The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-08
GOOD MONEY AND BAD
Mrs. Zoe Anderson Norris
Writes From Paris.
AN EFFORT AT ECONOMY
And the Cost of a Bad Five
Franc Gold Piece.

nave " IOok dIter anu lHS t"V Shilling
piece. There is so little difference you
see, in appearance, at least, though there
is the difference of six pence in value
The half crown is two shillings and six.
There is a cross on one of them; but
when you are in hurry who is going to
stop to look for crosses? Nobody. And
that's where they get you.
This is their little game. You lay a
half crown down on the counter and I'M
less you keep your finger glued to it, say
ing meantime in loud voice: This is a
half crown they snatch it before you
can blink an eye and declare you have
given them a two shilling piece, which,
naturally, being two shilings only, leaves
you six pence short. The trick is an old
one. 1t is played principally on Ameri-
cans, those rich Americans who come
over here scattering their money broad
cast and leaving the trail So difficult for
us poor creatures who have to look out
for the pennies while the pounds fly. An
old man with two front teeth and no
hair to speak of spoilt my trip to Rot
ting dean with a trick like that. OF
course it wasn't the six pence cared so
much about, but the principle Of the
thingi
1t is wise to keep sharp eye on the
ten shilling gold piece in England also
1t is exactly the same size of the six
pence. OF course it is a different color
gold, and the other silver; but they look
the same in the dark. One night coming
home from Victoria station 1 gave the
cabby his fare. one and six; that is. I
was under the impression had given him
one and six for the moment. He held
the money close to his nose, examining it
with an eagle eye on the lookout for ex-
tras. Then he drove off at a marvel
lousy rapid rate for a London cabby.
Before he sped out of sight he thanked
me for the one and six. The resonance
of that voice of his! 1t remained with
me for weeks. It visited me in my
dreams. Upon examination of my purse
1 discovered that had generously given
| him a gold ten and six. 1 never saw him
again.
1T is bad enough in London, but here
in Paris you must keep your eyes skin
ned all the time. The town is flooded
with bad money. There are bad francs
and bad half francs; there are francs
dated before the republic that are conse-
quently no good and there are francs
dated after the republic that are worse.
If Napoleon the Third has crown on
the money is all right If he hasn't it is
all wrong. Most of the time he hasn't
the ghost of a crown 1t has gone where
the woOdbine twineth. Then there is the
bad five-franc piece: and of all the bad
the worst. 1t is Sicilian, or it is Spanish
or it is South American. 1t is everything
but good. On some of them there is a
lady standing up; on others she is sit
ting down If she is standing up the
piece is good; if she is sitting down it is
bad
" But how in the name of goodness
says the boy from Sheecaygo, are you to
tell, coming home in the dark about
o'clock Of a morning, with a dozen or
moro American cocktails ABOARD, whether
the blooming lady is standing up or sit
ting down You can't. And that's where
they nail you
They nailed me. too, but not at
o'clock in the morning This was how 1t
happened: You see I spend all my
spare change, and more. on that kodak
of mine. 1t is a gourmand that thing
1t eats money. The chocolates 1 might
have had, the peppermints the handker-
chiefs and neckties with the money that
went for developing baths and dishes
with spouts in one corner and films They
would fill rooms. It is strange the hold a
kodak gets on you. Many time l have
walked miles to save up sufficient cab
fare for a set of films. I rarely take a
cab. I go on top OF those elephant
BUSES where it is cheap, or I foot it for
the sake of the kodak. 1 had paid out
so much money for toring baths that I
put in a mild complaint 10 the girl who
waited on ne at the Place vendome
The machine will break me I said.
This is the third time in three weeks
that I have bought toning baths at one
franc fifty the hath. At this rate I shall
shortly become a financial wreck. I wish
1 had never seen the thing
Aware of the fact that a small for
tune had passed from my hands To hers.
she put ON a look that was grieved. She
thought awhile, then suggested rene
dy. There was a toning bath that
could mix myself. she said. very rea-
sona5le toning bath. must get 50 much
>.
posulphite Of soda 1 must put the ore
into a large bottle and Al the bottle with
water / must put the other into another
large bottle and iii that bottle with wa
ter. Then, when I wanted my bath all
I had to co was TO pour little out q
each into my measuring glass, mix the
two together and pour them into the dlsa.
and there I was. Cheap, The whole
thing wouldn't cost ne two francs fifty
Il that. and it would last me for months
and months.
Imagine my delszht Now could a.
ford = cantIiad pear. maybe, o. one of
those little cherry pies IN the window %
the de&catessen rear the pension tha;
are worth their weigh; IN gold She +
gave ne the address ~ a chemist n the
Rue de "A Pepeniere. That Ltue old
chemist. I went Eally aIong the bolve- /
ward, buoye,3 Up by hope. turrsd the cor-
ner and entered his shop. light q step /
and joyful az heart Yo1 see. / dlIn'.
know. He PCT the gold up IN q. bottle I
about the size q ny thuHsS nalE ne 1
hypo IL small square paper and 81 ed I
me- two francs Gtty. 7 knsE ABOUT that 4
dfty. / expected u Like tae poor. 81 X 4
always with yoa in Paris. just a. in Eng 4
land everything y3a Buy is one and SIX. /
Two and SIX. ave and * 81 seven and 4
SIX. Tasy couldn't IKE ~ tae SIX T. /.
they tried y you descend 10 Eence Il = 1
stxP=ncs ard three 1aTtaLnES Those |
fart ainEsi
7 handed the Igts3s osd wretch zen
francs il gos5 F5e gave ne 5arEs and /
festive hve-f-azc ptecs VITA feE osAsr 1
francs ard re-t 81 ny VIZ -esalesng
Later. az the Bon Ma-cgss. Ire asye-t-ssc
rSese Vas rejected with scgru-
- Nest pas 6cr-' said shz raa1 ~ TIE