Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-06-11
The Little Woman's
Check Book
By CAMPBELL M.ecU1LocH
(Copyright)

SopyrlghG)
Phil. dear" said the Little Won.
an, the butcher has Just sent In his
Dill. and it's q perfectly horrid
amount: t16.72."
Indeed" 1 said. rather ainnlessly.
and laid down the magaAins 1 hsl
been reading. The Little Woman sat
at desk near the window; she bad
the end Of the penholder between her
teeth; there was a cruel smudge OF
ink upon her forefngsr, and her gold
81 head was just a little bit touslsd.
She was frowning heavily, and she
looked at me perplexedly.
Yes. l don't know how We could
possibly have eaten all that meat;
do you. Phil?" she Queried. anxiously.
The Little Woman deludes herself
In the belief that she is a housekeep-
er, and she worries each month over
her accounts" in perfectly alarming
manner. On the desk lay the new
check book which had given her. and
began to see that behind the per
hdy OF the butcher Lay something else.
The Little Woman is proud. very
proud; and when 1 had presented her
uousiy, she had become 80 important
that l began to see a vision OF trou-
oIous days for the clerks In the bank.
had a dim suspicion that perhaps
this new check book lay at the bottom
OF the present trouble, and that the
butcher was merely bait, sQuirminS
uneasily upon the hook of a difficulty.
! suggested that abe send a check for
the amount to which she agreed
after some hesitation.
drew a little nearer, for 1 knew
that this was the first check, and II
was sure to be interesting. 1 even
sat down on the arm OF her chair
and held my breath. She drew tho
check book 10 her firmly; she opened
Its brown cover with decision: she
smoothsd 1t down, and dipped her
pen In the Ink with an air of finality.
After trying half hour 1 succeeded
In initiating her into the intricaoies Of
writing a check
Nothing must do but that II must
be mailed at once, and took my hat
and went OF to the mail box. When
l returned she was still sitting At
the desk AS 1 entered she said:
VIII the people in the bank give
out the money whenever I write
cheeky"
AS long as you have a balance
thsre."
What Is a balance?"
l explained that to her, but could
not remove the impression that the
people at the bank were a most &C.
commodating set. Then another idea
appealed to her
You know Nellie was once robbed
by two men who came into her house.
They found all her housekeeping
money, and took it away. They
couldn't do that to me. could they.
Phil? You see l never intend to have
any money at all. I'll write a check
for everything. Then no one can steal
anything, can they?"
l agreed that this was an incontro.
veruble fact. and again assured my
self that the people at the bank were
going to be busy; very busy, indeed.
Her head was filled with a continu-
ance Of the idea, for she said:
Father told me that you had to be
identified at the bank before thew
would give you money"
rather is right" I assured her
That, however, need not concern YOU.
Let the people to whom you give the
checks worry"
But If l went and tried to get
money for myself, would they give it
to me?"
They would be delighted"
Would they believe me If said
was Jessica Harmon?"
Your signature would identify
you"
Obi" she replied. and then was
silent.
Two days after that I had occa.
sion to pass the kitchen, and hearing
sounds of argument I basely listened.
IL was the Little Woman. She was
saying:
Now, Norah, run down to the drug
gists and get me ten cents worth of
benzoin. Here's the money"
Where. mum?" inquired the skep-
teal Norah. whom I have always
suspected of residence quite near to
Missouri.
woman. i have written a check"
Then I went away, and began to I'm.
derstand that my suspicion that the
bank people were going to be busy
was being justified. In the next week
l overheard conversation relating to
checks for various amounts. Once if
was for SO cents for vinegar. Again
1t was IL cents for tomatoes. Once
again it was IL cents for a bag of
salt. AS walked upon the streets of
our town 1 began to notice respectful
grins upon the faces OF the various
tradespeople. l smiled back at them
quite cheerfully, for 1, too, began TO
have an appreciation Of the Joke. At
the bank, however, there seemed n
lack of cordially for some reason. The
paying teller no longer welcomed me
with a cheering smile; my old friend
the bookkeeper seemed to be DOS
sessed of a secret trouble and thera