The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-04-25
GOING INTO PARTNERSHIP.

leSSlOu Oh -bedcnlng, SO Is 10 De as 1nOe-
pendent as she was before she was mar
ried. 81.
YOU'RE not in earnest, my dearp''
said Mr.. Nottingham.
"Of course I'm in earnest. Why not?
DO You suppose 1 intend to go this
way, begging and praying for every
farthing 1 spendf I've been independ-
ent once, and / can be SO again"
"No; but look here!" Mr.. Nothing
ham had risen, and was pacing up and
down rather u~neasily. "Mywife can't
go to teaching. What is it that you
wantP"
"What 1 can earnw proudly retorted
Mrs. Nottingham.
"But put It into words"
swell, then, look here" said Mrs.
Nottingham; ~ have always done my
own work and sewing. Considered as
a cook, l demand three pounds a
month; as q seamstress, n pound; as
your wife and the mother of your chill
dren, at least ten pounds more And
then I shall not consider myself prop
erly compensated"
"Whew-w-w! Letme see-it's near
ly EGO a month";
81 consider my services as worth
that, at least" said Mrs. Nottingham,
with dignity; " but if you would rather
hire a housekeeper, l will prosecute my
original idea of opening a select
school,"
Mr.. Nottingham walked up and down
the % once more, rumpling his hair
into %porcupine fashion with his fingers.
"In consult Uncle Wetherbee," he
said.
VERY WE'LL" said Mrs. Nottingham,
I'm quite willing to abide by his de-
cision."
Uncle Wetherbee, a bronze-visaged
ex-sailor, who was comfortably smok-
ing his meerschaum upstairs, was
summoned at once. He came down
rather slowly, on account of a wooden
-ieg-and listened to the pleading on
either side with the utmost gravity.
Dye want to know my opinionp"
said Uncle W~ethcrbee, when they both
had finished.
Certainly" said Mr.. Nottingham.
"Of course" said his wife.
Then look here,'' said Uncle
Wetherbee. "Matrimony's a copart-
nership of joys and sorrows, and it
ought to be Of money as well. My ad-
vice is, Nephew Nicholas, that you
divide even with your wife"
"Divide-eyenr' blankly repeated
MI. Nottingham.
-"Or, better STILL" went on Uncle
Wetherbee, "take one-third of the
money yourself, lay aside one-third for
household purposes, and give the other
third to Phoebe"
Yes, but uncle -"
You asked my advice" said Uncle
Wetherbee. "There it is. And have
nothing more to say"
AID OF hn stnmned ,unvsfairs, anaip.
Mr.. Nottingham looked at his wife.
His wife looked back again at him.
"Well," said Phoebe.
twill try it." said Mr.. Nottingham.
1t seems a wild idea, but Uncle Weth-
erbee is a remarkably sensible
Yes, I'll try it."
And for the next three years Mr..
Nottingham remained in partnership
with his wife ON these unusual financial
conditions.
Though for the life of me, / can't
see what you do with all your money"
said he to his wife.
"The very idea that has often sug-
gested itself to me in regard to your
money!" retorted Mrs. Nottingham,
laughingly.
/ had in1ended to buy a house for
you, if it hadn't been for this uncxpect-
ed appropriation of my funds" said
Mr.. N.
Il ran wait, DEAR said his wife,
%serenely. "All in good time"
But one afternoon Mr.. Nottingham
came home early from business and
rushed up to Uncle Wetherbee's room.
my dear uncle" said he, that
house of Falkirk's is in the market at
forced sale. Such a bargain! Only
f6OO!''
Why don't you buy it, then?' said
Mr.. Wetherbee, scooping fresh tobacco
out of his jar.
Because I've only been able to lay
up four hundred out of that deucedly
small allowance of mine" said Mr..
Nottingham. Ever since I divided
with Phoebe, according to your sug-
gestiOn-n
YES" nodded Uncle Wetherbee,
according to my suggestion="
i've been a comparatively poor
man. sighed Mr.. Nottingham. Zone
can't lay up anything on such a pit
lance as that"
Perhaps your wife thinks so, too,''
chuckled Uncle Wetherbee.
cob, that's altogether a different
matter" said Mr.. Nottingham. "Tve
been thinking I ought to reconsider
that affair"
Uncle Wetherbee stared ~intently at
his wooden leg, and said nothing.
But" added Mr.. Nottingham,
about the Falkirk placer It's a little
gem Of . house. and I've always
wanted . house of my own. This rent
paying business don't altogether suit
me. And 1 could give a mortgage for
the ECO If you would allow me to use
your name as security"
"Oh, certainly, certainlyr' said Uncle
Wetherbee, it as much as you
like
And Mr.. Nottingham went off re-
joicing.
But Wiggs & Sangster, the agents in
charge Of the Falkirk place, we're x-
ultant when he arrived.
Four hundred pounds and q mort
gage for the balance is very WE'LL" said
Mr. Sangster, but they had had
another offer this morning-of cash
down! And they had considered it their
duty to Mr.. Falkirk to close with it.
Very sorry-but perhaps they might