The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-03-28

bedroom carpet, she remarked, in
sinuatingly, don't you think we coul,
afford new set of furniture?';
No. don't" | returned savagely
whereupOn she burst into tears ant
called me a heartless monster Il,
pacify her, l had to promise the furni
ture, together with a new silk and .
sralskin, that the mistress of the hous,
might be as fine as her dwelling.
sit does seem a shame" she said, &
few days afterward, "to spend SC
much money on this house. That's
very handsome and expensive paper
that we looked at, and to substitute au
archway for the folding doors will cosl
something this was the first that
had heard of the archway-'' then
those lovely carpets cut up to fit these
| small rooms too!'
'Yes, it is a shame" l replied, hard
ly crediting my senses. Not all had
been lost, although much had been in
danger.
81 am so glad that YOU think so, ~
returned my wife, briskly; 81 was sure
that you would agree with me that it
! that suits us better, and buy right
",
say-there'S so much in the market" :"
She tried to put on a knowing look;
If she had known half as much about
that subject as about managing me,
should have felt impressed. As it was,
[ weakly objected:
'My dear, | don't know where in
the world | could get the money to buy
larger and better house-any house at
all, in fact"
You could sell this" she replied,
nothing daunted.
''But if real estate is a drug on the
market. do not want to SELL" | re-
torted. thinking cunningly to turn her
own weapon her herself
''There are those shares of stock,
then.n
But that stock is going up daily;
if wait six months, can get double
what it would bring now; or hold
it, and draw big interest on my invest
ment."
'Well, what else are you going to
do? You said yourself that we must
have larger and better house."
ThereupOn l mentally babe regret
full farewell to the stock and the money
which had expected to make by hold
ing it. My wife occupied her leisure
time for the next three weeks in look
ing for a residence which should be
in all respects suitable for the fur
niturc we were were going to buy.
What she would desire next, could
not guess, unless she should become
thoroughly dissatisfied with me.
At the end of the period mentioned,
l came home one evening to find her
in tears.
''Aunt James dead" she sobbed;
"the poor old lady died this morning.
have just come from her house.
As Aunt Jane had been at the point
of death for the past six months, was
hardly surprised to hear this bit of
news. / did my best to comfort my
wife, however, and comported myself
like a dutiful nephew-in-law at the
ceremonies following the death.
When returned home the day after
the funeral.my wife met me at the door,
her face flushed, her eyes blazing.
"What do you suppose that old
crank has done?' she demanded.
What old crank?" l inquired, won
deringly.
"Why, Aunt Jane, of course"
"Fm sure | don't know" 1 returned,
mildly; "but you should remember,
my dear, that"
"Oh, l know she's dead. She
wouldn't give her things away under
any other circumstances. She left me
a hundred dollars in cash, and that
dear old silver to my second cousin,
John Scott. He'll sell it, and spend
ever cent on liquor and cigars and
horses, know he will"
Then the blaze in her eyes was
quenched by a flood of tears. did
my best to soothe her, but my efforts
were useless. l assured her that if
her cousin sold the silver, we would
buy it.
II don't want it," she declared; 81
won't have it"-very vehemently-
land won't get a single new thing in
the house, or a new dress, or that seal
skin, or anything. I'll just stay here
with things as they are, and John
Scott can keep his silver, and you can
keep your building association money
and stock, too. So there, now.''
After that, l did not try to assuage
her grief; l was afraid that consola-
ton might be costly.-GOod Housekeep-
ing.