Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-10
DAILY SHORT STORY
Mr.. Warehouses; Economy.
IOriginal.1

Lionel" said young Mrs. Water
house six months after their marriage
and when her trousseau was beginning
to show the first signs of giving out, 81
need pair of Shoes"
Certainly, my love-" And he handed
her So.
Lionel" said the wife a few days
later, II find my hat for the coming
season is old fashioned. 1 fear that 1
shall have to get another"
"Of course you will. How much do
you want?"
"a hat may cost anything you please
to give, even 81, but I'll need a few
spring waists. Then there's the trim
ming for my blue dress that I'm going
to have made over, and
How much, dear?'
"Well, 1 think I'll need about $13"
A frown came to the husbands face,
but he said nothing, handing his wife
$15. She saw the frown and knew that
one of the hardships OF marriage had
come, the asking for money for other
than household expenses.
Lionel said the poor woman year
later, I'm tired asking you for money
with which to buy my clothes. For a
time tried to economic in dress, but
when you saw that my hats were out
of fashion and my jackets and dresses
were shabby you didn't like it, so l find
myself between two fires. Isn't there
some fund from which / could draw a
stated amountT'
''To tell the truth, my dear, we need
to economic more than ever this year,
as my business is not so tiourishing,
but l won't ask you to do it. I'll do it
myself. I'll figure up just what we'll
draw monthly and turn it all Over to
you. AS L have clothes enough to last n
year you'll have the use of all the in
come"
The wife gladly accepted the terms,
and on the beginning of the next month
her husband turned over to her the
amount agreed upon.
Don't you want any of it, dear?" she
asked meekly.
81 have quarter in my pocket.
That II do for car fare
But your luncheon?"
"Oh. yes; well, you might let me have
a quarter for that"
The money was paid over, and Mr..
Waterhouse. after giving his wife the
marital kiss, started down town.
Five cents of his money went for car
fare, 10 cents for apples which he pro-
posed to eat for the benefit of his liver,
while 10 cents more was considered
necessary for cigar. AT noon he went
round to his down town lunch club.di s.
Hello. old man. said Owen Carter,
one of his clients. Lets lunch to-
gether"
"Oh. I'm not going to eat much to-
day. I'm not hungry"
Nevertheless they sat down together.
What do you say to dividing pint
of claretT' asked Carter.
"Why, I've made it a rule not to
drink anything before dinner"
"Since when?" asked Carter, looking
up, surprised.
Now, Carter was an important factor
in Warehouses; business, and the lat
ter saw at once that any stinginess on
his part might lead to bad results, so
he said: 1ff ''f
but that needn't stand in the way.
Waiter. pint of Pontet-Canet."
BY good luck WaterhOuse got through
the luncheon with only 90 cents over
and above the amount zen him by his
wife for the purpose and returned to
his office. In the afternoon he received
a note requiring telephone reply. This
cost Tim 10 cents, which he agreed to
pay the next day. He had scarcely re-
turned to his office when young girl
with a wan face entered and begged
him to help her by buying a five cent
package of court plaster. He ground
his teeth when he remembered that
his money was gone-mOre than gone.
Then he found it necessary to see q
man whose office was at the other end
of the city. Not having money for car
fare and. no one being near from whom
to borrow, he walked there and back, a
distance of three miles. When o'clock
came he locked his desk and dragged
himself over another two miles to his
home. He had at times been diSap-
pointed to see dissatisfied look on his
wife's face when he reached home. To-
day it was transferred to his own. His
wife was serene.
The next day he got on famously,
spending only 10 cents for car fare and
10 cents for tobacco, for he gave up ci-
CARS. He went home radiant. The third
day he received a notice that each
member of his class in college was in
vited to pay a dollar toward the build
ing of a new dormitory. 1t was simply
impossible for him to refuse. Then
came q lady acquaintance and sold him
q ticket for 30 cents to a church fair.
As soon as she had gone he looked in
his drawer for paper on which to reply
to the college matter and found none.
The stamp box also was empty. Seven
ty cents was expended for the two arti-
cIes. He economical by buying 20
cents worth of stamps instead of dol
lars worth, as usual, and was obliged
to send again in two days. At luncheon
he tried to dodge Carter, but Carter,
who suspected that he was getting stin-
gy, got hold of him and forced him to
divide a three dollar lunch. But the
most absurd infraction of his econom-
ical effort was the purchase of razor