Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-07-23

strengthens by want of use, and Mr..
Brinley's was so untried as to be per-
feet.
But the money that he had given
his daughter? Surely he had not
meant that she should tax his credit.
Mabel did not mean it either. 1t was
her purpose to pay for everything
that she bought, as her father had
told her to do. But she had a plan.
just before leaving home she had
taken out the hundred dollars and
stood with it in her hand deliberating.
1t so happened that she had never
seen one hundred dollars before. and
it's amount impressed her responsible
ity on her. She knew, from her ex-
perience with five or tens, that the
fragments of broken bills have i'm
mense facility in scattering, although
the fragments in this one would be
either so much larger or so much
more numerous than in ordinary cas-
es that the evil day of nothingness
would be postponed; still she recog-
nized the fact that the tendency was
the same. She had said to herself,
therefore, that since money was much
more easily kept in a hundred-dollar
hill 10 nj nd
this was the way in which she would
keep hers. What she was going to
get for dinner was a mere trifie out
of so much, yet it would spoil the
whole. No, she would manage bet
ter; she would leave the bill untouch-
ed now, and at the end pay for every
thing together. AS she put back the
money into its hiding-place her eyes
had sparkled in delight in the tho't
that she had discovered the secret of
economy. But for the present this
was to remain her secret. Time
would prove its wonders-the short
time of two weeks would prove her
possessed of financial judgment which
would do credit to gray hair. Full
of the happiness of this conviction,
she had run downstairs and taken
her place beside her sister in the two
seated carriage which had returned
from carrying Mr.. and Mrs. Brinley
to the train.
That afternoon Mabel gave her
friends long drive. Ruth, who had
but one session of school, went with
them. 1t looked like rain when they
started, and when they had gone be-
tween two and three miles it sprin-
kled. But they did not mind that in
: >...-y .s.lIIOu rast, Uney put
up the boot and went on. Then there
came a CLEAN of sunshine and they
gloated over their perseverance and
drove to the next little town, where
they paid visits to their friends in
common. There came no more sun
shine, the showers were frequent and
it thundered and lightened, though
not sharply. But four merrier faces
never peeped from under cover to
meet the splashings of the rain, and
four happier girls never met under
Mr.. Erinley's hospitable roof. When
the guests had gone home Ruth threw
her arms around her sisters neck and
declared thHt Nab was perfectly
splendid. And Nab, before she
went to sleep, had one more look at
her triumph, as she began to name
her unbroken bill.
The days that followed were more
or less like this one. At the end of |
the week the girls two cousins, Con-
stance and Kenneth Brinley, arrived
unexpectedly. They had arranged
to come a month later, but a change |
in their plans brought them now.
They were twins, nearly eighteen
city people, and lived in more style |
than Mabel, but not at all more COM
fortably. They were very welcome,
but the young girls felt the response
bility that had fallen upon them
selves. Nab even condescended to
consult Ruth, whose bright wits were
full of resources, as to amusements.
One day it was picnic for her cous-
ms, a small party that Mabel had in
vited, and for whom she chartered
the prettiest picnic wagon in town.
Had she not hundred dollars un-
touched?
The following week Mabel resolved
to give a small party for her cousins
that is to say, recollecting that
they were used to city a assemblies,
she called it small but as she issued
fifty invitations, and nearly all were
accepted, it seemed to her qnite an
affair. She had long condolences with
Mary, who was an excellent cook
and would do anything for Mabel.
The result was supper that Con-
stance pronounced "recherche."
In MabePs new method she had
at stores without asking pric-
IS she had but to assure herself that
she had 500 and all doubts dissolv-
I'd. Before the party however, she in
lulged in one expense that she real
zed was somewhat costly for tenn
,orary housekeeper. The ice-cream
plates would fall short. She reject
ID Ruth's suggestion that mamma :
would make up with saucers and that
he cream would be so nice that no. ,
,ody would notice. Her mother had !
Intended to buy some of these plates. {
Iere were necessity and opportunity. {
,he ordered three dozen, so pre- tty
hat Constance went into rapturqs d.