Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-09-03
SHE LACKED A PENNY.
uow Lady with a Bank Account Had to
Act As Newsboy


There are some things more embar-
ralsing than to simply be without
money, says New York paper One
Of these is to be Harlem lady down
town with four cents Nine miles
from seventh floor nest and short
one cent is worse than Sheridan 20
miles away on thoroughbred horse.
A lady who lives in Harlem and is
accustomed to spending her small
change in contiguous shopping dis
tricts found herself in this unfDrtun-
ate predicament day or two ago.
She didn't make the discovery until
she had reached the platform Of the
elevated railroad to return home
then she almost tainted. She had
purchased an evening paper as she
came up and was short just that one
cent. She had overtraded. The
amount was small, but the deal was
quite as disastrous in her case as il
she had been short 500 shares of Read
ing when the coal combine got hold
of it. She felt through everything
composing her costume likely 10 con-
tain money, and added and subtract
ed and multiplied and divided, but
only the four cents remained. Con-
scious of the scowlS of the cold, cynl-
cal gateman and the curiosity of those
who noticed her at all, she modestly
Withdrew from the stair, not how
ever, before a gentleman lifted his
hat politely and inquired il she had
lost anything.
''N-no; oh, no!--thank Youl" she
had replied confusedly, and got away.
She was neither good-looking nor
young. 1t is painful to admit this,
but 1t is necessary for the truth Of
history and to show why she didn't
90 right along through and have n
dozen gentlemen to assist her. Being
neither good looking nor young ana
and accustomed to the seclusion of
Harlem, she was exceedingly timid OF
the world that roarS and seethes in
lower Broadway 1t was after
o'clock. and the few acquaintance
she could think of had gone home,
she felt certain. When she paused
at the bottom of the elevated steps
her knees knocked together 50 yio-
lently she could hardly stand up. Her
first thought was the boy who sold
her the paper-perhaps he'd take it
back.
awe! wat are ye given me?" said
the boy when this was suggested.
'1'm giving you the paper if you'll
give me back that cent-In-need it to
go home, and"-(Oh, the humilia-
ting confession9
''Ratsl Come off yer perch now,
old womanl | amt no chump"
"Old woman" Gracious heavens!
All for one cent, too-and she with
bank account and a husband with
a bank account and three children
with bank account 1t was dread
full, but she was desperate. II this
boy wouldn't take back the paper she
would have to beg one cent of some
body, and that-oh, dear! Such hor-
rble people do that every day and
nobody would believe her! So she
pleaded with the boy to buy the pa
per.
AiCiC = llO lIC a pdDCl. Sdli d hIdu
of the crowd, grufiiy showing a cent
into her hand He had just come
along and caught at the first paper
extended as he made for the stairs;
but as he put the penny in her hand
he noted, half ilindly, that the hand
was white and soft and the fingers
wore handsome rings, He had
reached the second step before this
got Judgment in his busy brain, and
then he looked back and said:
"Well, Pm dashed! didn't know
there was so much money in the
newspaper business"
The poor blushing lady, clutching
her cent, hurried across TO the other
stair and reached home to fall into
| Mysteries when she told her husband.
And he, the brute, almost has hYster-
les every time he tells of it,