The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-26
ECONOMICAL.
BY OPIE READ.

It was the dread of old Mrs. Tolli yer. possessed of millions, that her son might not marry to suit her. That he might not marry to suit himself and might thereby be made miserable for life did not appeal to her. Once in a while she discovered some scare-crow of society or some freckle-face in ob- scure life whom she fancied would make John good wife, and the young man. mortally afraid of offending her, was forced to beg piteously. But now was approaching the time when she know that he ought to settle his emotions as she termed it. So inn portant a step could not much longer be put off. The old lady owned rail- road stock. sugar stock, oil stock great blocks of buildings and large holdings in several railroads but she was niggardly almost to the degree of shabbiness. Sometimes she would threaten John with a nephew, to whom she vowed she would leave her pos sessions. and the young fellow was kept in a constant state of fear.
 Now. if you think you are going to marry one of those high-flyers," she said one day, you are wrong. Oh, 1t would be just the thing for one of the butterflies to stick her feeiers into the honey I have gathered, but I won't have it. What was I when your fath- CT married me-a butterfly? Well, reckon not, I worked in a mill do you understand that? In a cotton mill, and 1 did my work so we'll that the owner of the mill married me. Sup pose he had married one of those gauge things, What would have been the result? She woul dhave ruined him, that's all. But as it vas I helped him to make more. And now. once for, all, let me say that you are going to marry to suit me. What does love affair amount to? The divorce court, I say, One ounce of common sense is worth more than a whole sky full of your love. your sighs and looks of distress. Don't you try to argue with me-"
 T won't mother
 You'd better not. I have a nephew, you remember, and you may think you can break my will, but I'll show you how draw up one that can't be broken
 T wouldn't attempt to break your will. mother-"-----
 Then don't try to set it aside be- fore I pass away. Gracious knows l shall go soon enough"
 Yes, mother" John sighed.
 You won't have me with you al ways"
 No. mother" signed John. lighter than before.
 She picked out a skinny creature who had done dairy work on farm, and sent John to see her. He found her loving ana ungrammatical. La, me" she said. T do adore your mother" Shortly afterwards she said Hand -sakes" and something about "do tell" With some anxiety the old lady waited for Johns report. It was of no use to tell her that the skinny creature was unsuited to him, that her mind was unadorned and that her chest was flat, so the rascal declared that he saw in her sure sign or eX- travagance, that she had invested her savings in a diamond pin Ana that settled it. A diamond pin!' shouted inc old lady. Thought that she would catch YOU with a glitter, did she? Well, we will show her about that
 "Rut in other respects, mother, think that she would be rather accept aale. She seems to be affectionate ana | have no doubt that We might teach her to be saving.
 Teach the dogs foot. No, sir, we don't want to marry an experiment. Away with her."
 The old lady had a trying time with her servants She kept but one, living as she did in q small fiat. A pound of coffee was expected to last just so long, and if it fcll short the girl went. One week she tried. three. If 1. didn't have other work to 60 l would attend to the housa myself, she said.
 "YtssI sbIlt h6kh Household is very i'm nortatft?7 Sealu HTehtured to remark.
 well. now" she replied, giving him a look almost affectonate, that IS about the most sensible remark l ever heard you make."
 The girl who had come the day be- fore was summoned and dismissed.
 Tuesday "A CHRONICLE OF THE s