Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1886 — A Queer Story. [ARTICLE]

A Queer Story.

“I want to toll vou a story; may I?” This proper petition came from a clerk in a down-town banking house. I was willing, and this is the way he went on : “Ten years ago two young men went to work for -tho same firm in Wall street Their salaries were the same, their opportunities even, their tastes similar, arid generally they were o.i a par all around. Both married, neither adding much to their dollar-andff-eut account in that way. They climbed along together. Eight years ago they ■were drawing a yearly salary of $3,04)0 apiece. But in one particular the twain differed, and this difference was in their method of taking care of their money. Aat the end of each week took his salary home and handed it over to his wife. B looked out lor his own funds himself. When A wanted funds during the week he went to his wife for it; he took but a certain sum frem home each day for lunch and incidental expenses. When B wanted funds during the week he dived into his own pockets for it. He didn’t need—-this was his boast—he didn’t need any petticoat financiering in his family. B had lots of fun at A’s expense, as the weeks heaped themselves into months and piled into a year, but A seemed rather to have the whip end, when, at the epd of the twelfth mouth, he asked B to compare bank books. B had $43 to his credit, sole remnant of his whole year’s salary. A’s account showed credits that, amounted to s3,Out). That wife at the purse-strings did it. But B was set in his way. He went on enjoying himself; prospective rainy days didn’t annoy him; the theater and the dinner table, excursions and good-fellowship—these kept him fat and happy. And the first year’s $3,0U0 that Mrs. A accumulated grew in increasing ratio year by year.' On last New Year’s day it had become, through safe and shrewd investment, something like $50,000, all in hard cash. ” “And, to boil the story down,” I interjected, “Spendthrift B, who hasn’t saved a cent, lias to go on toiling for a living, while, thanks to h s good wife, A gives up labor and is settled down to enjoy his remaining years in ease.” “Now, that’s were you make your m'stake, ” ejaculated my tale-teller in a tone sublimely sarcastic. “Because you newspaper men are always good, and because your goodness always brings you happiness and shekels, you imagine the same rule holds good everywhere. And as I’ve said, that’s where you make a mistake. This isn’t a Sunday-school chestnut. No; A isn’t living at his ease; no more is B toiling for a living. Fact is that last New Year's B, the scalawag, calmly eloped from this town, and Mrs. A and that $50,000 of hard cash went with him.” —New York 'lines.