Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-08-26
A SLIGHT MISTAKE.

\ SLlGHI MISTAKE.
 Lillian Axton was a silly little affec- tionate woman who loved her husband and whose husband loved her. They were recently married, but not so re- gently that Tom Axton had not time to find out that his wife had absolutely no head at all for finance. She could not keep accounts. They bewildered her and always ended ill a hopeless muddle. She was like the woman who, being urged to keep some account of her ex- penditure, triumphantly showed her husband her book with the two entries on the debtor and creditor side, Re ceived. $50" and Spent, $50" and who was exceedingly pleased to see that the $50 on the one side balanced the $50 on the other.
 Lillian had the most vague idea about checks. It seemed to her that if book was filled with unused checks their bank account therefore was unlimited.
 Now. there are two things for a man to do when he finds himself in such sit uation as Tom Axton found himself. One of the things is wise, and one of the things is foolish. If he is foolish man, he will endeavor to teach his wife how to keep accounts. If he is a wise man, he will simply make up his mind to earn more money and let the accounts go. So Tom Axton. being wise, bothered his wife very little about accounts, but set tied the bills when they came in as well as he was able and bent his energies to- ward the accommodating of good and re liable balance at the bank.
 And so things went on very comforta- bly, ar pleasantly until winter set in.
 One night when Tom came home Mrs. Lillian, who was a most transparent kind of woman. began conversation on the subject of sealskin jackets. She said that they were the most economical gar mcntS; that woman with a sealskin coat was always well dressed; that the apparent costliness of the garment was delusion; that a woman who had be slowed upon her sealsl1in sack at the beginning of hard winter had little else to ask for until the spring. Tom listened gravely and finally said:
 There is nothing personal in all this talk. is there?"
 Lillian averred that there was not and indignantly repudiated the insinuation that she was thinking about herself at all. She was merely interested in the subject in q general way. And Tom said quietly:
 Lillian. my dear, what is the price of the particular garment you have been looking at:'
 At this point in the conversation she came over and sat upon his knee, and at last Tom received the information that perfectly lovely sealskin coat could be had for $20O. which was worth. at the very lowest figure, $300.
 In that case" said Tom, it is rather pity not to buy it." and she admitted with some reluctance that it was a shame to let such a chance go by.
 Tom did some figuring and found that check for $2OO would be honored at his
 bank and leave still little credit re- maining.
 His uvercoat was on next morning and he was just about to depart for his office when he opened the drawer of the table in his room. took out his checkbook and wrote a check to the order of his wife for $2oO.
 Mrs. Lillian was ovcrjoyed, but Tom waS away before she could thank him. hr looked at the check with the ink Jill wet upon it, waved it for moment in the air to dry it and then held it lightly with its face toward the open
 fire that was blazing on the hearth. How it happened she never knew, but the check gave a little curl at the corner | and burst into q flame in her hand. She dropped il, tri, to snatch it again. but
 the charrcd remnants escaped up the | chimney.
 l Mrs. Lillian's face became @s white 2s
 the ashes on the hearth. and she sank
 into the armchair beside the fire. cover-
 ing her face with Ter hands. Tom AXtOn was q somewhat stohd, quiet, industrious, unsuSpiCious man. He frequently thought his wife trife | Il &l,. I.