The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-04
THE FACE OF A DOLLAR.
It Shut Out the joys Of Life from
Mr.. PrOunce.

''But you'll die some day, Mr.. Prounce
and you'll have to leave your bank stock
behind you then. You may as well have
some good of it while you live. This butter
is only "a cent more pound than that"
ga cent spoils the face of a dollar
JOram," was the reply, in a rasping voice
"Why, I've got butter here that's fifty
cents a pound
Fifty cents pound for butter! Fifty
cents for something that meltS in the sun
that
''That melts in the mouth" said the
young grocery man, in answer to Mr..
Prounce, who sat on nail key beside the
huge stove, which every once in awhile he
tried as laundry women sometimes do their
hatirons. why" continued JOram. there S
some they call gilt edge-and there are
those that won't eat any other-that sells
for eighty cents and dollar"
Mr.. Prounce drew his breath with a
whistle. 'It's wicked" said he. Its
criminal. And some folks wanting bread
Wanting bread and books. The trade in
butter ought to be discontinued"
''Well, Mr.. PrOunce," said the astOniShed
young man, That's new idea! Do you
want to ruin me!''
"You must get out of the business if you
don't want TO be ruined" said Mr.. Prounce
briSkly. Eyes, it ought to be discontinued.
It's as unprincipled as the trade in rum.
T'll-I'n be blamed if l won't begin it'll
he blamed if won't! And perhaps there'll
follow enough suit to bring things down to
living prices. If my folks can 20 without.
other folks can. Anything that can be
abused So say, is as bad as the liquor
trade. You may give me pound Of
cheese, Joram, when / so home, and a
dozen red herring
They're a good deal cheaper by the
box" said Joram, beginning to hum:
"If you ask me for penny,
| shall say haven't any"
"No, they're not, returned Mr.. Prounce.
''They dry up, and don't 90 so far by u
long chalk. No; I've got this thing down
pairing wasted in our house. l should feel
twas like flying in the face of bountiful
Providence if there was"
1--WE heard as much" said the clerk,
stopping his music long enough to say it.
Il know what you mean now, Joram,' ~
said Mr.. Prounce. But let me tell you
those can laugh that win. When you hear
folks say old Prounce is small you just ask
them if his bank account is small And
YOU just stop and think that going without
1uXurieS is easy when you are used to it
yourself though it's troublesome to keep
other folks at the same mark: but when
you see your bank account go sailing up to
the head. and mortgages fail due and farms
fall in the farms of those other folks who
didn't so without and laughed at you for
going, why, then the laughs on the other
side of the mouth. But, as | was saying,
it's hard keeping other people up to the
mark. They actually sometimes act as if
they thought l meant to be mean-mv
women folks are dreadful extravagant''
and poor Mr.. PrOunce drew a sigh. for
which he seemed to be only medium: it
had it's birth SO far down, as it were in the
Il, - = ~. L.
took his cheese and his red herring and
went softly out; he always trod softly on
account of the wear of sole leather.
And Joram looked after him, and Won
dered now anybody so unlovely could be
the father of anybody so entirely lovely as
Pauliny, the hrown-eyed beauty to whom
his troth was plighted, but to whom he could
not be married for indefinite periods, chiefly
because her mother was poorly and her
father could not spare her, having no one
else to do the work; and Pauliny had some
old-fashioned ideas of obedience.
Its sin and a shame" said Joram to
Pauliny, coming home with her once, and
lingering under the throbbing stars with
an enjoyment they could not have else
where. Their young blood did not feel the
frost and the chill of the crusted snow. thew
were only half conscious of the icy glory Of
the winter night, SO rapt were they in
themselves, their passion and their poverty.
<'When l see lot of idle fellows with their
horses and their yachts. and more money
than brains, it's a sin and a shame say,
that can't afford to hire girl for you, so
that you could let her stay and do the
housework you do now, and you come to
me, my dear, and we have the happiness of
our liveSln
81 don't know, Joram, dear" Pauliny
murmured, hesitating look on her sweet
pale face. Il don't know as it would make
any difference, II couldn't leave mother
It's dreadful for her now" she said, the
tears springing. Il don't know what it
would be for her without me-
''She'd get along every mite as well
You'd be running IN to see her every day
and oftener, and she to see you; and she'd
be living what You might call a new life in
ours, and be a great sight happier than she
Is now. But there it's no use talking; it's
all castle in the air"
go, Joram, l don't dare to think of it.
Yes yes, it's only castle in the air"
''Well, castles in the air are poor build
ing, unless you can put in the under
pinping," said Joram, gazing at her
tenderly, so sweet and fair and moving to
the heart in the dark staFshine. And we
can't do it. l wonder what Mr.. Prounce
thinks his money is for, what he means to
do with it / wonder if he thinks you won't
have it in the end that he can't let you
have the good of just that little of it
now
ssNo, it's no use, Joram,n sobbed Pauliny
ssThere isn't the poorest person that hires
out to do chores that would put up with
fathers waysl rd-Td be ashamed to tell
YOU some things-but there's many a day
I'd have been faint if it wasn't for the eggs