FUN
es? ,
Stella Jack sal'd I was the eternal -
feminine. Ik-lla How mean of htm to
refer to your age. Brooklyn Life.
She I'm thinking of changing my
name. What would you suggest? He
Mine. She All rlgh t. Cleveland
Plalu-Dcaler.
Gracye Maude asked Georgo to kiss
her. Gladys Well, I like her cheek!
Gracye So did Georgo. Loulsvlllo
Courier-Journal. -
He Why have you nicknamed your
dog "Circumstances?" She Because
I have absolutely no control over him.
Detroit Kroe Press.
Miss Pert Which half is it that :
doesn't know how the other half lives?
Miss Caustitiuc The better half.
Philadelphia Record.
an't think how nerv
ous I was wlu?triCBhk Mister
You can't think how nervous she wtas
until you did. Town and Country.
Jack Why do you girls spend so
much time and money on dress? Nell
I rnnrllfllv Tn interest tha mnn and
worry other girls. Philadelphia Press.
Mp What was the greatest luck
you ever bad hunting? Tuck Once
when a fellow shot at me in mistake
for a deer aud missed mo. Philadel
phia ttecord.
"Well, this Is a put-up Job, all
right," said the man, as he struggled
under his wife's direction, to hang the
pictures on tho parlor wall. Somer-
villo Journal.
Dashaway I'm afraid I'll never get
my ring back from that Piper girl.
Cleverton Why, I thought she was a
Dashaway She Is clingstone
se.
tn
3