The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-01-24
THE CHlLDREN'S HOUR.
sTELLA's BORROWED NICKEL.

sTELLA's BORROWED NICKEL.
1t was a hot Saturday morning, and
Betty, who had had a long walk from
her music teachers house to the car
line, was tired and thirsty enough to
find the corner drug store very tempt
ing. 49,. - t...
AS she began on the pineapple sun
dae which she had ordered, the door
opened to- admit another girl, who
proved to be Stella Langdon, one of
her class at high school, .-s.,...
I've Just a dime left, and I'm go
ing to spend it for an ice cream Soda"
she laughed as she greeted Betty and
seated herself opposite. Then as she
noted the tempting-looking mound in
to which Betty was sinking her spoon,
she hesitated. "Those pineapple sun
daes with a dab of whipped cream and
a maraschino cherry on top are fifteen
cents, aren't they? Lend me five
cents, will you, Betty, and I'll have
one, too, instead Of plain soda"
A~etu-L1uSly bSllI .houuCu oNSi IIe
small loan, and Stella was soon en-
joying her sundae.
Betty found luncheon ready when
She reached home, and over the dainty
meal repeated to her mother, as she
always did, the experiences of the
morning, including the incident in the
drug store. Mrs Morrison looked UP
quickly.
20 my DEAR she said, II don't like
that! Your friend Stella is getting a
bad start in life
But mamma Betty protested in
surprise, 1T was such a little thing!
Only five cents!". Co.,.
L know it's small, dear, and that is
| one reason why 1 think Stella is on
dangerous ground. She thinks it of
no consequence at all to borrow five
| cents to buy a delicacy that she has
not enough money to pay for, herself
| and she will find it fatally easy to &C
| on borrowing larger and larger sums
| which it will not be so easy to pay
| back"
Betty was silent; the matter looked
different when it was put in this way
You know the Gidleys, of course?'
| Mrs. Morrison went on after a mo
| ment's silence, and Betty nodded, with
a look of curiosity on her face that
questioned what connection there
could be between Stella and these
old-time friends of her father anC
mother, with their shabby house, their
dilapidated furniture, and theil
threadbare clothes.
| They were troubled in the same
way that Stella is her mother said
replying to Betty's unspoken ques
| ton. ''They have gone through life
always wanting something more ex
pensive than they had the money tt
pay for, and piling up debts, till now
when they are facing old age, there is
no prospect ahead Of them but pinch
| ing poverty for the rest of their lives
Betty dearest" Mrs. Morrison's hant
slipped tenderly over the soft, white
one that layobeside hers, don't make
Stella's mistake! If you have only ter
cents to spend for ice cream, get ter
| cents werthiof ice cream and be sat
isfed with that. Don't let yourself
be tempted into borrowing even five
cents to pay for something better thar
you can afford yourself.''
It was not hard to guess, from the
look on Betty's face, what her answer
would be to this plea. But before she
could speak, there was an unexpected
interruption. The laundress who was
doing some cleaning, had come int
| the dining room to wash the windows
and had caught enough of what Mrs
Morrison was saying to understand
the subject of the conversation. She
turned from the window, her hands OF
her hips, her beady black eyes twink
ling in her brown face, and in few
terse words summed up her philos
| ophy: 81
me, I eat dry potatoes with sal
only, before will owe. anybody -.
/