The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-11-10

1t looked large. And when he came ia
writing out check for the same amount
for Kate it looked i'sry large.
l. Give been going 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 it
in her desk with a very matter-of
course ''thank YOU"
A few days after, she challenged his
admiration of lace collar she was
wearing. e@
"Prettier than cigars. isn't itp'' she
asked, archly.
els that your cigar money, dear:
Yes. very pretty, but they do manage
to crowd a good deal of money into q
very small show, ehp'
'That's real lace, Robert-not at all
high for such quality! But-what
have you to show for your month
money!"
He laughed and shrugged his shout
ders, assuring her she should get less
next month. BY q heroic effort al
self-sacritice he lowered the sum by
several dollars, but the following month
it rose higher than at first, and Robert
began to feel little surprised at the
nonchalant way in which Kate accept.
ed so much money to Law out in mere
superiluities. He was obliged to &C
knowledge to himself, as she DISPLAYED
a pearl brooch with great apparent sat
isfaction, that he was somewhat disan-
pointed at her discovering SO much
relish for such trifes.
Pearls. ehP My mother used to
wear something like that"
"Aha ! suppose so; pearls are never
out of style, you know"
Kate colored a 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
fancy chair was set in the parior
where there was already no lack of
fancy chairs, and . picture, small in
every respect but the price, he thought,
was hung in the sewing-room, he felt q
little annoyed. more especially when
Kate airily remarked: II didn't need
it. of course. but as / have Just SO much
to spend, l thought I'd like it,
He was ashamed of himself for feel
ing 80. for he told himself over and
over again that il was perfectly fair
arrangement-Kate's money made an
important figure in his business, and If
she had had none, he had chivalrous
notions on the rights of industrious and
economical wives. And then-what
right had he to criticise her mode of
spend ng, when she was not iniurip9
herself or any one else by (which he
knew in his very heart could not be
claimed for his wayP Still, he had
rather hoped that it would occur to her
to paw some of the house-bills, but it
never had; they had continued to pre-.
sent themselves with their usual agera-
waiting regularity, serving to increase
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 " ell
concealed annoyances. in his feeling of
surprise that his wife had not taken the
least advantage, 90 far - he knew, OF
this liberal supply Of pocket-money to
carry out any Of her old desires for
doing good. He had not observed that
she lad given q cent to any Of the mis-
sionary soc cites or in relieving the
poor. In his own growing sense Of dis
comf0rt at the view he was forced to
take of the hitherto unimagined extent
OF the cost of his pet selt-indulgence,
thare was some consolation in re.iec-
tions on Kate shortcomings.
He sat alone one day looking over his