Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-29
SHORT STORY
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HOW JOE STEWART PAID UP.

I TO his wifes father and the young wife
herself felt ashamed and grieved TO OBJ
serve the grasping eagerness with which
\ he pursued Joe for the payments.
Month after month the efforts to pay
Boyne came harder. for there were the
painters and carpenters to pay, a bath
room lad been built into the cottage and
the plumbers, bill was a caution. To
make matters harder for Joe. the little
Stewards began to arrive, and when the
| time came to pay the young husband saw
| that he'd have to stand of" either the
doctor or Boyne. He paid the doctor. HIS
father-in-law bounded him at the office.
at the house, waited for him at the street
corner. and then scrawled letter in
which he threatened to foreclose If the
note, past due. wasn't pail. Marcy al
most broke her heart when she found out
the truth. out when Dad called she plead
ed with him to give them a little more
time She showed him her pretty baby
and promised that they would now begin
to economic in earnest.
Old Boyne promised an extension, but
harped upon the need of economy until
she felt like striking him. It was the same
every time new note came due. He was
insatiate, gave them neither peace nor
hope of leniency, lectured her, scolded
Joe, even when the hard-earned money
was forthcoming. 1t was necessary to re-
duce all their expenses. Joe quit smoking
and began to carry his lunches in a collar
box When he contrived to have the
money ready for the recurring notes he
sent il by check to avoid meeting the
misery Boyne. BY mutual consent they
quit mentioning his name. Sometimes
when he called during the day TO see Mar
gy and her baby she wouldn't let him In :
feigning 70 be out. and thus escaping the
everlasting homily about economy" 1t
was cruel. and she cried a good deal, but
she knew Joe would fret and fume If he
knew that Boyne had been worrying her
And 50 they came to have such a terror
OF his visits that Stewart bent all his
efforts to forestal the impending pay
ments, and thus keep the despised old
craynan from showing his grizzled face
either at the Office where Joe worked or
at the little home where Marcy toiled
with no less patience and far more cheer
fulness.
And when the last note was paid and
old Boyne and his hateful ways were
commencing to be forgotten by the es-
tranged daughter and the unforgiving
Stewart, the young pair had kind of i'm
formal celebration. Little Joe In his best
blouse and baby Margaret in her high
chair were sitting at table. their pretty
mother a-blOom in her pink kimono,
when Joe came home with the last note
and a big bouquet of roses for the tea
table,
Well Marcy, we're done with the old
sdnnint. en-? Excuse me, SIR"
For the old man was sitting by the fire.
place, and when he came over to shake
hands the old face was so radiant that
Joe couldn't help taking Boyne's honey
hand.
He's given me back all you paid him,
Joe, cried the wife, shaking a budget of
bank notes at them: 'he was only fooling
us-fooling US into being economical"
Il tell you, Joe Stewart" began the old
drayman, when they sat down to supper,
there's no use to make money IL you
don't save 1T. When l was your age
And then for the first time old Boyne's
lecture on economy seemed interesting to
them all.