The record-union., 1894-02-17


stuff to tureen, whisked the kettle un-
der the water faucet, and innocently and
half sadly asked
| "No chance with the syndicates?"
| Dick was now smoothing his hair at the
kitchen glass and adjusting his cuffs and
collar. He looked at Dot long and
thoughtfully. Then he FURNISHED his
glasses briskly with his handkerchief,
set them squarely on his nose, took an
other good look at the little woman,
marched straight to her, took her pink
ears firmly in his fingers, gave her fore
head plying sort OF kiss, and then re-
marked more disconsolately than he had
ever spoken to her in all his life:
'Dot, wife? Now don't you know,
Dot, that the syndicate handle only
razor back humor and Gallmadge SER
mons?"
Poor, dear Dick" said Dot despair
| ingly, but with loving smile shining
through her gathering tears. but
come, supper's ready. You ring the
bell, Dick. I'll be there in a moment"
She really waited to dry her eyes and
chase back the olden smiles in their
place, as Dick. after a bit OF rOmp with
Bob and Nellie, tapped the little table
bell with rattling staccato, and, as the
| ladies appeared from the "best room," as
far as possible from each other, stately
saluted them and escorted them, one by
one, over the intervening four feet OF
| space to their respective seats at the
| table.
"Glad to see you in such spirits, moth
ers." began Dick heartily after grace had
been said.
My spirits aren't worth minding,
Richard," said Mrs. Hardy, the elder,
with a groan.
'Pve got none to brag on, thank
ye," rejoined Mrs. Stevens with toss OF
her head.
Don't. mother. please" said Dot, as
she poured the fragrant tea.
''Oh, they'r just joking us, Dot. Didn't
| you see them wink?" persisted DICK
merrily, while serving the steak, pota-
| toes and gravy.
Its no joke to be cooped up like this,
to ennybody that's ever had anything, as
| said to Mrs. Hardy jest afore supper"
snorted Mrs. Stevens gulping down her
tea.
No. am it's no joke, Richard, to be
held down by Others" retorted the elder
Mrs. Hardy the bit of steak at the end Of
her fork rembling in unison with the
quivering frjlls at the edge Of her cap.
But DICK rallied them again and again
until the old ladies, despite themselves
melted into an attitude sufficiently toler-
ative to permit of each partaking of a
hearty meal. Then, as usual from long
habit, they scourged the distracted couple
for a time with their personal ailments;
Haunted the aSperitieS of life without
competence and amplitude, such as was
their wont in their own good old days;
upbraided Dick and Dot because the farm
home, up the Hudson, had not already
been secured as had long been promised;
made Bob and Nellie very miserable
about their manners and their books,
and, finally, by accident, hit upon their
ever blessed recourse OF WranglIng upon
the eXhauStleSS subjects Of Justification
and immersion" which were still Bit
terly upon their poor old lips as they
closed in slunber in their single beds at
opposite sides Of the "beSt room," giving
Dick and Dot longed-for opportunity to
stow away the children in the folding
bed in the Same room near the dining
room door, push the table over against
the mantle, pile the chairs upon it, and
| let down from the partition wall their
own creaking, folding bed for the night
Now, Dot, dear, for that plan of
yours" said Dick eagerly when they
were alone. do you know that thrust
After we had paid eighteen hundred doll
ars, and four hundred dollars more would
have saved it, lbs awful, DotW
"Is the mortgage foreclosed, Dicks"
mo; but might as well be. -Four hun
dred dollars, or four hundred cents, it is
all the same"
"Dick, are you brave man? Ismean
morally brave, dear?'
TRY me and see."
"If l asked you to sacrifice something
something almost as dear to your heart,
to your very life, as your children, as
as your wife, Dick, do you think you
could do it now; now, husband, when
there might be happiness, prosperity,
perhaps even the little farm yet Tor us,
| ,baro hn nld fnll inhf ha
well, just little more room, Dick, and
where we could at least be safe from this
horror of deception, of want, Of being
turned into the very street, Dick? Could
you? Would you?"
She had never talked like this to him
before, and he looked at the little mite Of
woman beside him in amaZement. But
he also rubbed his glasses furiously and
nodded his head determinedly.
| She tripped into the kitchen and almost
instantly returned with a curious little,
apparently legless table in her hand.
| With a few dextrous movements its
hinged, crossed legs came into place with
click, it's hinged, detached, stout cross
bar Joined, and with a little jump she
| landed herself in sitting posture upon
the table,
"Isn't it lovely, Dick? And stout?
NY! Just see here!" She gave herself a
vigorous shake. did little sewing for
Mrs. Jack Plane, eleventh floor front,
and her husband-he's cabinet maker,
Dick-made this for me; mean for you,
Dick.'
"Chocolates? Jumping frogs? Sea-
| beans? Jewelry? Playing cards? Lamp
chimney cleaners? Horseradish? What
what line, Dot?'' he inquired lugubri-
ously.
She pointed to huge piles of books
upon shelves above the doorways, piled
upon the mantel, dangerously crowded
upon the top of the folding bed and
! stacked high, where the bookcase had
been, along the hallway partition wall.
"Gewhillikens."
| Richard Hardy, literator, sprang into the
circumscribed atmosphere of his little
dining-room as though an explosion
| had occurred in Eighth Floor, Rear, flat
below.
By the time he was on his feet again,
| Dot had one arm around him and was
| leading the dazed writer to this pile of
| books and that: but the poor fellow could
not see rightly for a little, and Dot went
on soothingly and bravely with her plan.
II knew it would almost break your
heart, Dick; not the standing in the street
you're too much OF a man to be ashamed
of that-but letting your treasures go into
other hands: almost as if they were Bob
and Nellie, Dick. Dear, dear old books!
How we have loved them! But | knew,
! in this dreadful hard times choice of
sacrifices, you'd only have TOTO think of
it, just once, Dick. Why, you must have
paid thousands of dollars for them. [
| have been all over them; just Sl4 volumes.
And just look here, husbandl I've got all
these pretty price-marks lettered and
ready. Some of the single volumes ought
to pay months rent of this flat. Land
| lords pressing us too, Dick. And found
some real little curios, if the right folks
only come along. No use at the second
hands, Dick, dear, forgive me! but
Pve tried them; just to get prices, you
know. Not buyin', NOM; nor sellin'
neither!' was the reply from all. But
| along Printing House Square. or Park