The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-20
HE EVENING S7ORY
On tho Installment Plan.
by Lawrence Alfred Clay

by Lawrence Alfred Clas.l
MY dear. there is one thing you |
must look out for said the mother |
of the girl who had been Rosie Lee |
the day before. but was now Mrs. Jas.
Garler. You and James are very young |
You are both inclined to be extraya- |
CANT. He gets small salary, but you |
would marry and now you must live |
on II ana not go in debt Don't get a |
thing that you can't pay cash for on
the saot.''
mo- mamma" was the dutiful re- |
ply, but the words were accompanied |
by a smile Of superior wisdom. /
Why not? Hadn't she and James fig |
ured IL over and over what his weekly !
salary OF SIG would do? That was the |
ngure at. present as bookkeeper for a
grocer, but 1t might be SIS or $40 when |
the grocer heard Of the marriage It
mad been figured that the rent of a lit
tie nat would be Sc a week; butter. 80
cents; sugar. cents: meat 81; bread,
30 cents; potatoes, rs cents; extras. 81.
Add James lunches at 20 cents each.
and the total would be 1918 to penny.
That left almost seven big dollars ex-
ira for clothing, the theater and SO
forth. Mrs. Carter was a good mother,
but she needn't worry. Any time she
wanted to borrow a $40 bill she knew
where she could get 1t. i
James had $500 saved up, but when
months rent at $35 per month, in
stead of $24. had been paid, the bal
ance didn't make great show in fur
n1shlng. The grocer was duly informed
OF the marriage, but there was no raise
of salary. He simply uttered a
"humph.' At the end of month Of
housekeeping the newly weds were be-
hind financially. They could, and did,
figure how it came about. but the next
month there was leak in another di-
rection. AT the end Of the third month
they had used up all the salary and
were Sc in debt. The before and after
fQi
The mother was away on visit, but
one morning two events happened in
the life of the bride. A letter from her
mother inclosed check for 500. and
paper to have her eye caught by the
advertisement headed: why Pay
Rent A contractor had erected sew
eral houses which he was anxious to
dispose of for cent or two down and
the balance the same as cheap rent. In
a month or two, paying the very low
est rent in America. the purchaser of
one of these houses would have clear
title to it. 1t was better than a. gold
mine. Your money was working for
you every day in the week.
Before the bride had read that adj
vertisement through she had deter
| mined to show it to James that even
| ing. When she had finished it her
mind was made up to give him glad
surprise. The breakfast things had
scarcely been cleared away when she
donned her hat and set out. She found
the street and the houses and the
| philanthropist. The houses had been
| painted with only one coat, but that
| was to give purchasers chance to put
on the last coat to suit their tastes.
| The houses about covered the lots, but
that was an advantage. II hogs got IN
there was no place for them to root
Every objection raised was met and
! turned to me advantage Of the buyer
In fact, it was a case Of philanthropy
all through.
Mrs. Carter expected up to certain
point to get the house she had decided
on for five cents down and five dollars
a month as rent. That certain point
was when she was told that she must
pay $50 down ana $25 per month. The
stood with her mouth open the con-
tractor remarked that the $25 per
month would pay for the house almost
before she could get settled. He had
given fifty different persons the same
| chance. and in very few minutes
| or days-they were house owners and
| taxpayers.
The house. was bought There would
| be papers for herself and husband to
sign after two or three days. but she
had to leave her $50 then and there
That was to prevent the contractor
| from selling the house to some one
willing to pay $4,000 for it.;
The bride-wile was back at her nat
|
own, but there was something to fol-
| low. She must get furniture for it.
| She knew where they sold On the IN
| stallment plan, and the afternoon was
servative. but the bill figured up $500.
and she paid $50 on it. Then she
rented plano by the month, and went
! home ali impatience to tell James
about it.
James came in at the usual hour.
/ He was allowed to begin his dinner,
and then the wife said:
Jimmy, suppose we lived almost out
| in the country
att would mean ten cents q day
street car fare, whereas now save 1t.
was the reply. -.
.But we could hear the birds sing"
"Chea per to get canary.
"And the air, Jimmy. The air must
be twice as pure out in the suburbs"
| 'They have soap and glue factories
| out there"
"But we'd see green grass once in a
while"
"Cheaper to so to the parks
The wife had expected the husband
| to enthuse. and she would make her an
nouncement at the proper moment ana
IN dramatic way. HIS want OF inter-
| est cast her down.
"Jimny. do you know I'm worried
about your health?' she asked. as she
rose and walked around the table to
smooth down his rumpied hair.
But I'm not" was the answer; You
can see for yourself that I'm eating all
before me-
| "Rut the morning air in the suburbs
think of filling your lungs with IT,"
Fifty cents a fill, dearie, and that's
| too much for our purse.
! Put think of ownino your own house
your very own, Think of parlor, hall,
i dining room, two bedrooms, kitchen
and a fine cellari Think of open CRATES!
Think of three times the furniture we
have here! Think of me singing at my
work over the flower beds! Think of
YOU as a taxpayer and saying who shall
| be mayor of the city?'
Look here, Rose, what is it?" he
asked.
Prepare yourself. Jimmy"
! Let FER go!
1 uT,x-o fror,pb< 500 f0IIga on the in =