The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-12-03
The Wife's Allowance.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES
There were people enough to envy Mil
licent Houghton when she was married to
Radcliffe Gates. She was only district
school teacher, at so much a month,
without home or parents. He was a
wealthy banker, who seemed to have
nothing on earth to do but to indulge
his whims and caprices to their utter
nounced its dietion that Milly Houghton
"hed done uncommonly well for her
self"
But Milly did not look happy under
that golden July morning with the sun
shine streaming through the oriel win
dow of the the great breakfast room at
Gates place, and scattering little drops
of gold and crimson, and glowing purple
on the messy ground of the stone colored
carpet.
She was dressed in a loose white cam
brio wrapper, looped and buttoned with
blue, and single pearl arrow upheld the
shining masses of her lovely aburn hair.
Her eyes were deep, liquid, hazel; her
complexion as soft and radiant as the
dimpled side of an early peach and the
little kid-slippered foot that patted the
ottoman beneath was as perfect and ta-
pering as sculptor could have wished
it.
Mr. Gates from his side of the damask-
draped table, eyed her with the compla-
cent gaze of proprietorship. She was
his wife. He liked her to look well just
as he wanted his horses properly groom
ed and his conservatories kept in order !;
and he troubled himself very little about
the shadow on her brow.
"1 am in earnest, Radcliffe, she said
with emphasis.
$50 L supposed, Mrs. Gates" said the
husband, leisurely folding his paper-a
sign that the news within was thoroughly
exhausted-"so l supposed. But it isn't
at all worth while to allow yourself to
get excited. When L say thing, Mrs.
Gates, generally mean it. And repeat
if you need money for any sensible or
necessary purpose, l shall be most willing
and happy to accommodate you"
Millicent bit her full red lower lip, and
drummed impatiently on the table with
her ten restless fingers.
"And l am to come meekly imploring
you for every five cent piece l happen to
want?"
YES" Mrs. Gates-"if you prefer to
put the matter in that light"
Radcliffe she coaxed suddenly chang
ing her tone, "do give me an allowance
L
to the humiliation of pleading for little
money half dozen times day. You
are rich"
Exactly, my DEAR" nodded the Bene-
dict; and that's the way l made my for
tune, by looking personally after every
penny, and 1 mean to keep it up.
"But think how l was mortified yester-
day, when Mrs. Armour came to ask me
if 1 could subscribe fifty-cents towards
buying hand carriage for our washer
woman's lame child-only fifty cents
and had to say, L must as my husband
to give me money when he returns from
the city 2-for 1 had not even fifty cents
of my own"
Gail very right-all very proper" said
Mr.. Gates. playing with a huge rope of
gold that hung across his chest in the
guise of a watch chain.
''Other ladies are not kept penniless p
"That rests entirely between them and
their husbands, Mrs. Gates
81 will not endure it," cried Milly,
starting to her feet with cheeks dyed
scarlet and Indignantly flashing eyes.
Mr. Gates leaned back in his chair
with provoked complacency.
II will have money! said Milly, def
antly.
How are you going to get It, my dear2"
returned her spouse, with an aggravating
smile playing around the corners of his
mouth. "You have nothing of your own
absolutely nothing. The money is all
mine, and l mean to keep itr'
Milly sat down again, twisting her
pocket handkerchief around and around.
She was not prepared with an immediate
answer.
"And now, Mrs. Gates" said the bank
er, after moment or two of overwhelm-
ing silence, "if you'll be good enough to
stitch the button on my glove, I'll go
down town. 1 have already wasted too
much time"
So the verbal passage-at-arms ended,
and Milly felt that, so far, she was
worsted.
She watched Mr.. Gates drive off in an
elegant open barouche, drawn by two
long-tailed chestnut horses, all a glitter
with plated harness, and turned away,
almost wishing that she was Millicent
Houghton once again, behind her desk in
the little red school house.
She looked around at the inlaid furni-
ture, Aubussen carpets and satin window
draperies, and thought, with passionate
pang how little all this availed her.
at is so provoking of Radcliffe /" she
murmured. ~ have half a mind to go
out to service, or dressmaking, or some
own, and 1 willI'
Just then a servant knocked at the
door with basket and a note.
"An old lady in a Shaker bonnet and a
one-horse wagon left it," said the girl
with scarcely disguised litter. She
wouldn't come in, although l invited
her."
Mrs. Gates opened the note 1t ran in
a stiff. old fashioned caligraphy, as if the
pen were an unwonted implement in the
writer's hand:
DEAR MILLY The strawberries in the
south medder are just ripe, where you
used to pick EN- when you were little
gal so Penelope picked a lot, and we
made bold to send them to you, for the
sake of old times, as Aunt Araminta is
goin' to the city tomorrow, We hope
you will like them
Affectionately your friend,
MARY ANN PEABODY"
The tears sparkled in the brides eyes.
For an instant it seemed to her as if she
were merry child again, picking straw
berries in the golden rain of July sun
shine, with the scent of wild roses on the
| air, and the gurgle of the little trout