The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-08-04
MY WIFE'S LEGACY.
Why We Didn't Get New House
and Furniture.

things" observed my wife, but i
Aunt Jane were to die. should not b.
bit surprised if she left us that old
fashioned set of silver that belonged tt
my great-grandparents."
Out of consideration for the printer
/ will omit indications of the emphasis
with which she usually spoke. If the
reader will kindly consider every SECOND
word printed in small caps or italics, ht
will have some faint idea of her manne,
of expressing herself.
''It is very handsome SET" re
turned, glancing about our modest din
ing-room, land will hardly accord with
our furniture"
'sIt wouldn't look at all well with
that sideboard," returned my wife
promptly, ''it's SO very shabby-oh, Of
course, mean the sideboard, not the
silver"
81 suppose, then, if such thing were
to happen, you would want new side
board"
She nodded.
81 saw lovely one down town to-
day; antique oak, beautifully carved. I
do admire oak SO much"
"But the rest of the furniture is wal
NUT objected.
"Walnut is altogether out of style,
she said, with disdainful glance at the
chairs which we had once admired;
land sideboard is SO much the most
expensive piece of furniture in dining
room that it doesn't cost much more to
J 10 thov inc fhof
piece. And even a walnut sidebeard.
new, would not look well with these
chairs and this table"
said nothing and the tacit surrender
was accepted by my wife Thenceforth
it was understood that if Aunt Jane
should bequeath us the silver, we were
to purchase new set Of dining-room
furniture.
The next evening. as we were again
| at dinner, my wife remarked:
II have been looking at carpets to-
day, and saw one that just suits me;
rich and subdued, you know"
Carpets l repeated, in some sur
prise 81 didn't know that there was
one needed this season.
"Why, stupid" rejoined my wife,
petulantly (the emphasis was all upon
the pet name), did we not agree that
the dining-room must be refurnished?
And this carpet is so old and worn, of
course it would not do with all new
furniture"
Again I acquiesced silently. and she
proceeded to make plans for meeting
me the next day, to examine and choose
the carpet and furniture to be pur-
chased later on. Well, if my wife's re-
lations left her handsome silver must,
of course, pro vide things in keeping
with it.
She met me according to appoint
inent, and, having inspected the arti-
cles, gave me to understand that my
taste was SO execrable as not to merit
moments consideration, and, an
nouncing her own choice, suggested
coolly:
"And now let us go and look at the
wall papers"
''Wall papers," echoed.
''Of course the room must be re-
papered if it is refurnished. As for the
"oOAVoAh NJ 4 SuDpOSC CiAClC ID IO AlClp
for that; it will just have to be re-
grained. Can they make that natural
wood finish on wood that has been
painted?"
stared aghast; that silver was going
to cost me a pretty sum. But l was
helpless. entirely SO; my wife had made
up her mind.
That evening she was much elated at
the prospect of being surrounded by
such things as she had that day Sc
lected. There was but one cloud on her
horizon.
The dining-room will be nicer than
the parlors." she remarked, plaintively;
I'm afraid they will look shabby"
1 said nothing, hoping that if she
were not contradicted she would not
pursue the subject furthe-. Vain hope.
She had fixed it in her own mind that
silence gave conseat. and when l came
home the next evening had assumed
that the parlors were to be newly fitted
up.
Don't you think" she said coaxing-
". that as long as the parlors and
dining-room are to be torn up. and we
are to have the painters and paper
hangers here, we might as we'll have
the whole house done? It would be
very little more trouble, aEi then it
will all look nice together, you know"
1T would be considerably more ex-
peusive." demonstrated.
You might draw the money out of
the building association" she sug-
gested.
''Our savings in that institution are
doomed" said to myself.
Aunt Jane fingered long time In
justice TO my wife, must admit she
had become oblivious OF the fact that
all these improvements depended upon
a legacy which could only be possessed
after the death of her venerable rela-
tive.
A day or SO after she had decided
that the house was to be thoroughly
renovated my wife said to me:
q have been examining the parior
carpets. and find by using the best parts
OF both. and buying wide border.
can get quite new carpet for our bed
room"
Can you. indeed" remarked with
pleased surprise.
There was one thing that she would
not want, anyhow.
ayes. and the carpet that is now on
Children Cry for
Pitchers Castoria.