Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-12-09
JOHNS
STINCY
WIFE
C@ By D. J. waish.)

~ own sake. Far from 1t. But
plnched childhood and a half
starved girlhood had made her clutch
eagerly each coin she hardly earned.
If one understood 1t was pitlful; but
IL not, 1t was only sordid.
And there were many who did not
understand.
When she had married John Pond
and left her old home for distant
state she left, too, all those old
friends who had watched her make
her way from farm kitchen to we'll
paid office work. John knew her
only as the valued secretary of the
lawyer who had successfully taken
care of little inheritance for him.
What John liked about Sarah was
the economy of her dress-no loose
ends, no tapping sleeves. All trim
and neat. Just the wife for him, he
was sure. His growing lumber bust
ness in the Northwest had taken too
much of his time to allow Of woman
interests. But now he could settle
down-have a home. Sarah was the
one to make that home-trim as one
Of his own pine boards.
30 he had asked her about It. And
as she really thought she loved him,
though she had seen him but half
dozen times, she said yes, she would
do her best to make him happy.
That was all on either side. John
thought 1t was quite enough, since he
knew nothing Of tho amenities Of
courtshlp from any source. John was
a business man. A good chooser of
bargain, he would say, looking at his
wife-to-be.
He was right.
Sarah did not waste even sentl-
ment. They were married and for
three years lived happily enough, ex-
cept that John could not get his wife
to spend enough money. To be sure
he went ahead and spent 1t himself
on a handsome new house, with the
furnishings ordered direct from the
factory. He had some favors coming
to him from the factory people, and
Sarah did not object very much to
the cost, since he assured her that
great reduction had been made-espe-
clally to him.
Then, as John had more leisure,
and was not as often away on those
long woods trips to his timber tracts,
trouble began to creep around the
Pond home and snarl ct the door.
John awoke to the fact that his
wife was stlngy.
He was sure of It one day when
they had paid call on a sick friend
"a man who had done more than any
other to help John In his first hard
days. It was spring and John had in
sisted on taking half a dozen pots of
plants for the garden Of the alling
man. Sarah finally agreed, but as
they were leaving the invalid, she
said:
"Fll send over for the empty pots
in the morning. You won't need
them after the plants are set out"
John felt his face burning. He
lOnged to hide-to crawl away out of
sight Of the gently smiling friend
who eyed Sarah so amusedly. That
lady was wholly unconscious of hav-
ing said anything wrong. Pots were
pots and had cost money once-even
II small sum.
Whey they reached home, however.
John told her what he thought Of her
speech--and Of several "close" ways
she had.
at isn't as II we needed the pen
MES you save, Sarah. We don't And
besides-there is a coinage so much
more precious than gold. Don't you
know thatT
No. Sarah did not How could
she-starving up as she hadf And
somehow, she had never observed the
ways Of the world and Its ethics in
later and easier days. Perhaps her
eyes were holden.
At any rate, she resented her hus-
bands reproof, and a quarrel was
finally begun.
"1f you can't appreciate my care
for your money--we'd better go sep
arate ways" she stormed.
"Pve never had any thought but
for your interest-Pve gone without
almost everything for myseIf-you've
spent so much on the house-you're
always spending so much. It's Grim
inal the way you waste money, John
Pond. You can just 20 to the poor
house-for all Of me-"
Sarah's voice broke in n sob and
she ran from the room. John was
astounded. He had not known she
could cry. As for not having things
for herself-how should he known He
had no knowledge Of women or their
wants. He was miserable. Perhaps
he was a little reckless with money,
but spending always in a large way
had come to be hibit In these plen-
tIful years. He would think It over
and he hunted for cigar. Then de-
cIded he would smoke plpe-it
would be cheaper.
Smoking and thinking and jottlng
down certain items on a memeran-
dun leaf occupied the rest Of the
evening for John Pond.
At breakfast Sarah was inclined to
be quiet, but John determlnedly lg-
nOred her attitude. He'd show her
that he could come more than half
way-and make amends too, by
George She'd sec!
He left for his Office without the
usual goodly kiss, and presently
Sarah heard him driving noIsily down
the street He believed In getting all
the racket he could out Of motor