The age-herald., 1898-01-02

to bring around, so what was to be gained
 by delay?
 The clerk looked at him. and he felt as if
 he was being pittied He didn't care to
 have any one think that $1, or even $5, more
 or less, cut any figure with him at all, so
 with the air of plutocrat he stepped up at
 last, picked out the costliest train in the stock and said they'd take it. Mrs Murkle looked at him for a mo- ment as if she feared he had lost his senses, but she was good enough to say nothing, and thus save him from further humilia- tion.
 So they went from one counter to an- other, and at every one John Murkle made
 d. purchase Why did the clerks-most of them good-looking girls-take such pains to wait on him, if they didn't expect him to buy? There was nothing little or mean
 in the makeup of John Murkle. Better, he said to his protesting wife, buy the things they wanted, even if they found it neces- sary to pay stiff prices for them than go trailing around through all the shops in town and then. in order to save few cents, pack home lot of traps that would not be what they had started after, any way.
 When 1t came to purchasing a music-box MT. Murkle proved easy mark for the sprightly maiden who in charge of that branch of the establishment. "Of course" she said, with a knowing glance and the sweetest smile at her com mand, "you don't want anything cheap" l Well, hardly! John Murkle pushed out | his chest and said:
 "Oh. no: nothing of that kind. Whats the price of the best one you've got? They had all kinds, and he finally picked out one that cost s13. If his wife had told him before they went in that he would pay more than 75c for music box he'd have | thought she was crazy. But he wanted l the people in that store to understand that 1 he could buy the whole establishment if he | felt like it, and, after awhile, his wife merely stood back while he went ahead and spent his money like a prince. Some how it made him feel good to do this. | Clerks rushed hither and thither for the purpose of showing him everything that he expressed a desire to examine; the floor | walkers hurried after him and begged that l he would let it be known if there was any, | thing that he wanted and couldn't find. so i that they might order it especially for him. | and finally the junior partner himself came | out of his office and helped to wait on MT. Murkle.
 l After it was all over and the Murlsles were at home again Mrs. Murkle timidly asked Mr Murkle how much he had squan- dered.
 Then he f1ared up.
 "Now, Mabel" he said whats the use being little about such things? Christmas comes but once a year. I suppose if you had been alone you'd have paid out your money for lot of fiimsy gewgaws and jimcracks that the children would have thrown aside in week after they'd got them. You women have very crude ideas about economy"
 "Yes, I suppose so," she cruelty replied; ''but you thought $15 was more than you | could afford to pay for toys last year, and now you spend nearly five times that amount, just because you wanted a few girls who have already forgotten that they ever saw you to think that you were millionaire"
 Mr. Murkle then brought his fist down savagely upon the tea table; said that he believed women actually hunted for things that would be likely to make them jealous; swore by all that was holy that he would never, never go shopping any more, and declared that he would fight if Christmas toys were ever mentioned to him again.