The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-30
Settling Up
Hazel and Mabel Were Shaiqhtenipa
Out Their Monthly Accounts.

night, Hazel?" asked the young wo-
man artist as her chum opened the
door of her four-room apartment for
her.
NO." she said. who's coming to
see your"
Nobody, thank goodness! We can
make out our accounts tonight. Hon
estly, I am so mixed up that don't
know whether owe you a lot of mon.
ey or you owe me a lot"
Dinner over, the two opened the
desk, drew up the only two comfort
able chairs in the artistic apartment,
loosened their collars and pulled up
their sleeves.
Il paid the meat BILL" began Hazel.
ut was 1857 for two weeks, so you
owe me SO and-what's half of 81
cents?"
Goodness! Wait till 1 put It down."
said Mabel. '1t's-its 1914 cents"
"All right. Then you owe me $3.23h.
Let's get that down. Say, Mibs, l
think you're cheating me, because two
rs cents makes so cents, and this is
more than 80 cents"
That's all right. I'll work It in
my head. A half of SO cents is rs
cents and half of 7 cents is 31a
cents. Say, it's good there's a mathe-
matician present. l did that just as
easyi"
Honestly, Mabel, have to marvel
at you. Now, / couldn't any more
have done that simple little problem
than anything"
We'll, owe you $3.291z. Call it 80
cents. Now. let's go on"
"All right. I'm glad that's done.
Now, paid the milkman, too"
Say, Hazel, two 80 cents make 60
cents. There's something wrong there.
I'm getting cheated this time, and you
never notice it at all, but just hurry
right over it as If YOU"
We'll, If anybody gets cheated in
this crowd I'm of the opinion that l
generally do"
Let's not fight about it or Wen new
er finish"
I'm glad you won't fight Honest
ly, / feel so cross and wicked when
we make out our accounts"
"Hazel, have an idea. used to be
awfully good in algebra, l hated arith-
metic. but after l had taken algebra
the second time l really knew some
thing about it. Now, We'll let X equal
what you owe and Y what l owe"
But we both owe the same"
That isn't the way do It, Oh, yes
Well, X equals what you owe, to-
Then OK equals $6.57. Just tell me
that I don't know something about al
zebra. Now, if Ok equals-oh, say
we've got to divide 81 by again"
This is too much!" said Hazel
burying her hands in her hair. "Mibs.
I shall die before the meat bill is fin
ished. And think of all the others!"
I'm thinking. Don't bother me.
Now I have it. l owe you 2S1s cents,
and that's right. I'm dead sure of it
because l worked it backward"
I'm ready to take your word for
anything. l never could do fractions,
anyway. oh, but don't forget that
there's SO to be added to the front of
! that"
Have you got that down? Half an
hour for the meat bill. Wen be
through by 6 a. M"
Now the milk bill. That is exactly
So"
| Then | owe you 81. Say, did that
like lightning. Let's get It down,
quick"
I'm going to get up early to-mor-
row and embrace the milkman for ma.
king 1t an even number"
Hazel, l paid the grocery bill, and
that was more than you paid. 1t was
let me see-$17.31. So l guess you
owe me more"
But I paid the rent and the gas
bill. They come in this time"
"Oh, dear! But you owe me 95
cents for those channels gloves and I
owe you cents on the lunch this
noon"
"And you owe me the s1.25 that let
you take"
When did you let me take s1.25?
What did ! buy?"
II don't remember, but l lent it to
you"
I'll bet paid 1t back"
I'll bet you didn't. I know. 1t was
for pair of silk stockings"
"Oh, yes, and they were poor bar.
gain, too. They're all worn out. I
Just feel as II l were giving you that
money. Well, let's go on. Half of $1.25
is"
why should pay half for your silk
stockings?"
"Haz, know I'm going crazy"
Il don't see why girls ever have to
make out accounts. could Just cry,
There goes the telephone!"
"Oh, that reminds me that there's
the telephone bill. Ye gods!"
Hello! Yes. Oh, Billy, can Won
come over? Say. put on your life pre-
server and come in hurry. We're
drowning In bills and
Yes stuck again. You'll simply have