Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-06-10
JUST ONE CENT SHORT.
Not Much, but 1t Caused q Lady Lot
of TrnuhIa.

Not Much, but 1t Caused q Lady Lot
of Trouble.
There are some things more embar-
RAISING than to simply be without
money. One of these is to be q
Harlem lady down town with four
cents. Nine miles from seventh
floor nest short one cent is worse
than Sheridan twenty miles away
ON thoroughbred horse. A lady
who lives in Harlem and is ac-
customed to spending her small
change in contiguous shopping dis
tricts found herself in this unfortu-
nate Nedicament day or two ago.
She didn't make the discovery until
she had reached the elevated plat
form to return home-then she al
most tainted. She had purchased an
evening paper as she came up and
was short just that one cent. She had
overtraded. She felt through every
thing composing her costume likely
to contain money, and added and sub
tracted, multiplied and divided, but
only the four cents remained. Con-
scious of the scowls of the cold, cynical
gateman and the curiosity Of those
who noticed her at all, she modestly
withdrew down the stair, not, how
ever, before gentleman had lifted
his hat politely and inquired if she
had lost anything.
"N-no; oh, no-thank you," she
had replied confusedly and got away.
She was neither good looking nor
young. 1t is painful to admit this,
but it is necessary for the truth Of
history and to show why she didn't
go right along through and have
half a dozen gentlemen to assist her.
Being neither good looking nor young
and accustomed to the seclusion Of
Harlem. she was exceedingly ti1nid
of the world that roars and seethes
in lower Broadway. 1t was after
o'clock and the few acquaint-
ances she could think Of had gone
home, she felt certain. When she
paused at the bottom of the elevated
steps her knees knocked together 80
violently 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 me9" said
the boy when this was suggested.
"rm giving you the paper, if you'll
give me back that cent n-need it
to go home, and"-(Oh, the humili-
ating confession
"Rats! Come off yer perch now, old
womanl amt no chumpI"
"Old woman" Gracious heavens |
All for one cent too-and she with O
bank account and husband with a
bank account and three children
with bank accounts. 1t was dread
full, but she was desperate. If this
boy wouldn't take back the paper
she would have to beg cent Of
somebody, and that--oh, dearl Such
horrible people do that every day
and nobody would believe herl She
pleaded with the boy to buy the
paper.
"Here-give me q paperp said a
man of the crowd gruf1y showing q
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 ne noted, half blindly, that
the hand was white and soft and the
fingers wore handsome rings. He
had reached the second step before
this got lodgment in his busy brain
and then he looked back and said;
"Well, I'm dashed l didn't know
there was 80 much money in the
newspaper business"
The poor, blushing lady, clutching
her cent hurried across to the other
stair and reached home to fail into
Mysteries when she told her husband.
And he, the brute, almost has hys-
terics every time he tells of it.-New
York Herald.