Judge — October 21, 1916 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PARING HIS EXPENSE ACCOUNT By J. A. IGHTLEYS' ax @ HE RISEDALES were at breakfast. been as cordial as usual. “Anythin ¢ the matter, dear?” “Lots of things, always, Lavi “Well, what is the particular thing this morning? You look as though you were harboring an embryonic grouch, Better scotch it before it develops.” “T will. When I made you an allowance I asked you just how large it should be.” “Your memory is faulty, Benjamin. You asked me how small it should be. Not in those words, of course. What you really asked was that I should tell you the least I could get along with for personal expenses—how much a month. You said you had to have a lot of money at work in business. Am I right?” “Your mind, Lavinia, is exact as to sone details though a bit lax as to others. You haven’t a shrewd business sense. I suppose you remember what you replied. ‘My dear,’ you said—and I remember you looked charming as you said it— ‘I think I can get along nicely on a thousand a month.’” “I remember. And you were gencrous enough to respond: ‘My dear, I'll make it twelve hundred a mon h.’ You've always been a liberal darling.” She went over and kissed him, and then went back to her coffee. “Thank you. But why should bills like this be sent to me?” He handed her a paper. “That calls for a hundred and fifty dollars for three hats. Aren’t hats related to your per onal expenses?” She looked at the bill. ‘ But I was short, Ben- Jamin. I had spent all my money. And the one thing you warned me about was my bank account. ‘Never, in any case, overdraw,’ you told me.” “I'm glad you remembered that. But you'll have to pay this bill out of your next month’s allowance.” “Oh!” She thought a moment. ‘And I wanted to go shopping to-day!” Risedale had not sked Mrs. Risedale. WALDRON AS ER (LO ye “But to-morrow is the first of the month. Can’t you post- pone your excur.ion?” She thought another moment. “It’s a bargain sale. to-morrow I might not find a bargain.” “Well, I'll lend you a hundred until to-morrow.” He wrote a check and passed it over. ‘But you must pay me from your allowance.” “What a dear you are! But I saved you twenty-five dollars yesterday, so I'll pay you back seventy-five.” “Saved me twenty-five? How?” “Tt was the funniest thing! But it proved that I have an alert business sense, though you say I lack it.” “I’m anxious to be convinced as to that.” “You know when you Lought my limousine you'said it was a present, and you agreed tq keep it up if I would learn to drive it.” “Yes.” “Well, I went shoppirg yesterday.” “Another bargain sale?” ‘0. Just shopping. Though I did buy a new costume. That’s why I’m short.” “But how did you save re twenty five dollars?” “Tt was the strangest thing! I left my car in front of Blightley’s, where I Lought my ccestume. I was in the shop quite a w When I carre cut, just as I was in the door- way, I saw a policeman standing by my car. I stopped, a little frightened. Thought something was wrong. I waited for him to go away.” “Just hanpened to be standing there, I suppose.” “T thought so, but he didn’t go. Then I began tothink All at once the truth dawned on me.” “Well?” “I remembered reading there is a fine of twenty-five dollars for leaving a car within a certain distance of a fire plug.” And comicbooks.com