Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-21

be but very little.
! However, he had piece OF goot
news to communicate. His Salar,
had been raised from 81 900 to 81,
200.
He added "As I before allowed
you one-half of my income fO
household expenses, it is no NOR
than fair should do so now. Tha
/ will give you a better chance Il
save part of it than before"
AS before, Mrs. Newton merely
said that she had saved something
without specifying the amount.
Her allowance was increased tC
5000, but her expenses were not pro,
portionally increased at all, so that
her savings for the third yeal
sWelIed the aggregate sum in the
savings bank to 5000.
Mr.. Newton, on the contrary, in
spite of his increased salary, was nc
better off at the end of his third
year than before. His expenses
had increased by 800, though he
would have found it difficult to tell
in what way his comfort or happi-
ness had been increased thereby.
In spite of careleSsness in regard
to his own affairs, Mr.. Newton was
an excellent man in regard to his
business, and his services were val
liable to his employers. They ac-
cordingly increased his salary from
time to time, till it reached 81 600.
He had steadily preserved the GUS
tom of assigning one-half to his
wife, as heretofore, and this had be-
come such a habit that he never
thought to inquire whether she
found it necessary to employ the
whole or not.
Thus ten years rolled away. Dur
ing all this time he lived in the
same hired house, for which he had
paid an annual rent of $3.50. Lat
terly, however, he had become dis
satisfied with it. 1t had passed into
the hands of a new landlord, who
was not disposed to keep it in the
repair which he considered desira-
BILE.
About this time a block of excel
lent houses was erected by capi-
talist, who designed to sell them or
let them as he might have an OPP
portunity. They were modern and
much better arranged than the one
in which Mr.. Newton now lived,
and he felt a strong desire to7mOVe
into one of them. He mentioned it
to his wife one morning.
"What's the rent ?'' inquired she.
"TwO hundred and twenty-five
for the corner house; 5000 for either
of the Others"
"The corner house would be pref
erable, on account of the side win
dows."
eyes, and they have a large yard
besides. ] think we had better
rent one of them. / guess I'll en-
gage one of them to-day; you know
our year is out next week"
"Please wait till tomorrow be-
fore engaging One."
"For what reason ?"
81 should like to examine the
house."
"Very well, / suppose tomorrow
will be sufficiently early"
stSOon after break fast, Mrs. New
ton called on Squire Bent, the
owner of the new block, and inti-
mated her desire to be shown the
corner house. Her request was
readily complied with Mrs. New
ton was delighted with all the ar
rangements, and expressed her sat
isfaction.
"Are these houses for sale or to
let ?" she inquired.
"Either," said the owner.
"The rent is, understand, two
hundred and twenty-five dollars"
"Yes. / consider the corner
house worth at least twenty-five
dollars more than the rest"
"And what do you charge for the
house for a cash purchaser !" asked
Mrs. Newton, with subdued eager
ness.
'Four thousand dollars cash. !"
was the reply, 'and that is but a
small advance on the cost"
"Very wellyI will buy of you,"
added Mrs. Newton, quietly.
"What did / understand you to
say?" asked the Squire, scarcely
believing his own ears.
81 repeat that / will buy this
house at your price, and pay the
money within week."
"Then the house is yours. But
your husband did not say anything
of his intention, and in fact l did
not know"
"That he had money to invest, /
suppose you would say. Neither
does he know it, and / must ask
you not to tell him for the pres
ent."
The next morning she invited her
husband to take a walk, but with
out specifying the direction. They
soon stood in front of the house in
which he desired to live
"Wouldn't you like to go in ?''
she asked.
"Yes. It's pity we haven't got
the key"
"I have the key" said the wife,
and forthwith she walked up the
steps and proceeded to open the
door.
"When did you get the key of
Squire Bent ?" asked her husband.
yesterday, when / bought the
house," said his wife, quietly.
Mr.. Newton gazed on his wife in
profound astonishment.
"What do you mean 2"
"Just what / say-the house is
mine, and what is mine is thine.
So the house is yours, Ezra"
"Where, in the name of goodness,
did you raise the money ?" asked
the husband, in amazement as great
as ever.
"I haven't been a managing wife
for ten years for nothing" said
Mrs. Newton, smiling.
With some difficulty Mrs. New
ton persuaded her husband that the
price of the house was really the re-
suit of her savings. He felt, when
he surveyed the commodious ar
rangements of the house, that he
had reason to be grateful for the
prudence of his managing wife.