Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-10-10
CHAPTER VII.


! The Great American Dollar.
Jane always had the first chance at
the mail in their home. Bob left be-
fore the early delivery He would
have just as readily considered break
Ing into a letter box as he would
opening anything addressed to her.
| so she had no fear on that score. II
Brand chose to send her any com
munication concerning their business
afrairs she could rest doubly assured
that her husband would have no
knowledge OF It, But there were other
letters that 1t was Just as well to
keep from Bob. She never let her
self believe that she was deceiying
him. 1t was merely that she did not
want to worry him with the petty de-
tails of the household cares. Trades
men were so exacting and insistent
about having the bills paid promptly
and sometimes, In her plan of manage
ment, she found 1t convenient to let
them wait. Jane knew that her hus-
band was opposed to such tactics, but
what could a woman with such
| meager income as hers do? If the
financing of the home was TO be left
to her-and Bob believed that was a
woman's right-she was the one to
judge. She was the one to decide
about the economies" and the neces-
sary expediency in meeting debts.
Economy is a word that most wom-
en- define In a very liberal sense.
There are some who are more frugal
than others and who have an inner
ent faculty of making little money
go a long ways. Jane considered her
self of this class, but in reality her
tastes and instincts we're Of the OPP
posite order She was not extrava-
CANT, for that would have been i'm
possible, but her funds we're so linn
tied that saving" from the household
expenses simply meant postponing
the inevitable. Reynolds had just
about enough to make both ends meet
| and so, usually, when Jane "econo-
| mized" she robbed Peter to pay Paul.
1t was becoming harder and harder.
| consequently, to make the debit and
| the credit sides OF her account bal
ance The hat was the first serious
example of her failure That horrid
old butcher had insisted that In ex-
change for his chops, steaks and soup
bones he was entitled TO the equiva-
! lent and something more in regular
American money. II it hadn't been
for bis greedlness, she told herself,
! Bob would have been none the wiser
and she would have come out all right
IN the end. Just exactly how. she did
not attempt to explain.
Well. the butchers undetermined
| tactics hadn't done him any good! He
| had his money. but he had lost Gus
| toner and her bill was always bigger
than Mrs. Collins.
| Oh it was intolerable. but 1t was
nearly over When she had helped
Bob up to where he belonged she
would go around TO that pig OF meat
| dealer. buy a porterhouse and tender
him a fifty-dollar bill. Then, while he
| was making change, she would give
| the steak to Dick-fox terrier Dick
! and inquire If he had a better cut, one
| fit for her table. She would show
these common islanders that she
wasn't born or bred TO dabble in PEN
MES or be chased by bills
The INSTALLATION of this glorious
revenge relieved her. She called Dick.
| took him In her lap and laughingly
told him OF the prospective feast. Dick
| had breakfasted on single batter
cake so, no doubt. he found his mis-
tress' plan most commendable.
The postman's whistle recalled
Jane to realities. She hurried to the
door. There were four letters. Two
%ere from tradesmen. She recognized
the handwriting on the third as that
OF a girl friend. The fourth was in q
plain but expensive envelope. The
address was typewritten and the let
ter bore a special delivery stamp. Her
heart beat rapidly as she broke the
seal She drew out a folded sheet OF
| heavy linen stationery and as she
opened it a yellow-back bin dropped
to the floor. With a glad cry she
| stopped and picked 1t up. II was one
! hundred dollars. One hundred real
American dollars all compressed into
a little bit of paper; the FIRST bin OF
that denomination she had ever seen,
and ii was all hers!
There was no writing on the folded
paper. Nor even a letterhead. II
seemed to Jane that this was a bit OF
delicacy on Brands part, but IL he
had known her thoughts At that mo
ment one might have seen another Of