Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-05-26
OUT OF THE WRONG POCKET.

OUT OF THE WRONG POCKET.
Mr.. Taggart frowned as he oh
served the pile of bills by his plate
placed there by his prudent, econom
zeal wife, notwithout an anxious fiut
ter at the heart, in anticipation.of tn
scene that invariably followed. III.
actually groaned as he read the sun
total.
'There must be some mistake Ma
ry,n he said pushing back his plate
with desperate air cit is absolute
~ impossible for US to have used al
these things il one month ~
1.-The bills aye correct, john" wa:
the meek response; ~ looked then
over myself
Then one thing il certain, provi
sions are either wasted-thrown on
of the window, as it were-or stolen
Jane has relatives in the place, and ]
haven't the least doubt but that she
supports them entirely out of what
she steals ~
Mrs. Taggard's temper was evil
IDENTIFY rising there were two round
crimson spots upon her cheeks, and
she tapped her foot nervousIy upon
the floor.
II am neither wasteful, nor ex-
travagant, John. And as for Jane.
know her TO be perfectly honest and
trustworthy
1T is evident that there is a leak
somewhere, Mary and it is your. du-
ty, as a wife, to find out where TITS.
and stop it. Our bills are perfectly
enormous and if this sort Of a thing
goes on much longer, / shall be a
bankruptcy
Mrs. Taggard remained silent try
ing to choke down the indignant
feelings that struggled for utter
ance.
You will have to order some
coal, she said at last; 1--WE have
hardly sufficient for the day"
Is there anything more, Mrs.
Taggard ~ inquired her husband
ironically.
YES !; neither myself, nor the chill
dren are decently or comfortably
clothed all need an entire new out
fit
$50 on, madam. AS / am n man
Of unlimited means, if you have any
other wants, / hope you won't be at
all backward about mentioning
emu
Il don't intend to be, twas the qui-
ct, but spirited reply. n wouldn't
10 for another what | do for you, for
double my board and clothing. Both
the parlor and sittlng-room need re-
furnishing; everything looks so fad
ed and shabby, that am ashamed
to have any one call. And the stairs
gate repaired, and the fence paint
ed.v
THAT can't be all, Mrs. Taggard.
Are you sure that there isn't some
thing else -
4 don't think of anything Just
now, Mr.. Tagsard though if there
should be few dollars over and
above what these will cost, they
won't come amiss. / should like to
have little change in my pocket, if
only for the novelty of the thing.
You needn't fear its being wasted.''
Mr.. Taggard was evidently not a
little astonished at this sudden out
break III his usually quiet and pa
tient wife, but who, like most wo-
men Of that stamp, had considerable !
spirit when it was aroused.
Now that you are through, Mrs. |
raggard perhaps you will let me say
4 word. Here i 81 the money I can |
spare you this month :; 50 you can /
make the most OF it.
Laying a roll of bills on the table /
Mr.. Taggard walked to the door re- |
just before he closed it, /
that he should leave town ON the /
next train, To be absent about a /
week.
The reverr into which Mrs. Tag |
gard fell, IS she listened TO he sound |
Of his retreating steps, was far from /
being pleasant one. Aside from 1
her natural veNation, she felt griev-
Ell ana saddened by the change that /
had come over her once kind, indul- /
gent husband. His mind seemed TO 4
be entirely filled with the 1
greed of gain, the desire To amass /
for the sake of the good /
that il might enable him To enjoy or
confer, but for the mere pleasure of /
boarding ii. And this misarly feel /
ng grew upon him daily, until he
seemed TO grudge his family the /
common comforts of life And yet
Mrs. Taggard knew that he was not
,nly in receipt of comfortable in
.onle from his business, but had laid /
y surplus, yearly, ever since their
marriage.
She taxed her ingenuity 10 save in
very possible way, but when the
bills were presented the
anne scene was enacted, only It
rev worse and worse
And this penuriousness extended
o himself. He grudged himself, as
veil as his wife and children, cloth
ng suitable ts his means and station,
nd went about looking SO rusty and
habby that Mrs. Taggard often felt
shamed of him, inwardly wonder
ng if he could be the same men VIC
\ I
With a heavy sigh Mrs. Taggard
ook up the roll of bills upon the Ia
lie, hoping to find enough TO pay
,hat was already due-she ana not
)ok for more.