Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-09-10
THE BRACELETS.

THE BRACELETS.
If it had not been for Marion's ma
ternal uncle she and George would have
flown to the ills of poverty in married
couples that they VOTED not of; from
the straitened circumstances of single
blessedness, with which both were
familiar Marion's earnings as stem
ographer were not sufficient to care for
herself and a brother whom mental
alienation kept in an asylum, and her
maternal uncle gave her grudgingly the
necessary assistance. This he threatened
to withdraw should she marry. and the
girl knew her uncle would keep his
word
There was nothing to do but to wait
until George got a promotion with an
increase of salary, George was a clerk
in the comptrollers Office. When he
passed his civil service examination sue
cessfully they seemed already to hear
the wedding bells. He was equipped to
take the place of expert accountant
whenever there should be vacancy. Ex-
pert accountants in the city comptroller's
Office were well paid, eontented persons,
however, who manifested no haste to die
or to resign.
One morning George hurried into the
little parlor and began to tell his news
before the jute portiere had done shak
ing behind him.
"0ld man Osprey is going to leave"
said he. "the comptroller called him
down this morning, and Osprey an
nounced that bank the city does bust
ness with wanted him. The old man
told him to go and be something else.
So at the end of this month somebody
win go up"
"Oh, George" cried Marion, ''if it
should be YOU
I'm second on the list. and | know
Kellar really wants to quit. He's after
a bank job, too
"Then if Kellar should resign. they
can't help but promote you," said Mar
ion. ioyfully.
"Oh, you don't know politics, dear;
they can always help doing what they
don't want to do. That's one of the
blessings of civil service. If ! only had
some influence"
"Or, if / had" murmured Marion, and
asked at once what kind of woman
is the comptroller's wife?'
"A little. short, black-eyed woman
with red cheeks and vulgar manner.
She bosses the comptroller, they say;
anyway when she comes downtown we
hear her talking very loudly in O'Brien's
office"
q wish l knew Mrs O'Brien,' said
Marion.
1T wouldn't do any good" said
George, unless we had relatives who
are society people; that's what the
comptroller's wife wants-to get into
society. I'm afraid she's pretty ordi-
nary as well as ambitious, and that
type never does anything for nothing. -
All the same, while waiting for old
man Osprey to exit, there was no law
to prevent George and Marion from
hoping. and they did hope, George so
strongly that for Marion's birthday he
committed an extravaganza based on
his possible increase of salary. week
before the day he stepped into Tiffany S
and bought bracelet. a narrow, plain
gold band He left it to be marked with
Marions name, after which it YVES to be
delivered to him at the comptroller's
office
On the day that George made his pur-
chase, Comptroller O'Brien stopped at
Tiifany's and purchased a very eXtrava-
giant bracelet set with diamonds and
emeralds There was no sentiment at
tached to the ornament in this case, for
Mrs. OBrien had given her lord an or
der to buy and bring it home to her in
order that she might wear it to umer
to he given by the mayors wife, There
was no place for the display of a brill
liant bracelet, in Mrs. 0Brien's eyes,
like dinner table.
The day before the dinner the emer-
aid bracelet had not reached Mrs.
OBrien. She ordered her lord to rem
edv the omission on his way to his
office He declared that he had sent
the ornament home week before, but
offered to drive to the jewelers. and
find out why it had not been sent. At
the shop he learned that the emerald
bracelet had been delivered at his office
and receipt obtained
who signed for it," demanded the
comptroller The book was produced
and he read the name of his clerk,
George Munroe
On reaching his Office the comptroller
sent for Monroe
where is the bracelet ?" he demand
ed.
The bracelet? What bracelet 2" asked
the astonished George.
He stood blushing and amazed, for