The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-10-12
Those Horrid Figures

ndn0 TO Qer 0edO, anu With pcuCii
in the other hand adding up col
umn of figures, which she counts
aloud and on her fingers. The table
is strewn with sheets of paper; she
has school arithmetic in front OF
her and an account book).
go and six makes As and
eight SO, and then the rs ] had over
after dividing by that IS
(she throws down the pencil in de-
spair, and getting up from the table
presses both her hands to her fore
head).
"Oh, these figures! / always have
had a horror of figures > 1t
was a presentiment, 1 am sure. At
school hated adding up, and / never
tried to, either; never opened an
arithmetic if I could help it.
"And married young, and thought
this horrid nightmare of mine was
over at last. Jack certainly never
talked to me about such detestable
things when we were engaged
(sighing).
after we had been married about
six months, though, he said to me one
morning: Il have about 500 pounds
that want to put out. / shall have
to see about it. 1t seems there is Q
good affair just now in China; their
loan at 3H per cent
"'Oh, Jack!' / exclaimed, China!
Do you mean you would have to go
to Gilman
"Jack roared with laughter at my
distress, but he was in reality great
ly fiattered, know.
"'Do just as you like said, feel
ing rather mortified; 'you never take
my opinion seriously, and besides l
do not know in the least what you
mean with your three per cent
three what? For hundred whatT
"He took the trouble to explain,
but he still looked amused.
"a hundred pounds that I should
give, and then at the end of the year
they would give me three.
"The fragrant injustice OF such a
proceeding scandalized me.
"sYou would give them hundred
pounds and they would give you
three pounds!' / interrupted. Thank
you, and you call that good thing!
You would certainly do better to
keep your 500 pounds; there are plen-
ty of things we could buy with it.
should like to know what would be
the good of three pounds"
"The more / argued the more Jack
laughed; it was perfectly ridiculous
He only stopped every now and then
to kiss me and to tell me that l was
the most charming wife in the whole
world. But for the next six months
he never attempted to talk to me
about figures and money matters.
"A. the end of that time one day
when l was rocking little Jacqueiins
to sleep my husband came in thu
room and put on my lap an exercise
book with a green cover, this very
one (picking up the account book OF
the table), and making very CRANE
little speech he began to tell me ina
now as mistress of the house and
mother of family must begin t.
keen an account of our expenses ant
try to put by some money for oul
little girl.
any nightmare was to begin again
Until then / had been able to hav'
whatever wanted, and had never beef
troubled about the price of anything
Jack went on to explain that l hat
been spending great deal, and that !
was better for me to begin and learl
the value of money, and that for tn
sake of our child, etc.
"The first two months Of this new
arrangement I had great success
perfect triumph, in fact. l had mo-
spent all the money; there was SOM
left in the drawer at the end OF eacl
month, and this was put by for littl'
Jacqueline.
"To-day is the end of my thir'
month, and found this morning tina
I had only seven-pence-halfpenny, ant
on adding up my expenses in the greer
book it certainly seemed to me that
had spent rather large sum
. hundred pounds it was altogether
felt sure Jack would grumble
figures are so alarming when ono
they are added up.
During luncheon / was as pleasan
as could possibly be, hoping that M
husband would take it all in good part
and as passed him the radishes ! pu
on my most irresistible smile as / said
Jack, do you know have not saved
farthing this month; just think of i
have spent hundred pounds
"Jack dropped the radishes onto hi
plate and looked at me as though b
were thunderstruck.
IA hundred pounds! Did you sa
q hundred pounds? No, you are jol