The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-02-09


He stepped into store and obtain
ed his daily allowance of CIGARS"
Meanwhile Mrs. Stetson proceeded
to the shop of cabinet maker.
II want you," said she. "tO make
me mahogany box twelve inches
long, the other dimensions being
fur inches each. In the centre Of
the top is to be slit, large enough
to admit the largest silver coin."
"a money box" said the cabinet
maker.
eyes"
pretty large for that. isn't it ?"
Rather" said Mrs. Stitson, smil-
ing but better too large than too
small"
John Stetson fell in with com
panion in the afternoon. with. whom.
he had a social chat. AS they were
walking leisurely along, they passed
an oyster saloon.
Stetson was particularly fond of the
bivalves, and he proposed that they
should 60 in and take some.
To this his friend did not demur.
and they accordingly entered. Two
plates of oysters came to thirty cents.
Besides this. they took glass of soda
each, which made ten cents more.
This brought up the bill to forty
cents. which Stetson paid. Accord
ingly. adding to this fifteen cents for
cigars, he deposited fifty.five cents in
his wife's hands that evening.
"I might as we'll make it sixty"
said he, smiling.
"No," said she. "Nota cent over.
l want the savings to represent ex-
actIy what you spend on these little
luxuries, and no MORE"
The next evening he had nothing
to deposit, except the usual amount
of cigars.
ut won't amount up very fast at
that rate." said he triumphantly.
"Never mind" said his wife. II
don't want you to increase your ex-
pend!tures on my account. l am
inclined to think they will not often
be as small as small as this.
She was right.
The next day being Wednesday,
John Stetson brought home couple
of tickets for the theatre. 1t was a
benefit night. and he was anxious
hat his wife should 60.
"Certainly," she said. "I shall be
glad to GO; but you remember our
pact"
"What 2"
"How much did you pay for the
tickets ?"
Fifty cents apiece"
"That will make dollar. Please
hand me that amount for our fund.-"
"Was the theatre included ?" said
John, a little reluctantly.
"Certainly. That was expressly
mentioned"
"Oh, we'll. then, 80 let it be. Here
is a silver dollar."t
The dollar was at once dropped in
to the box.
The next day, in passing shop
window, Stetson noticed some fine
oranges.
"Just what Mary and the children
would like" thought he. "1'll go in
and inquire the price,"
They were four cents apiece. He
bought halt a dozen. at a cost of a
quarter, which with his cigar money.
left him thirty.seyen cents to deposit.
The succeeding day he spent moth
ing except for cigars. On Saturday
he stepped into confectionery estab.
lishment with a friend and had a
lunch.
When his wife added up the daily
sums, she found to her own surprise
even, that she had received from her
husband two dollars and sixty-two
cents. He would have been aston
ished to hear it, but she thought it
not best to say anything about it..
He would have alleged that it was a
special case. as they did not 60 to the
theatre every week. This was true
but then, something else was sure tU
come of equivalent cost, such as a
ride or a concert.
So time slipped away. The neces.
sity. according to the compact. OF
giving his wife as much as he spent
for incidental expenses, no doubt con-
tributed to check him somewhat, so
that probably he did not spend more
than two.thirds as much in this way
as he had done before the agreement.
Still, he had kept up to the average
of the first week.
We will now suppose the year to
have glidded by. John Stetson came
into the sitting room with pre-
occupied air.
"What are you you thinking