The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-01-17
Husband Paid Bill.

The Chicago Tribune reports this story
of a married man in that city whose wife
had acquired the habit of going at night
when he slept to where his trousers hung
and taking money from their pockets, and
in this instance the consequences are inter-
esting. He is the proprietor of a business
that brings him large income. There
are rush hours in his business, and at such
times bad money finds its way to his cot
fers. In the course of a year, usually, he
gathers large bundle of counterfeit notes
of large and small denominations.
He was thinking one day of some plan
to break his wife of her habit of nocturnal
borrowing. While he was studying out
the plan he thought also of the bundle of
bad bills then in his safe. He never
knew just why he was keeping the bad
money until that moment.
"That's a brighter idea than | have
had for years. he said and he smiled
with satisfaction that evening as he filled
three of his pockets with the counterteits.
He took no other sort of money, except
ten cents for car fare.
He couldn't 90 to sleep that night, and
could hardly keep from chuckling with
mirth. He managed, however, to simu-
late sleep, and out of corner of his eye
saw his loving helpmeet help herself to the
bills. She took some from each of the
three rolls, thinking he wouldn't miss
them. The next morning he hurried off
to his office, SO his wife wouldn't get time
to repent and tell him what she had done.
Several times that day he went to
window and looked out, just to be alone
with his thoughts and be happy. A ;ele
phone message came for him in the after
noon. 1t was from big store in State
street.
"Hello! Are you married?'' came the
question over the telephone.
Eyes. Is it any of your business :?
cit may be. There's woman over
here who says she's your wife. >
"WeIl, what of it?'
You d better come over and see.
He hurried to the store, donbting and
agitated
His wife had been shopping. She
bought things so literally that the sales
man who served her was delighted. The
bill of goods amounted to SIS, and it was
for trinkets only, such as women buy who
have lots of money She handed over
four five dollar bills. She waited for her
change. The salesman returned, but he
was not smiling suavely y.
sTm sorry, madam, but these bills are
bad
bad p And with long, cold, with
ering look she gathered up the bills and
handed over two dollar bills.
After another wait the salesman came
back. and he was not smiling then, either.
He was laboring to be calm and dignified.
''Tm sorry to inform you, madam, that
these bills are bad also.
She started to say something to him,
but Just at that moment the right words
were too hard to find But she could still
look chilling glances at Lin. She slowly
picked up the two returned bills and stuffed
them into the off side of her purse Her
fingers were not moving deity, but she
managed to draw out $40 bill. With
icy deliberation she passed it over the coun-
ter.
sTSee if that is bad, too, she said, with
fine irony.
She was breathing hard, but otherwise
she was perfectly calm while she waited.
Soon the salesman came back. His face
was in hard, set lines.
at is he said, with an effort.
"Give me that money, you-you-
wretch
'Tm sorry, madam, but
The overworked salesman was saved the
labor of finishing such difficult sentence.
A house detective stepped up beside her
and finished it for him by telling her she
would have to come to the office OF the
superintendent He was a police officer,
with star on his vest, and she avoided
scene by going with him.
Her husband settled the matter by tell
ing the superintendent the whole story and
paying the bill with good money.