The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-08-26
THE PITY OF IT.

buL IL muSL DC QOuc, WlllldIu,
said his wife, her head slightly raised
and her gray eyes sharp with sup
pressed excitement.
II should be dreadfully mortified
not to do as much for Elise as Charles
does for his children. Well, not ex-
actly as much in every way, no, of
course, we really couldn't expect her
to have SO much jewelry and as many
new frocks. But to have Elise look
old fashioned and not have suitable
things for her little parties-why it is
positively embarrassing to her and
humiliates me-.
William So1iday avoided his wife's
gaze, and methodically arranged his
necktie. He was plain man, with
a kindly smile when he was not dis
turbed by his ambitious wife and
daughter.
"Well, William, can't you tell me
whether you can let me have two
hundred dollars or not this week"
II don't see how / can, Eliza. I've
had hard winter at the store and a
good many accounts overdue. / wish
l could make as much money as
Charles, but cam seem to do it, any
way. He is good talker and smart.
You know, Eliza, that I've worked
hard for the last twenty-five years,
early and late"
"Oh, don't accuse you of being
lazy" remarked Mrs. Soliday, tartly
"what I would like to see is something
to show for all your work. Charles
doesn't get to his Office till nine and
is always through at FIVE, and makes
at least a hundred dollars week in
salary and commissions.
"I'll tell you right now, Eliza, that
though Charles is py cousin, would
not be in his line of business for
thousand week. It's no use to con-
tinue this talk any longer, Eliza. |
hope to be able to supply you and Elise
with all the necessaries of life, and 6
little more, but as for fitting out Elise
so she can run around with the set that
her cousins belong to, / cannot even
attempt it"
This closed the conversation for that
morning, and while Mrs. Soliday sat
in her room finishing her daughters
graduating gown, her mind dwelt
bitterly on her cramped life with its
petty economies.
She had really loved William Soil
day thirty years ago. He was clerk
then, in her fathers store, and a genial,
honest young fellow. But when the
business was his, he did not seem to
know just how to make it pay. He
bought good line of stock, and he had
to sell at close margin to compete
with the cheap articles displayed by
his rivals. Then he paid his help a
fair price, and his roomy, well-ventila-
ted store cut still deeper into his pro-
fits. She suspected that some of its old
customers had not paid their bills for
a long time; in fact, when man was
out of work or there was sickness,
William never would push his claims,
and sometimes he lost good deal that
way.
As Eliza Soliday thought her cheeks
burned and the smouldering fire of dis
content burst into a brighter blaze.
She had not minded the scrimping so
much when Elise was little, her clothes
cost such small amount, and she had
not begun to have her social ambitions
awakened till the last year or two.
The other girls in the class were to
have either handsome piece of jew
elry or gold watch as souvenir of
graduation day, and there were pho
tographs, spreads, class pins, dances,
and the usual accompaniments of the
festive time.
Charles Soliday's twin daughters
had everything that any one had, and
far more. Their father was to pre-
sent them with watches, suitably en-
graved, and their mother had prom
ised them elegant gold bracelets, with
diamond studded clasps. They were
to entertain the entire class at an in
formal dance, followed by supper,
at which each guest would be presen-
ted with specially designed favor.
The girls gowns were to be made
by their mothers fashionable dress
maker, and nothing would be lacking
to complete their stylish appearance.
The dotted Swiss muslin which Mrs.
Soliday was rapidly finishing looked
coarse and cheap in her eyes. and she
threw it on the bed with completely
disgusted expression on her hand
some face.
That day Mrs. Soliday spent few
hours with her sister, who lived out in
the suburbs. Returning home in the
late afternoon, she was obliged to sit
in closely crowded car, and her eyes
were startled by headlines in special
edition of an evening paper Charles
Soliday arrested. About to Escape
with His Plunder. Denied Wrong.
Doing, but Finally Broke Down and
Confessed.
Mrs. Soliday felt her heart STOP
beating for a moment, then plunge
like runaway horse. Charles Soil
day, whose wife and daughters she
had envied-she could not believe hel
own eyes. Mrs. Soliday was too ex'
cited to remain in the car when it ap-
preached her locality, SO signaling te
the conductor, she left the car and
walked rapidly toward her home.
Hurrying into the house she was
| mot h, E1cia uuh0 had hear fhe news