Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-16

would bring that dollar bin down on my
devoted head, In many ingenious ways
on my wife's part, though resulting in
eEasporating annOyances 10 meP
HOlO j came 10 confess the whole
story may require a few explanatiOnB--
70 unmarried people particularly. That
hotel clerk was a bachelor, and owing
20 this, and also TO an absurd and almost
exploded idea he seemed 10 entertain
that he was bound 10 attend 10 the in
terests Of his employer, and not let him
be defrauded Of his just dues (oblivi-
Gus OF how many unjust ones he may
have extOrted which would have more
than restored the balance), had
interpreted the hint had given
him, the morning had arranged the
girls bill, into permission 10 him TO
charge the deficit TO me. Nov, / dare
say this was all fair, and had no OBJ
lection 10 the obligation, for, as you
know, ! had the equivalent in my pOck-
ct; or even without II would have been
willing to bear the loss, for / had my
months allowance in my purse at the
time; 80 II our weekly bill had borne
any itemized charge such as "wash-
ing" OF baths" or district mes
sages," or even "oysters on the half
SHE'LL" It would, perhaps, have passed
unnoticed, or at least without comment;
but the thoughtless fellow had fixed up
the deficit in this way with one fell swoop
Of his pen:
lS Dec. Drink7................s
Now, Mrs. WithertOn always slept on
the outside Of her couch on Sunday
night, so that she could secure the
weekly bill early Monday morning, al
though generally timid about robbers;
and as her father, her grandfathers on
both sides, her only brother, as well as
all her immediate kindred, had been
leaders in every temperance movement
ever instituted, and had always been
teetotally teetotal men, she naturally re-
ceived a severe shock.
Mr.. Witherton," she cried, sudden
ly awakening me, "what has heen your
object in treating bar-room loafers 10
drinksP Do you intend TO run for the
Office Of Alderman Of this cityp"
l was so startled at first that could
not collect my senses, but was perfect
ly certain that l could positively deny
with entire truth this charge. II had
not yet noticed the bill in her hand.)
"My DEAR" / solemnly said, "I have
never offered man a drink, or paid for
one for him, in the whole course Of my
life"
She turned slowly toward me, and
situated as / was with a plastered wall
on the one side, and no escape except
over my wife on the other, felt the
might and majesty of woman. "Mr.
Witherton,n she again said-and she
was wearing at the time her triple
frilled night-cap, and her black.rimmed
spectacles TO assist her eyes in decipher-
ing the document she held in her hand
tam 1 to understand that you, and
you alone, imbibed one dollar and fifty
cents worth of drinks on the 18th De-
cember. Then, if so, 1 thank Heaven
that there are such places as inebriate
asylums."
Itoo then rose up from my pillow, as
the nature of the charge began to dawn
upon me. / took the bill from her hand
and pretended TO inspect it, although
knew but too well all about its nature;
and then what could l do but make
clean breast of it, and confess alp and
| really felt happier when that was
done. My story was rather hard to tell.
You would understand how difficult il
you knew Mrs. Witherton personally /;
but still my Maria listened composedly,
only breaking the silence once, and that
was when came to the part where /
had insinuated to the hotel clerk that /
was willing to make up any deficiency
in his charge on the girls bill with my
/ Uka,. IL
pleasant, condensed in two words. 1t is
true that l have forgotten them, and
never alluded to them since; but sup
pose that to complete my story they
ought to be recorded. l can not give
her emphasis, though, which, after all,
was the most Objectionable part of their
nature. "Your money?n she cried,
with a wonderful prolongation of sound,
and all the force WAS strongly laid on
the possessive pronoun.
But too have at last a story to tell,
and though the fellows all laugh at it,
do not mind them, for she was just as
pretty and nice as any girl they ever
saw. They can not doubt the truth of
what l say, because / have the dollar
bill to show.
| l have tried in vain since we parted to
learn something of my travelling com
panion; but not knowing ner name, or
aught save that she lived in Baldon, and
the subject, also, being unpleasant to
my wife, have labored under difficult
ties impossible to surmount; but one of
my reasons for writing this narrative is
the hope of its meeting her eye, and, as
Jones says, weaving one more link in
the fran chain that binds u.s." l sup
pose he means the dollar Harper's
lMagaziHe for AprR.