The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-04-02
R. GRANTS LESSON.

Mr.. Grant had finished his breakfast
and was seated In his easy chair BY the
Sosy fire reading the morning paper!
Mrs. Grant fingered by the break
fast table, although she, too, had COM
pleted her morning meal, and, with
worried look on her pretty face, was
nervously tracing patterns in the
crumbs that lay beside her plate.
She looked at her husband two or
three times, Is il she hsd something TO
SAY, then her courage seemed to fail
her and she was silent.
Presently, when he tossed aside the
paper and rose to 60, she said, rather
timldly:
Twill, can you let mo have some
money this morning before You go?"
"More money!" exclaimed Mr.. Grant,
kalight cloud 6vertpreading his pleas.
ant face. "Why, I gave you three dollars
yesterday morning. Surely you haven't
spent that already?"
"Willie's shoes cost Just three dollars, "
answered Mrs. Grant.
"Well, don't see how you manage to
get through 30 much money!" answered
Mr.. Grant. paying no attention to
her explanation. "How. much do you
xant7 What do you want to get With
H31
;: II an going ID ths eity - do some
lhopp1ng with Mrs: Dean," answered
Mrs. Grant, land she has taken me to
lunch with her so often that I thought I
would like to invite her to lunch With mo
for once"
''Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Mr..
Grant. impatiently. ''There's no ne
oessity for that. If Mrs. Dean chooses
to spend her money for lunches in the
city, don't you think that you must do
the same thing. There is plenty of nee;
essary ways to use money without doing
anything of that kind, and he buttoned
up his coat az If the matter was conclu-
sively settled.
Tears gathered slowly in Mrs. Grants
blue eyes. It had been an effort for
her to ask her husband for some money,
and only the remembrance of the hu-
initiation she had felt so often at never
being able to extend any invitations to
old friends who pressed them upon her
70 cordially had enabled her to do it,
and she had been unsuccessful after all.
"Wi1l," she said presently, Is her
husband was fumbling with arefractort
BUTTON" would you mind making me
an allowance?"
IAN allowance, Eva!" and Mr.. Grant
stared at his wife with unfeiqned sur
prise. "What in the wc,,l do you
want an allowance for? Don't you
have everything you want? All the
tdoney earn is as much yours as mine,
10 what do you want to divide il for?"
because practically don't feel that
I have any right to cent of your mon
ey," answered Mrs Grant. IF I want
any I have to ask for it, explain just
What I want it for, and then if you hap
pen to approve of my plan you dole it
out to me as if I was beggar. I have
been married eight years, and in all that
time you have never even given me a.
much As dollar for myself. You have
no idea how I dislike to ask for money
for even the necessary purchases for
tho table. Now, if you would give me
regularly ever 80 little money I would
divide it up and try to get along with
out asking you for any more. Won't
You do this, WHIP" she pleaded.
MIR. Grant looked at his wife in as
constituent.
II don't see any use in it," he an
swered. mo, if I was in your place
and had everything that I needed,
wouldn't caro- if I never had any money
10 spend"
''Try 1t oncew exclaimed Mrs. Grant
eagerly: '.Iet me take charge Of your
purse, and will give you money for all
necessary expenditure. I just want
you to give my suggestion d fair trial.
You say you would not care to have any
money if your wants were supplied;
now just see whether you would be vii:
ling to be impecunious, and ask for
every thing you wanted. Let me keep
your money for q week, and then see
whether you do not think an allowance
would be better plan"
"All right, it's bargain" said Mr..
Grant, after 4 moments hesitation
emptying his pockets of all their loose
change and throwing his pocketbook
on the table.
"Now, I want twelve cents for car
fare and, well, say quarter for lunch"
"Here it u.s." answered Mrs. Grant,
counting out thirty-seven cents and
gathering up the rest.
Mrs. Grants thoughts wandered to
her husband many time that day, and
she wondered how he liked the sensa.
ton of being almost penniless. As for
herself she felt rich in having so much
money in her possession, and ventured
to make two or three little purchases
that she had wanted to make fora long
time, but had put off because she dis.
liked asking for the necessary money.
At least q dozen times that morning
Mr.. Grants hand found its way to his
pocket before he remembered that he
had only the exact change for his lunch
and car fare. At noon, when he went
out for lunch, he met an old friend, and
nothing but the nsciousness of his
empty pockets kept him from inviting
him to lunch with him. Then for the
first time he realized that it might pos
sibly be trial to Eva never to be able
to extend invitations to her friends. He
was not prepared to admit the inconve.
nienoe of empty pockets when he went
home that evening, though.
II got along first rate" he said, in
answer to his wife's question, "but I'll
ask you to give me . little more money
this evening""
what for?" demanded Eva, serene
~.
"For 'sundries,'" laughed Mr.. Grant.
"Cigars, ct cetera; half dollar will