Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-07-16

own beauty, Dut Mrs. Joruan WAS iai
too much in earnest for that. She
tied her bonnet strings with little
Jerk, settled the folds of her shawl
upon her taper shoulders and tripped
down the street with very much alb
sorbed expression of countenance.
She went straight to her husbands
law office where Mr.. Philemon Parker
the clerk, a sickly looking young man
of nineteen, with yellowish down
OIL his cheeks and unwholesome red
pimples pervading his face, was read
ing the morning paper with his heels
on top of the stove.
Now, if there was any one in the
world that Philemon regarded with
distant and platonic admiration, il
was his masters pretty wife
"By George, she's clipper !" the
young man had frequently remarked
among his confidential friends, and
he would have cheerfully sacrificed
himself in any manner on the shrine
of Mrs. Jordan
Don't disturb yourself, Philemon
/ beg" said that lady, sweetly, as
Philemon's heels clattered down from
the stove, and the newspaper fell
from his hands. 81 just want a little
confidential talk with you to-day "
Philemon's tallowy complexion
grew scarlet with delight.
"AnythingI can do, ma'am, Pm
sure.
"But you can do great deal"
said the lady, costly establishing her.
self in the big leather-cushioned easy
chair usually occupied by Mr.. Jordan
himself "You see, Philemon, ! an
trying to make little estimate of Mr.
Jordan's private and personal expens'
es, and if you could help me little
of course entirely without his know
ledge--I should be, oh 50 much
obliged to you Now, will you, Phile'
mon ?"
Philemon twirled his thumbs and
made answer, enthusiastically:
eyes, ma'am, | will ~
"Well, then, said Mrs. Jordan, pro
ducing a pencil and a set of dainty
little pearl tablets, the like of which
Philemon had never before seen, "sup.
pose we commence, Philemon ?"
"Well, ma'am, there's box OF
extra cigars master ordered sent here
last night, and they do smell mos
prime"
"Do you know what they cost
Philemon ?"
Twenty dollars, ma'am.'
Mrs. Jordan made deliberate entry
OH her tablets.
"And there's the basket of cham.
payne, ma 'am-it's half drunk up, tt
be sure, but"
"How much was it,"
81 heard master tell Colonel Dor
t was cheap at fifty dollars"
i Mrs. Jordan elevated her blacl
eyebrows.
81 see you have handsome new
carpet here, Philemon-English brus
sells"
eyes, ma'am, Mr.. Jordan said the
oil-cloth was too cold for his feet"
at must have been expensive"
"Seventy-fve dollars, ma'am."
"What an elegant engraving thai
is OH the wall"
Eyes, ma'am. Mr.. Jordan sub
scribed for proof copy--he said the
walls needed something besides maps.
twenty-five dollars. l know th,
price of prototypes. But, Philemon
all these pretty things have been re
cent purchases. was here last week
and saw none of them"
Philemon twisted his countenanct
into a mcditative expression.
"Yes, Mrs. Jordan believe they
were all purchased within a week-ir
fact, know they were"
"Aha!" thought the little lady tc
herself, putting up the pearl tablet:
with the pencil slipped nearly in
nothing like going out into the world
to obtain little useful information
$40 within the week | think
have you in particularly small cor
ner, now, Mr.. Jordan !"
1t was raining when Mrs. Jordan
went to her home once more, but hel
countenance was brighter than any
Rainbow.
"Ma'am," said the cook, meeting
her at the door, "the current jelly j,
all gone"
Every well send to the grocer:
and order half a dozen more jars"
"But master said"
Never mind what master said dc
as tell you"
"And the pickles, ma'am. Master
thought it would be so much more
economical to make our own pickles. ,
81 think otherwise" said Mrs. Jor.
dan, coolly. Tell Mustard q Spike
to send round six dozen of their incest.
She cook stared, but obeyed never.