Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-02-15
HOW TO SAVE MONEY
TT WAS her private opinion that he was
not good business man, and possibly

expenditure OIL all LQGlE INCOME unless lie
simply threw money away, and yet when
ever she spoke to him on the subject he
attempted to figure it all out for her But
his explanations and figures had never been
satisfactory. There was always large bal
ance still unaccounted for after the heavier
items of expense had been enumerated, and
this he referred to as going fol the Incl
dentals of life. That was just it; those in
cidentals were wholly needless. 81 could
not for the life of her imagine what they
could possibly be that would take 50 much
money to buy. Out of their income they
/ should save at least $500 each year.
Il can handle the family finances better
than you" she was accustomed to say, and
she said it so often that he finally tod her
TO try it,
"Il have my personal account at the
bank put in your name," lie said, "and will
proceed to stand from under. All bills,
everything that pertains to our living ex-
penses, shall be attended to by you. will
draw certain amount each week for such
personal expenses as lunches and car fare,
with small allowance for something in the
liquid line occasionally, but you shall have
entire charge Of everything else"
Naturally she was jubilant. She hadn' t
put III ten years telling him how he could
save money without getting the idea that
she knew something about it. 1t took lit
tie time to have his book written up and
the account transferred to her, but finally
one evening he brought home a nice little
checkbook and told her it was all arranged
Then he instructed her in the mysteries Of
drawing checks, warned her not to over
draw the account and retired entirely from
the business management of their Joint af-
fairs
just about a week later she met him at
the office, late one afternoon, and went to
dinner with him. They had good dinner,
just such dinner as they had had on prev
Gus occasions when they had taken dinner
together downtown, and she enjoyed it
thoroughly, until he pushed the check for it
over to her.
whats that for?" she asked.
PAY it" he said.
"Well, guess | won't do any such
thing" she returned warmly You pay
it yourself
II haven't anything to do it with, he in
sisted. "Y ou'r re the cashier. You've start.
ed in to show me how to keep expenses
down, and naturally you'll find it no trick
at all if ! pay your bills. When | was max
ing you an allowance for your incidental
personal expenses | never expected you to
pay for dinners you took with me, did II"
She paid She felt that she was being
cheated in some way, but she paid, and then
she suggested, sarcastically, that she sup.
posed he would expect her to pay for the
theater tickets. too.
Certainly" he replied.
"Well, then we won't 60, she said.
"Just as you say" he returned pleasantly.
you're the financial manager"
| The ride home was not an especially en-
| joyable one, although he seemed to be in ex-
celent humor She was inclined to be mo-
rose, and she had not entirely recovered her
equanimity when he reached home the fol.
lowing evening.
"A bill for dozen shirts came to-day"
she said, shortly :" don't see why they ad-
dressed it to me"
Il charged them to you, lie explained.
I'm not running any accounts these days,
you know. Did you pay it,"
mo, didn't, and | won't"
90 you'd better" he urged
/ 1 L., =
You wouldn't have your poor husband
sued by a haberdasher, would you!' he
asked Just think how it would look.
"Weil, how do you suppose | am going
to save money ii | have to keep paying it
out like this" She demanded.
Il could have saved money myself if |
hadn't had 10 buy for both of Us" he an
sWered.
well, it isn't fair; that's all can say, .
she exclaimed, but she paid the bill, al
though she did it under protest
Things went along with comparative
smcothness for a few days after this, and
then one morning one Of the children asked
for 50 cents to get schoolbook.
GO to your mother" was the reply of the
man who had abdicated as the head of the
4 house
but haven't any change, She pro.
tested.
"A cashier should make it point always
to have change" lie said. You surely can't
expect me to buy the chldrcn's school
books out Of my pocket money.
She said he was a mean thing, but she had
TO get the change.
The following Sunday they all went to
take dinner with a relative in another part
of the city, and she had to pay the street
car fare on two lines Of cars for the whole
I family.
Then one night when hey were caught
out in the rain she had to pay for the car.
riage that brought them home, and she re.
marked rather bitterly that money Just
seemed to melt away. lie admitted that he
had had somewhat that same experience
with it when he was handling the cash.
After that she paid the bills for two morn.
ing papers that he took, for cleaning and
pressing a suit of clothes, for a new hat, for
four necktes, and for two pairs Of rubbers
that she thoughtlessly asked him to get for
the children
In time she began to brood over these mat
tiers. 1t seemed to her as if lie were always
asking for money in trihing amounts to pay
for things that she had never been bothered
about before, or else was bringing home
bills And somehow, in many ways, he did
not seem to be as attentive as he had been
formerly. So it happened that one night
he found her on the verge Of tears.
You used to bring me home flowers oc.
casionally," she said, "and you never used
to let me go out anywhere without them, and
-and-and when we went 10 the Browns
for dinner night before last, | was the only
woman there without corsage bouquet or
a flower in her hair. You don't know how
badly ! felt, but ] was too proud to say
anything about it.
why, my DEAR" he protested, Il didn t
know you wanted any flowers"
"1ou know always like flowers" she re,
torted. I'm passionately fond of them, and
and you've never forgotten that before"
But you didn't give me any money to
get them with" he explained, 'and didn' t
feel like charging them to you"
For a minute there was doubt as to
whether it would be tears or flashing eyes.
Then she went over to her little desk, picked
up her check book and threw it on the floor
at his feet.
Take your old check book" she ex-
claimed 81 don't want to have anything
to do with it. | don't want to manage any.
thing"
Except me, he put in.
And the next night he brought her home
a fine large bouquet Of roses.-N. y Sun.
Robbed The Grave
\ startling incident, Of which Mr.
John Oliver Of PHILADELPHIA was the