Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-08
PAYING THE DRAGON.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

| "doW many cigars do you smoke
every day, Charlie ?' said Mrs. Hal
front, bride of two months stand
ing, as her husband lit q fragrant
Havana by precariously putting at il
over the top of the drop lamp on the
centre-table.
On, | don't know-not more than
three or four, said Csiarlie rt-Come
now, Lydia, you are not going to
grow cross and tell me Ishan'. smoke
III the parlors, are you?"
mo, my dear" said Lydia. 81
don't dislike the smell of smoke, and
it never makes me ill; and really
think that if this is not the case, a
wife has no right to tell her husband
that he shall not smoke in any room
OF his own house. l merely asked
out of curiosity"
| Well, it's not regularly settled
| thlng-sometimes more, sometimes
less" said Charlie. "When Pm tired
or put out, Pm apt to quiet myself
with an extra one. When Pm busy
less will do"
"And they cost-how much apie ce?"
''Well, this was twenty-five cents"
said Charlie; "but fifteen cents will
buy very good cigar. Well say
fifteen. How many pounds of candy
DO you eat week, sis, and how much
is it pound? Are you growing
economical ?"
"l'm afraid not, Charlie" said his
wife; "but I'll begin now, Every
time l see you light cigar I'll drop
fifteen cents into that old china dragon
money-box, that has never had a
penny in it yet. See, begin now"
she opened her pock ket-book, which
her husband kept well-lined. and took
out two pieces of silver-a dime. and
a half dime.
"Relics of the past" she ssid, as
she sent them tinkling into the blue
Dragons mouth. ''All the silver
money l have in the world.'
"Aud the last the dragon will ever
get" said Charlie. "Saving is not
your favorite science, Lydia.''
But after awhile he lit another
cigar. and q fifteen cent stamp fol-
lowed the silver.
II mus: not smoke much at home -
ne SAID, as he watched it, cor we'Il
have you out of gloves and the dragon
growing wealthy and oyerbeariny
But still he believed that it Was
only joke, and had no idea that his
wife had any serious intention OIL
doing what she proposed. But Lydia
did mean it. Moreover, what She
meant she did, which is sometbing
more unusual, else Hades were pay.i
with something besides good iuten.
tions. Intending g to surprise her bus.
oahu some day, she kept regular
account OF each cigar he smoked At
home. and out of her ample uiiu,va,,,,-
paid the dragon for them very hon
estly. The old fellow grew quite
full i'll few months, and seemed to
have cunning look in his blue ewes
as though conscious of his savings.
lie was tho only one who had anv IN
That home, and he knew it. A dress
hg-goWn, or pair OF sleeve buttons.
some present such as wives are apt to
give their husbands, Lydia meant to
give Charlie on his birthday out of ,
lhe dragons property. But when
Inc day came she felt 10th to break
NE china; and there was room for
more change in the interior of tine
ABSURD creature; so she made her s
present without his aid. and went on |
him. She really had no idea
low much he held when two wears
lad gone by. But Charlie really
moked more than ever, and OF Z
'ourse the dragons profits were
more.
The reason Charlie smoked more
vas because he was anxious-some-
hlng was wrong with his business
mysterious something not to be ex- +
blamed very easily. Credit seems n
cry valuable thing; but it that little :
word, or the thing it =
lands for, did not exist, there would h
'e fewer anxious hearts in this world J.
ialfont u Glitter were young men +
M their business was based on The q
fedit system; therefore, one day. y
.hen baby four weeks old, Law in -
irs. Halfonts arms, and she had for
often the blue dragon for some time a
laifont u Glitter saw their place Of !,
uslness closed, and became vaguely .
onsclous of the avenging fury that h
blows Oh the heels of credit, and n
enerally pounces down upon its !.
rey at last. Glitter wrote heart a.