The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-11-12
than those which calmly stared him in
the face. pNurp. sing.

- Observation-Disclosures. ........... 81
June Observation-Disclosures. ! r.
s23 80
It looked large. And when he came to
writing out check tor the same amount
for Kate it looked Uary large.
"pve been going n little too strong
on it this month, Kate he said, as he
handed it to her.
He had half hope that she would
decline to take it, but, without showing
any surprise at the amount, she laid il
in her desk with very matter-of
course "thank you.n
A few days after, she challenged his
admiration of lace collar she was
wearing.
"Prettier than cigars. isn't it?" she
asked, archly.
"ls that your cigar money, dear?
Yes, very pretty, but they do manage
to crowd good deal OF money into
very small show, ehP'
THAT rGHL lace, Robert-nOt at all
high for such a quality! But-what
have you to show for your months
moneyP'
He laughed and shrugged his shout
derS, assuring her she should get less
next month. BY a heroic effort at
self-sacritice he lowered the sum by
several dollars, but the following month
it rose higher than ut first, and Robert
began to Ieel little surprised at the
nonchaant way in which Kate accept
ed so much money to lay out in mere
superfuities. He was obliged to ac-
knowledge to himself, as she displayed
a pearl brooch with great apparent sat
isfaction. that he was somewhat disap-
pointed at her discovering so much
relish for such triiles.
Pearls, ehP My mother used to
wear something like that"
AhP suppose so; pearls are never
out OF style, you know"
Kate cOlOred little as she said it,
and began to talk of something else.
In due course of time an encyclope-
dia appeared. This purchase met with
Roberts hearty approval. for both had
often felt the need of it, but he had
never felt able to buy one. But when
q fancy chair was set in the parlor
where there was already no lack of
fancy chairs, and q picture, small in
every respect but the price, he thought
was hung in the sewing-Toom, he felt
little annoyed, more especially when
Kate airlv remarked: Il didn't need
it. of course, but us / have just so much
to spend, thought I'd like it,"
He was ashamed of himself for feel
ing so, for he told himself over and
over again that it was a perfectly fair
arrangement-Kate's money made an
important figure in his business, and if
h.,,I IoI l,A 10 al,
notions on the rights of industrious and
economical wives. And then what
right had he to criticise her mode of
spend NO, when she was not injuring
herself or any one else by (which he
knew in his very heart could not be
claimed for his way? Still, he had
rather hoped that it would occur to her
to pay some of the households, but it
never had; they had continued to pre-
sent themselves with their usual aggra-
waiting regularity, serving to increase
an irritating consciousness of the pres
ence of unnecessary articles about the
house, the purchase of which was not
warranted by his means. At all events,
he might Justly allow himself to fall
back upon little relief for his W ell
concealed annoyances, in his feeling of
surprise that his wife had not taken the
least advantage, so far as he knew, OF
this liberal supply of probationary to
carry out any of her old desires for
doing good. He had not observed that
she had given cent to any of the mis-
sionary societies or in relieving the
poor. In his own growing sense of dis
comfort at the view he was forced to
take of the hitherto unimagined extent
of the cost of his pet selt-indulgence,
there was some consolation in retiec-
tions on Kate shortcomings.
He sat alone one day looking over his
accounts. He came across six " stubs
of checks he had given her, They ran;
1928 80
II IS