Evening star., 1902-08-09
IT WAS LILY'S MONEY

A few days after Mrs Esstreet started
west, about mostA ago, to visit her folks
Mr. Esstreet got s rsmmaging fit on.
There was nobody in the house to inter
fere with. his rusnnagi ging. The Esstreet
servant, black: maiden from Virginia,
had been given vacation extending
throughout Mrs. Esstreets absence. and
Mr.. Esstreet was getting his meals down
town. as
he started his rlmma ging up in the gar
ret, and gradually worked his way through
the bed room closets He came across
lot of his own apparel and other gear that
he hadn't seen Cor so long time that he
had almost forSotten about the stuff
In corner of the spare bed room closet,
during his ransacAing, he dug out a pair
OF loW-cut russet shoes that he had bought
several years ago. sand abandoned, because
ne found that they were too large for MIN.
Ihe shoes were virtually new, and Mr.
Esstreets eyes lighted up when he saw
them.
Bully good find, said he to himself, as
ne dragged the russet low-cuts out to the
light and looked them over. I've got a.,
whole lot fatter since bought those shoes,
to the rest Of my bulk, why. these shoes
ought to be Just about rattling it by now.
AND russet shoes are coming back in style,
after being relegated to the rear for several
y Ills Is ike nnQlng d pair VI SuoeS.
lie knocked the shoes together, holding
the soles upward, SO as to rid them of their
accumulation of dust. Something fell out
OF one OF the shoes as he did so. 1t was
such OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES something that
MI Esstreet stared at it for some time and
rubbed his eyes to see If he happened to be
awake before he stopped to pick it up.
1t was nice roll of bills, held together
by big rubber band
In sort of daze and wondering whether
the bills should prove to be of the confed-
crate variety, Mr.. Esstreet skinned the big
rubber from the roll. No, it wasn't con-
federate money. 1t was tidy aggregation
or the genuine green papers, consisting
mostly of ones and twos.
1t took Mr.. Esstreet some time to count
the bills. When he had finished counting
the wad he found that the roll contained
Just sS7.
We'll. if this isn't like getting money
from nome, he murmured, joyously. Its
a little holdout my wife's been getting To-
gether on me for a sure thing. I'll bet she's
been pinching out these little one and two
spots for couple of years. Downright
misery, l call it, not to mention the secre-
tiveness of it. Why, the idea! Oh. fudge!
E1ghty seven dollars, Sneaked out Of my
own hard-earned pay by the wife Of my
bosom! Did you ever, mercy on us!' anu
Mr.. Esstreet chuckled aloud.
He immediately knocked off rummaglng
ana studied out few little schemes where
by he could spend those sS7. For starter
ne went around that same night to the
house of friend and where he knew
there'd be little poker game on. He was
out about sS5 of the providentially found
$SI when he turned in that night. How
ever. he didn't mind the loss anything like
SO much as he would have had it been
blood money" right out of his salary.
On the next evening he blew himself to
dinner that. with the bottle Of champagne,
cost him pat $685.
I'm alvin easy" said Mr.. Esstreet
he stepped on a car after that dinner and
rode out to suburban resort, where be-
fore he got through the evening he blew in
about S15 more.
said he to himse way of Back cHr to ars town
viii, WITH her b folks s1s Ter Unfortunate hns7 h,s
band is stuck bask he1e in the heat of the
corner near his Homeshe spent another few
dollars just to round Out the evening
III, II h, dhdnt take e Mr. Esstreet very long to
that he had never had quite SO much fun
out OF similar sum OF money.
Mrs. Esstreet wired him one afternoon
last week that she would arrive home in
the evening. Mg. Esstreet went down to
the station to meet her. He wore that
comfortable pafpsof russet shoes in which:
he had found thS 1881. He wanted to gaze
at ahoaa Mrs M MEsstrestswhsnl she saw the pair Of
would burst into osrtgtp hss laughter over ncr
CONSERVATION. HI n3l to himself that 1t
would come pretty assserving her right
way.
Mrs Esstreet noticed his shoes. as wives
90 notice such things, as he was putting
ner into the avenue car. An expression Of
dismay crossed her features. This was
what Mr.. Esstreet had been waiting for
He laughed merrily, according to the sched-
ule he had framed up.
john" said his wife. not sharing In any
wise whatsoever in her husbands mirth,
did you find anything In one of those
shoes when you dragged them out of the
clCset?" 80
After he had laughed himself into ex-
haustion Mr.. Esstreet was able to reply
to her query.
For sure, found something" said he.
Il found those cute little green papers.
amounting to $S7, that you had SO snuply
tucked away and had more fun than two
bushels Of monkeys with the money. at
that" "'
Then he came near falling off his scat
again, he enjoyed her look of discomfiture
so hugely.
Mrs. Esstreet waited until he had got
she said to him: --
Unfortunately, the $s7 did not belong to
me. 1t was all Lily's savings"-Lily being
the name Of the Esstreet maid servant of
ebon hue. 1T was what she'd been saw
Ing up for two years or more to buv her
wedding trousseau this fall. She didn't
want to put the money in the bank dis
trusting banks, and SO she gave the money
to me, bit by bit. out Of her wages, to put
away for her. I didn't think there conId
be any better hiding place for the savings
than the toe of one Of your cast off shoes ,,
Mr.. Esstreets collapse was so sudden
and violent that he has scarcely recovered
from it yet. He has started in to make IN
Lily's ss7 savings in S1O instalIments se out up
of his pay, and he figures 1t out. eloomiIv
that with economy in cigars and such Iittie
comforts he'll be able to get the entire
amount together by the time Iuv needs ~
In, fha