Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-01-28

AEs1e1rnn doAars alt ermvressca Aaso
. little bit Of paper: the first bin OF
that denomination she had ever seen
and 1t was NIL herss
There was no writing Oh the folded
paper. Not even a letterhead. -
seemed to Jane that this was a bit 81
delicaey on Brands part, but IL 10
had known her thoughts at that mn~
ment one might have seen another Of
those rare and cynical smiles. Tha
system has a way of doing sueA
things. Good disciples OF the creed
do not write checks or even certia-
Gates of deposit unless the figures are
for fabulous sums. And they do net
ask receipts.
Also, Brand knew tha lure Of ready
money. While he felt reasonably GER
tain that the spider had stepped bold
ly into the web, he was too good
business man to not consider posi-
bilities. He knew that at heart Jane
was loyal wife. Her quick revuision
when he had proposed stopping for
refreshments revealed this. She
might be weary of her irksone and
humdrum life, but she was not weary
of her husband. Nor had she lost ma
teria"y, he thought, any Of those finer
feelings Of a real woman That I
cannot have you interfere" had
ranked and hurt. bat the wound
would heal. There was always the
chance that her husbands presence
his devotion, his innocent trust would
strike the chord Of genuine sympathy
that existed between them and bring
a penitent confessor to his feet. She
was willing to worship ut Manlmon's
altar, but eventually her husband
must kneel beside her. Brand knew.
He knew o pigmy ana he knew q
worthy foe. The burglar proving In
the night knows the watchdog IL
loyal He does not try caiulery with
soft whistle or kind words. He of.
fers something more substantial
bone with good gristie and a Bit Of
meat.
That was Brands bait---the bone.
the gristle and not too much meat.
Not enough to surfeit; just enough to
gnaw on and leave the tasts for more.
Maybe, later when the taste had
grown, when the bone seemed an IN
necessary adjunct to the meat-~well,
time would tell.
With her hundred dollars tucksA
away in q safe place Jane sat down
with pencil and paper to enumerate
and dilate upon its purchasing power
There were so many things that she
wanted and actually needed, yet she
knew she must be guarded in het Sc
leetioDs. Everything she bought
would have to be accounted for as hav.
ing been obtained through savings
from her weekly allowance. And this
would preclude the purchase Of any.
thing elaborate; anything that to the
layman's eye would reveal its eostli.
ness. She must spread the money
around here and there In compare
lively small amounts.
But there must be q dress. That
she would not be denied She would
have one made; her first tailored suit.
II would take two or three weeks to
get IL and this would give her time to
prepare for its arrival. Bob was no
eonnoisseur On women's clothes and
besides he never pressed her for de-
tails about her expenditures. He knew
that she had wonderful taste and
judgment though she had small oppor,
tunity for exercising II.
She took up the morning paper and
scanned the ads. Lingerie. That was
one solution. Men never could under
stand the cost OF such bits OF finery
and how often she had longed for
some of It. One OF the stores, too, was
advertising a special sale of broad
cloth motoring coats with silk MORE
lining. Wouldn't that be grand for
her business jaunts with Brand? But
the price, sixty-eight fifty. That would
never do. She would have to hide /.
as she had the hat and IL Bob even
discovered 1t even his innocent credul
ity would be tasked to imagine that 1t
was the fruit OF household economy.
There were handsome silver purses
with vanity cases. One of the kind
she had wanted for a year. That
would do for one thing. II was small
and to q man would mean very little
even II 1t was reduced from fifteen
dollars to thirteen ninety-eight. Some
tan suede ties to go with the new
dress. Yes. they would be Just the
thing for the suit was going to be
brown. She had worn that little old,
blue serge, refined it, changed the col
lar and altered 1t generally until she
hated II and never wanted to see a
piece OF blue cloth again. The ties
were six dollars, but she would have
them. anyway, Bob wouldn't know
whether they cost six or two. They
were just what she wanted, too. She
hated high shoes, although for Statan
island, and with winter coming, they
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