The record-union., 1891-01-19
A FIFTY-DOLLAR BILL.
AN ANEcDoTE WITH 4 WARNING
TO WIVES.
How Young Woman Earned Fifty
Dollars by False Pretenses and
Did Not Know It.

Did Not Know It.
In the pretty morning room of certain
young woman in New York there hangs
on the wall a fifty-dollar bill, framed first
by wide gray mat and edged with mar
row rim of scarlet plush picked out in
gold. Thereby hangs tale. One of the
Easter weddings last spring was that of
the young woman's sister. She married
civil engineer, who, straightway after
the manner of civil engineers, rushed off
to Arizona to survey a copper mine about
to be or already opened in that distant
Territory. His bride accompanied him,
and the sister was induced to go also for
purposes, as she put it, of travel, ex-
ploration and adventure
Things were not altogether bad out
among the Indians; the mine was on the
line of railroad; they had carried with
| them good many home belongings;
house was secured, such as it was, and a
more or less proper establishment set up.
The summer and the sisters stay were
nearly at an end, when one afternoon Mr..
Tom, the husband and brother-in-law,
| sent word from the works that the Eng
| lish member of the firm which was de-
veloping the mine had arrived suddenly
for few hours stay and he would bring
| him up to dinner. This announcement
created some CONSERVATION. The cook
was a half-breed, who was excellent
within his limits, but he knew nothing
| even of the rtIdiments of butlering. As
matter of fact the family were accus-
toned to dine en- buffet This, freely
| translated, means frequent trips on the
| part of one diner or another TO the chest
at the side of the room, which, by courtesy,
was called a sideboard. '.But an English
man, you know, NeI,' said Mrs. Tom,
plaintively, expects at dinner to be
served, if he takes that dinner in an In
dian jungle. With our canned soups and
Holsters and the superb joint which Mel
son can get up, we can offer q most pre-
sentable menu, but what shall we do for
some one to change the plates?''
Miss Nell immediately begged to take
the role for single appearance. sit Will
be no end of fun," she urged, ''and |
warrant neither you nor Tom nor the
| Englishman has ever been served as
shall serve you tonight. Pve always
contended it took high degree Of intelli-
gence to create perfect butler, or butler
css," she added with laugh, s'and I'd
immensely like to show what culture can
do with dinner tray"
In the end, though with many misgiy-
ings on Mrs. Toms part, the plan was ar
ranged. A note was dispatched to Mr..
Tom warning him not to mention his
sister-in-law in any way-that all would
be explained later. It was q few moments
after that guest had been welcomed that
a capped and aproned figure appeared in
the doorway announcing quietly "Din-
ner is served" Whatever Mr.. Tom may
have thought or felt he could not express;
could do nothing indeed but follow his
wife as the Engiishman handed her out.
Everything went beautifully in the din
ingroom. From soup to cheese the
serving was irreproachable. The guest, a
genial, companionable man of perhaps
80, was visibly affected by the skill and
general elegance of the waitress, and
Mrs. Tom caught several searching
glanceS thrown upon her maid. Nothing
Was said, however, till the close Of the he
dinner, when, the coffee having been
placed upon the table, the deft and de-
mure handmaiden withdrew. Then the
Englishman voiced his surprise that Mrs.
Tom could keep in this out-of-the- way
place such thoroughly-trained and
capable maid, whereupon Mrs. Tom,
knowing that her sister could retire no
further than the screen in the corner of
the room which concealed an emergency
buffers pantry, evolved for her benefit q
delightful little history.
Yes" she began slowly, slipping her
coffee, ELLEN is quite superior young
person. AS you have noticed she is in
telligent and refined much beyond her
station, really very well educated, too
And she is the heroine of a very pretty
little romance
At this juncture a slight rafting of
glassware behind the screen warned Mrs.
Tom that her story was taking effect, and
with a gleam of mischief, at which her
husband could have groaned aloud, she
proceeded: 'She is engaged to be mar
ried TO very estimable young man in
New York, [the sister, by the way, is a
fiancee,] the wedding day was set over a
year ago, when, six weeks before the
date arrived, the coming groom was
stricken blind in an hour. He has been
under treatment ever since, slowly re-
gaining his sight, and she, poor girl, is
saving every penny OF her wages against
the time when he mast leave the hospital.
l think she means to marry him as soon
as possible, and support him until he can
get work again. 1t is quite pathetic and
interesting-her devotion.
But Mr.. Tom could stand the strain no
longer, and proposed return to the
parlor. The Englishman, however, did
not drop the subject at once, asking a
number Of questions about Ellen and her
company" He left, as was expected.
soon after dinner, and Miss Nell was free
to pour the Walls of her wrath upon her
wicked sisters head, an occupation in
which she was ably seconded by Mr.. Tom
when he returned from escorting their
recent guest aboard his train.
The end, however, was not vet. Within
a fortnight Mrs. Tom received note
from the Engiishman, dated at New
York, in which he said that he had been
much impressed with the loyalty and
devotion of her maid, Ellen, who was
undoubtedly a most worthy young per-
son, and he went on to beg Mrs. Tom to
find some way to bestow the inclosed-a
fifty-dollar bill-upon her to aid her
courageous and praiseworthy effort.
Thus retribution came to Mrs. Tom.
She was overcome at what she had done.
and there was no comfortable way out of
it. 1t was impossible to explain to the
Englishman how he had been deceived.
Nor could the bill be plausibly returned
on the part of Ellen. There seemed
nothing to do but to keep it and thank
the donor, which Mrs. Tom accomplished,
it must be confessed, with much less
i than her usual grace. The bill hangs on
the wall of "Ellen's'' room to-day-a
double warning against theatricals in
private life and the utterance of pretty
romances which have no foundation in
fact.
Ancient Banking.
The origin of banks is not accurately
known, but they are of great antiquity.
They existed in China, Babylon, Greece,
Rome and in the cities of many other an
cient nations long before the opening of
tho Christian