The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-02-24

HOLE II fnE rscKgY.
Charlie" said little Mrs, Danf0rth
as they sat beside their cory parioi
fire, one evening, Il want to dos little
shopping tomorrow. Can't you lei
me have some money!
Why yes, my dear, guess l can,
said Mr.. Danforth, slowly drawing
out his pocket-bOok. GLOW much dc
you want p
"HOw much can you spare 2" asked
Mrs. Danforth, smiling.
well, 1 think can do pretty well
for you tonight. Will twenty five
dollars answer"
Eyes," replied the lady, SO cheerful.
ly. Upon which Mr.. Danfortb settled
himself easily in his chair, and began
laying the bills from his purse across
his knee to count them. Presently he
sat up and counted the bills again,
and then he looked about him with a
perplexed air.
"Why, Sallie," he said, 81 thought ]
had more money than 1 have. Isurely
did have more when we closed the
store tonight"
"How much have you now ?" asked
Mrs. Darforth, with a slight change
in the cheerful accent of her voice.
"Why, I've only got twenty-five
dollars altogether"
"And hsw much did you think you
l bof % sGT tbnur-hf bo1 fbsrtv Co.'S
remember Of putting it in my pocket
book. Where can that extra five have
gone? ?"
perhaps you spent some on the
way home 2" observed Mrs. Danforth.
"No, that is not much; only a tribe.
| met Willis and Parker in Eighth
street, and we dropped into Brooks
and took dish of oysters"
"And cigar or two," suggested
Mrs. Danforth.
"Ob, of course; but that was no.
thing, you know"
"And a glass of wine to wash the
oysters down?" suggested Mrs. Dan.
| forth.
| swell, yes, a glass or two. But that
didn't cost five dollars, you know"
Now Mrs. Danforth did not know,
and she did have her suspicious; but
like wise little wife, she kept silent,
and let Mr.. Charles go on.
| "Where eau the money have got hid
away? I'm sure l had it, and I've
ransacked every pocket in vain"
perhaps there is!-perhaps there
is w-eagerly cried Charles, beginning
to turn his pockets wrong side out.
"Yes-Just as l expected. Here il a
hole, and that bill must have slipped
out of my pocket and got here. Look,
Sallie, / shall have to get you to sew
| it up" 4E. E.
Sallie obediently looked, and could
hardly restrain smile as she saw
| Charles, with such an innocent face,
hold out the pocket i'm which indeed
there was hole, but SO exceedingly
small a one, that by no manner OF
means, could five-cent scrip have
made its way through, much less a
large bill.
81 don't see how itcould get through
such small Eole," she could not help
saying.
But it must, you see, because there
was no other way" argued Charles,
logically. Il declare I'm sorry, SalIie,
for shall have to cut you off with
fifteen dollars this time. Pm obliged
to have a ten to pay a tax bill in the
morning. Can't you get along with
fifteen 2"
81 must, suppose" said Mrs. Dam
forth, with light sigh.
"Well, that's good girl. Here,
then; I'm sorry to give you SO little
and, if it hadn't been for that unfortu-
nate hole in my pocket, you should
have had more"
eyes, think it must have been the
hole in your pocket" said Mrs. Dan.
forth, as she arose to put her money
away. The peculiar emphasis in her
voice caused her husband to look Gu.
riously up 10 her hut the calm, sweet
face, told him nothing, SO he speedily
forgot the tone she had Just used.
As Mrs. Danforth, tastefully dressed
for the street, passed through the hall
next morning, she picked up tiny
bit of white paper, which looked as
though it might have fallen from her
husbands pocket the night before. II
appeared 10 be little memorandum,
or something of that sort, and smooth
ing out its crumbIed folds, Mrs. Dam
forth read it:
G. II. Danforth,
To Brooks & Go, DR..
For oysters, self and friends, 81 90
E" cigars, on
wine, zoo
Total, S. GO
Received payment.
Brooks Il Co.
Little Mrs. Danforth's pretty face
wore variety of curious expressions
as she put the little paper into her
purse.
"Ah" said she to herself, 81 think
l have discovered the hole in Charles
pocket"
She drew another little sigh, and
then quietly went down about her
shopping, intent on making fifteen
dollars go as far as possible.
Mrs. DanfOrth said not word OF
hel discovery but she was sharp
little tOdy, and meant to follow ii up.
Charley was a careless fellow, and left
his notes and memorandum lying
around loose, and whenever she found
| any of them, instead of tossing them
into the fire, she carefully saved thcm,
and laid them away for future refer
ence. In the space of three or four
months she became almost alarmed to
see what pile of these little papers
she had accumulated. The hole was
a great deal larger than she had i'm
agined. But she said not word on
the subject.
One night. only a few days before
Christmas, Charley returned from the
store with a perplexed face. After
supper was over, and the children
gone to bed, instead of sitting down
to read or chat to Sallie as was his
wont, he took his pencil and expense
book, and began to make calculations.
Mrs. Danforth sat at her work, quiz
city obscrvant, but saying nothing.
After long while, Charley laid aside
his paper and pencil, drew long sigh
of relief, and broke the silence:
"Sallie, | declare, l believe we must
invent some way to be more ecOnOm-
ical."
81 try to do as well as | can, Char
ley"