Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1895-01-04
is, than a house fun Of sacrinces With,

is, than q house full Of sacrifices with,
strife"
Their dinner of herbs" was grow.
ing than they thought.
Roderick one day came In from q
call on Mr.. Maclagan whose hospital
tiles they had also shared, and ST.
lence, with her sweet nature and wide;
power of sympathy, had persisted that
even Mrs. Maclagan was, when you
came to know her, not 50 black as she
was painted. Mr.. Maclagan, Roderick
allowed, was always liked and Ikea
ble-till now. She saw Immediately
that something had gone seriously.
wrong.
"What is 1t? Your mother?"
mo, dear; not my mother this tinse.
She is well and happy in England. I
may safely forget her, us she does me.
1t is only-oh, Silence! did you eve
know what it was to owe a lot of mon
ey and not have a half-penny to pay 1t
with? At least, l don't mean we are
Mt our last half-penny, but we-that is,
I-have been spending a good deal
more than l ought, and Maclagan has
just told me so, and-but this is child
ish-you must not heed it, darling"
perturbation.
He leaned his head on mis- hands in
deep depression. Silence came and
knelt beside him. She was very young,
very childish. or childlike, in many
things, and hitherto her husband had
treated her like a child; IN idol, GER
rainly, but still q child. Now their
positions seemed reversed. He looked
up Mt her for a moment, then laid his
head on her shoulder with q sigh of re-
lief.
ooh, it would be such a comfort to
tell you everything"
do SO, then"
The Everything" was not very SO
rious, but it seemed SO to him, who had
never in his life known what it was
to want anything he wished for.
81 am nm idiot, I know l am, to feel
so keenly the lack of q few pounds;
but I never vas used to this sort of
thing. Michigan asked me to show him
my accounts Why, I never kept ac-
counts in all my days! My mother
allowed me so much q year, or half
year. I.spent 1t, and when it was done
I came to her for more. Not that I was
extravaganza; she knew that-but, oh,
Silence! money seems to slip through
my fingers in the most marvellous way.
AS Maclagan told me, and I could not
deny it, l no more know how to make
the best of q small income than If I
We're n baby. Do you?"
He looked up in such a piteously
helpless fashion that she could have
smiled, had she not felt so infinitely
derness which is born of utmost ever
ence. Without any urging she answer
ed simply, Suppose 1 try" and be-
gan looking over the mass of papers
before him, and which he himself re-
garded with an expression almost of
despair. Poor fellow! lie had got into
what women call "a regular muddle;"
like many another man who, neg
lecting ordcspising the small economies
which result in large comforts, and
regardless of the proportion of things
and the proper balance of expenditure,
drifts away into endless worries, anx-
AStlSSS SOAAClAAAlSS lltlO dtUSOluIc IulIly
and all for wan of the clear head, the
firm, careful hand, and, above all, tho
infinite power of taking trouble, which
is essentially feminine.
Roderick watched his wife slowly
untying the Gordian knot, which he,
man-like, would have liked to dash his
sword through.
"What patience you have!" lie said.
"Do throw it all aside. You must be
very tired"
"Oh, no; it is my business; 1 ought
to have undertaken it before. MY
mother used to say it was the mans
part to earn the money, the woman's
to use it. I cam, a little. Mamma let
me keep house ever since 1 was IL.
L managed all her affairs. Perhaps, If
you would let me try"
"To manage mine, and me?"
"No" a little Indignantly. 81 am
afraid I should despise the man 1 man.
aged But 1 would like to take my
fair half of the work of life. Yours is
outside, mine inside. Will that do? Is
it a bargain?
"My love. yes"
"Now"-with a pretty imperiousness
-"you must give me all the money you
have. and all the bills you owe, and
tell me exactly how much you have n
year. Then, take q book and read. No"
passing her hand owe his forehead,
which was burning hot--"go and lie
down for an hour. When you wake up
you shall find all right"
lro BE coSTIruED.i