Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-03-24
THE
LITTLE WOMAN'S I"
FORGERY
By ALBERT BIGELow PAINE

new addition was complete, bu
~ we never quite seemed to ge
through paying for IT, A number o
times we thought we thought we haC
settled the last and final Bit Of our liza
bilities, a new demand would bt
! presented. a new hydra head to BIZ
smitten off, a new wound TO be scared
over and forgotten. A big brace for
the tall new chimney was an extra, =
of course. Likewise the storm win
| dows and a new patent damper for the
! furnace, guaranteed TO save anywhere
from nine to 80 per cent. Of the coal
used, and to supply at least double the
heat The spark-screen, andirons. and
other adiuncts for the fireplace-these
too, were outside the contract. and a
good deal easier TO buy than 10 pay for
even when the buying meant housing
about in dusty antique stores, and the
paying simple matter Of drawing a
check.
II is easy to draw checks when the
account Is replete-in fact, it is rather
a pleasure TO do SOL am sure the lit
woman used to regard me with an adj
miration akin TO awe as carelessly
filled in the figures and name of the
payee, and signed my name with a
neat flourish on the line below
] suppose she wondered why I never
let her do II, and very likely consider
ed me selfish in conserving to myself
this important and rather agreeable
duty, though | did not think so at the
time
II presently became less agreeable.
When the figure OF our balance waned
into the perspective until It became a
thin line that would vanish at the least
touch, the construction Of a check be-
came a serious matter II was no long |
er lightly conceived and carelessly put |
together, with decorative scrolls at the
end, like spring lyric 1t became a
thing of forethought and reflection
to be wrought al last with a grave dig
nifty that sayored Of the epic's solemn
rlose-with that feeling Of sadness and
longing that marks the end of each
and every waning balance in the bank
er's till.
As ! was saying, our balance became
feature of consideration. even discus
ZION. There were good many things
We still needed in the way of furniture
md decorations, now that our habita-
ion was to our liking We also needed
.lothes. When we sat down in our
ather imposing rooms in which there
we're a few good old pieces Of furni-
ure. and some truly antique rugs. the
act that our apparel was also good
nd old did not give pleasure to the
title woman.
she became almost disagreeable
bout it one day, when / was arguing
or new chair, and declared that we
ooked like tramps that had got in !
Ihfle the folks were away. Il
| still urged the chair. I said that '
lothes were a matter Of display and {
anity Also, that they were transient {
nd fieeting, while the chair would be I
he comfort Of a lifetime. Whereupon {
he little woman stated that there we're
ertain garments that were not 7
sed for display. except in magazine
and that these as well S
the chair were matters Of comfort s
nd needed good deal more. She in a
listed that We had laid out enough on I
xtraneous Injuries for one year. and '
hat there we're few things we might
lrego, in order to be decently clad 1
To do the little woman Justice I NAV b
ny that believe her general tendency
rather toward furniture than raj v
lent-this being the true collector y
Dirit, and to be commended. She had ii
mothered her better inclination. This a
me. and was ready to sacrifice the Il
hair for silk waist and something ?
, 60 under it. She meant to have the i
whatever the cost. You shall &
e how she was punished. b
We went together Neither could L
lite trust the other alone in the de- v
lrtment store revel that was to fol- b
w the purchase of the waist. The L
Of department store are b
o great to be resisted singly. Even v
orking together and in full accord n
e yielded oftener than was good for
IT balance sheet, or for the prospect c
the new chair any time within a v
sriod when we might reasonably hope L
need comforts for the flesh. p
We didn't pay as we bought There k
great saving Of time in getting a a
ansfer card. and a greater certainty S,
prompt delivery in having goods d
me G. o u. When We got through Il
e had bought most of the things we v
'uld think Of without seeing them. Il
ID that We couldn't think Of again N