The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-22
HOW JOE STEWART PAID UP


coat. ana his coarse wcoien socks and his
/ hickory shilt showed t1aJ he vas not a
, man of airs re vas deep IL his news
/ Raper. c. which it was as habit to- read
every 1orC including ads. and he had
-.iled his oil Cay piDe for The third tine
] when the zap At tne door caused him u
Stout. Come m
"GOod evening, ~. Boyne. said TIL.
9slaiwart, VeH-grcomed young man who
cane IN
Shes out. growled the old chap. re-
s.slils his reading.
Il know sne 5, sir. That's Why I
called"
The old fellow put down his paper and
/ lecreG over his spec -aclcs
/ AZ least. resumed the young man.
! nervousiy, I came 10 talk TO yoa about
/ her, sir. Ne want 10 get married" he
sat down. ioollns flushed and excited.
and the cid man SCARED at hin minute
/ before ne began:
Wei suppose You do? Have you the
means 10 keep her dccent2 How mach
nave you saved? Three hundred-that u
buy the furniture. --ow long did It lake
( you 10 save that2
a little over year. L
A year. You must be an awful spend
thrift How much &C you get2"
Thirty a week since the beginning Of
this year. III get raise
What" shri.led he father putting his
hands on his knees ana peering at the
lover Thirty dollars a week-a bache
ior, an alone, ana .4ave only three hun
Died LETT How the deyii-do you drink 20
oh no; It isn't mat sir: ! just live
pretty well. You see. wasn't figuring
| On getting married I'll met Marcy. and
You see I've always been used u having
everything
DO you own a pace. a house or any
thtng?"
NO sir.
You must be daft then. Where was
you going to i've? At the Auditorium,
niaybc2"
"Oh. we could get a neat fat for little
money. and"
And pay rent? You're a fool. my
boy. I won't give her 70 YOU till you set
house. / done care if it's only two
rooms. 50 it's your own, u keep her in
Marcy voice singing was heard then
from the rear rooms. Boyne resumed his
paper. >Joe Stewart, mutterinE. skin
flint. niser, and other endearing epi-
thets directed against his hoped-for
father-in-law, but wisely keeping very
quiet, waited for Mary to come in. THAT
was his first but not final effort 10 set
Dads consent. lie came again on sat
urday evening. while the girl was at
market and the crusty Ole dTayman, with
coarse frankness, suggested that he had
'tidy little place ~ the Vest Side
three rooms and a summer kitchen, that
he would sell TO Stewart if ne really
n,eant TO marry the girl at al. The
meanness of this pToffer struck him Ike
q blow. but he sal. ne d think about II,
and he did. tie talked it over with Marsy
q WhoIe-souled. wiRson'e girl who had
been trained for q school teacher By the
carny old man, who knew tie value OF
money.
Lets try it. joe she laughed. Its a
rusty old cottage. but Wen fix it up.
Fad won't be hard on use for the pay
ments. and pernaps by the time its paid
FOR We can sell Il and get a nicer home
Stewart thoroughly despising old Boyne,
bought the place on time and payments
and signed about sixty notes at S25 each.
listening with suppressed hatred 10 the
niserly old man who had thus unloaded
$500 worth of frame shanty ana cheap
ground upon his own daughters husband.
For the wedding took place within a
month When the cottage was painted
md furnished and the young couple was
wei installed, the old man would come
round during the day 10 see Marcy, but
JCe's hatred Of him rose 30 the teS pitch
vhen the first note fell due and old Byrne,
il. person, came to the office to collect it.
-Nfter that the young man quit speaking
10 his wifes father. ard the young wife
herself felt ashamed and grieved to OBJ
serve the grasping eagerness with which
he pursued ice for the payments.
Month after month the efforts to pay
Boyne came harder. for there were the
painters and carpenters to pay. bath
room had been built into the cottage and
the plumbers bin vas caution. To
make matters harder for Joe the little
Stewards began 10 arrive, and when the
time came 20 pay the Young husband
saw that he'd have to stand of either
tho doctor or Boyne. He paid the doctor.
His father-in-law bounded him at the
office n the house.sw waited FOR him ar the
street corner and then scrawled letter
in which he threatened - f0recl0se If the
note. past due. wasn't paid Marcy all
most broke hsr heart when she found out
tho truth but when Dad called she
pleaded with him To give them "a LITTLE
more time. She showed him her pretty
ably and promised that they w0uid now
begin to economize in earnest
Old Boyne promised an extension, but
harped upon the need OF economy until
she felt ike striking him II vas the
So me every time new note came due. /
lie was insauate. gave them neither peace /
nor hope Of leniency. lectured her. sco.d- /
ed Joe even when the hard-earned money {
was forthcoming. X was necessary 10 f
reduce I'll their expenses. ice quit smok .
ing and began 10 carry his lunch in !
collar box When he contrirci TO have
the money ready FOR the recurring notes .
hs sent II by check 20 avoid meeting the .
uisoIly Boyne. By mutual consent they
auit mentioning his name some times .
whcu h called during che day 20 SOC
fcfEy and her baby she wafior l7t BIN .
in rs'Suing to lie ont ard thus escaping .
she everlasting homiy abcat 'ecol'rar
II w5s cruel ana she cried gccl l-al
he <new tlat Boyne had been hnrrying
hsr. And SO taey came 10 have such
terror OF his visits hat Stewart bent all
isis Efforts 70 forestan the intending
payments and thus Keep the ceS SEQ OLD
avuan from showing mis- Erlzzled face
aither at the office r. nere zoe worked OF
as the uttie home where Marcy toled
v-ith no less patience and FAR more cheer
fu1-esr
Ana when the last note was paid and cid
Payne and his hatcfui ways were COM
r-encing 20 1e forgotten hy ire estr1aged
daughter and the urlor-ivi-G stewart
lie vaun- p1sr had k.r1 II i1e1Tmal
a. ebratien fittic Joe d. hi1 best blouse
ana rsbv liarsartt 81 her hirh ~
a-tio1n 81 her pink E.na1a rhfa ~
r-, hone vsh hc es- n7te-rl big
sc1euee OF r8ses f-r she @
sven Marcy we-e dare w,h gre Old
eki--flrt m lxre ne
Scr tho CID mar was ettns oy the
ert- place. and wh q ~ over
r axe bands Tie .id face Nes 80 radiant
that Joe cclldn't help takine BoFle-s
bcney hand
zee givea RE back aH YOU paid him.
Ics cried IRE uife. shaNlug 1uig ~
INK notes III them 70 w1s cr.V f1rltnr
.ss-soolfas rs i-tr beng ec5n7rnieal
II tea You See strr hegsa ths