The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-02-18


novelists say.
That night he was glum all supper
time, and afterwards buried himself in
the day before's newspaper till bedtime.
When morning came, he fingered about
after breakfast was over, with no os-
tensible reason, at last made feint Of
starting. and then came back again.
''Oh, by the way" he said, with a
fine air of carelessness, II had to bor-
row some money yesterday"
slow much?" asked his better half,
with a little blush.
Five dollars"
"What for?" trembled on Mrs. Della
meters lips, but she did not say it. She
simply handed him the exact sum.
II guess you'd better let me have q
little for car fares while you're about
it"
A tcn-cent piece was carefully select
ed and laid in his palm.
Mr.. Delnmeter did not forget his
straitened condition that day. He re-
membered it, of course, when he sent
the bill to his friend; he felt it when
he passed fruit stand on which were
displayed some particularly fine
oranges; it was recalled to his atten-
ton when the little lame boy with
candy made his usual rounds of the
office; it was painfully present to his
mind when a man with a subscrip-
ton paper whercon figured the name
OF Delameter came to collect the
money subscribed; and the lack was
keenly appreciated when he had to
forego buying his usual evening paper.
The third day he braced mp, and
with reluctance he was wholly una
BILE to conceal requested the means
wherewith to buy pair of light trous-
ers.
The fourth day was Sunday. Mr..
Delamcter thought Of the contribution
box, and decided he wouldn't attend
church. His head felt badly, he said
The fifth day the grocer called at the
Office for his pay, and Mr.. Delameter,
mumbling something about pocket.
book" and ''other pants" sent him to
the house.
The sixth day Mrs. Delameter, with
unlooked-for generosity, gave him fifty
cents when he asked for car fare, and
on the strength of this he hailed man
with strawberries, on the way home at
night, bought two boxes. and found he
was six cents short.
The seventh day Mr.. Delameter real
lied that the experiment was not work
ing quite in the way he meant it should,
so he pulled himself together and bold
ly asked for a ten-dollar bill.
"What for?'' queried his wife, as
though with an effort
'I-well, want to get pair OF
boots"
Mems boots come high, don't
they?' fa1tered Mrs Delameter, with
an artificial smile, as she opened her
pocketbook.
"Oh, the boots won't be more than
four dollars, probably, but guess can
make away with the rest"
Mrs Delameter hesitated. blushed,
bit her lip. then slowly handed out
two two-dollar bills and a silver half
dollar.
II guess that will do you, this time. I"
she murmurcd, with downcast eyes.
Mr.. Delameter gIared at her and
made as though he would cast the
money from him. Then suddenly he
seemed to recollect something and a
brilliant red color famed up from the
edge of his white shirt collar to the
roots of his hair. He jammed the
money viciou sly into his breast pocket,
made use of some word indicative OF
extreme anger and flung himself out of
the house, slamming the door with
great vehemence behind him.
Mrs. Delameter threw herself face
downward on the lounge and cried and
cried. The terrible fear that she had
offended him beyond forgiveness and
that he would never return to her as
sailed her at intervals all through the
day.
when Mr.. Delameter did actually
come home at the usual hour she hard
~ dared raise her eyes to his face. But
he was very quiet, did not slam things
and hardly looked pp from his food all
tea time.
When Mrs. Delamcter had cleared up
the dishes, she slipped up behind her
husband as he sat in the bay-window,
with his elbows on his knees, his face
between his hands, and his eyes on the
carpet, and dropped the bone of con-
tention, the pocketbook, into his lap.
and fed.
He caught her dress before she had
fed very far, and drew her back.
Fannie" he said, with whimsical
seriousness, do you believe there is
money enough in this pocketbook to
induce some muscular man to kick me
all deserve to be kicked?"
'.Oh, Tom!'' sobbed Mrs. Delameter,
''can you ever forgive me? You don't
know how hated to be SO hatefull"
"Oh, come now! Doyou pretend to
say you didn't enjoy it?"
.Of course didn'tp' was the indig-
nant answer; aud then Mr.. Delameter
threw his head back, and laughed and
laug he'd.
Finally he sobered down. well, IS
he said, in a very business-like way.
now we'll have this thing dxed up.
Have You any idea how much our house.
hold expenses are?"
II have kept account of that, and OF
my personal expenses" said Mrs Della
meter, bringing him the book. but !
did not know how much you earned or
how much your expenses WERE"
Mr.. Delameter glanced at the neat