The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-04-03
Thet1eadof
The House
By LOUISE 3.

Susie" said Tom Anterior in a Sc
fious tone of voice. i've been doing a
, job Of thinking on our future"
why. Tom. what have you been
thinking about?"
well, when we're married there's
got to be u head to our partnership
There's always a head to every bust.
ness firm"
do tell!'
"Now. what's marriage but q co
partnership? There'll be you and I.
and some day.
you'll be manager. of course"
what / sensible girl you are! Do
you know what first attracted me to
you? 1t was your good You
catch on to anything SO quick. Wen
be just as happy as two doves. won't
| we?'
And be drew her to him and gave
her a couple Of dozen prematrimonial
kisses. He is content with one now.
| and sometimes when he's thinking on
other matters even that is perfume
tory.
Toms salary vas no large. and the
couple had no income except what he
earned. The husband had not been an
expert on economy, but the wife was
a good manager. "I1l just turn over
to you." he said. my salary check
each week. and you do all the plan.
ming. shall need very little for my
personal expenses. and l can take that
as l want 1t. That's the way they do
in business. One man attends to get.
ting the business, another to doing it.
while a third looks out for the
finances"
"The finance man Of the company.
isn't he?"
"Well. yes. usually"
I'm our . you make the income
on which we live, and | attend to its
expenditure. In other words, you are
head of the firm. and I'm the junior
partner"
II suppose that's the way to look at
it."
So Tom turned over the checks each
Saturday night to his wife. and, since
she was a splendid manager, all went
very we'll. There were no outstand-
ing bills. nothing absolutely needful
that was not forthcoming, while a per-
centage Of each weeks salary was put
away regularly for emergencies. such
~ doctors bills. and another amount
for q nest egg.
my dear" said tho happy husband
when l u a big business I'll want
You for m. financial manager. l could
make money in any enterprise with
you to handle the cash."
And isn't It NICE" replied the wife,
that you can feel that you're the head
Of the house?"
"Tll admit" said Tom thoughtfully.
that it is. No man likes to feel, that
he must be obedient to a woman"
1t was q few days after this remark
that Tom needed a pair of gloves.
Susie told him to go to her box. where
she kept the household moneys. and
get what he needed. There vas moth.
Ing smaller than a five dollar bill. He
took 1t, expecting to return the change.
Unfortunately. during the day an old
chum that he hadn't seen for years
came in to see him. Tom tool him out
to lunch and when he went home re.
turned s. to the cash box instead OF
a. The result was that when Tom
gave his wife the marital kiss she
smelled beer. She said nothing, but
after he had deposited the balance of
the cash she went to the drawer and
found it a dollar short
"Tom," she said. "how much did you
take from the box this morning."
"A i1ver. There was nothing small.
err"
"How much did your gloves cost"
"A dollar"
THAT leaves 81 to go back. Have
you put it all inr"
"All. except a dollar"
what became of that?'
well. you see. Pete Hathaway came
to town today, and I took him out to
lunch with me-"
The look on Mrs. Atherton's face
was lowering, but she said nothing.
There was a silent dinner between
them. after which Tom said:
Susie. | wish you'd get that look
Oh your face. It's all because I spent
q dollar today-a miserable, single dol.
lar-and that entertaining an old friend
haven't een for several years."
"Who authorized you to spend a
dollar for such a purpose?"
"Who authorized me? Am l account.
able to you for the money | spend?"
II thought | vas to be the financial
member Of our firm"
$50 you are. 50 you are. but am l
not the head Of the concern?'
"Of course you are! But that dol
lar you spent today l intended for an
other purpose"
What purposeY"
Il had just enough with it to buy
q Sunday provisions. Now we'll
have to eat canned salmon for Sunday
dinner"
That was the beginning. a new light
breaking In on Toms brain. His wife's