Show his rummage sale bargain da the house was cold and cheerless even the cat howled dismally at the tha back door preferring the atmosphere without lemuel pulled hla his overcoat collar up around hs ears and drew lits hla hat down to fidei meet lt it ilien then lie he sea ima himself in his accustomed chair at the dining table and surveyed the collation of cold scraps spread out boford him in their midst was a noto note from rum his wife t darling I 1 have the most moat awful confession to make but it Is not my fault and I 1 know you will forgive borgi ve no me and yet get me another I 1 am so BO sorry that you have not a hot dinner do relent and come to the sale tho men are all calling calline it se Bc arlea les sale bale that absurd the dinner is hot and good do come coma for 26 25 cents I 1 am 0 so o sorry but I 1 could not help it and you will forgive mo me will you ou not nott lie ile set hla his teeth resolutely into a piece of yesterdays roa roast at 1 I see myself down dovirn there thoro to dinner ive said id not set foot inaldo their blooming show anil and I 1 wont mr searles ate his lunch do liberato ly fed the cat poked the furnace and started back to the bank at the front door ho he hesitated there hung lillians house ley key forgotten lie ile roust get it to her but how ills his dignity forbade his inva sion alon of rogers block ill there saml yelled searles Searl ci sam returned with a skip when ha saw his oft timo patrons hand disappearing into his pocket here sam take this dimo and this key and give one of thorn them to mrs searles at the rummage sale sara sam grinned dropped the dime into his pocket and disappeared just juat is as searles turned to go a pa gilr I 1 r of trousers hanging near mear the window caught his eye dy by the great guns searles corn com roon Imen toil ted only 12 2 sana SAM camo atno around tho the corner searles collared the youth led him into the recess of the alley thrust 5 1 into his hand and some BOMO pointed elroc tlona into hla his licad head ile ho was to keep hla his mouth shut and bring tho the bundle bundalo straight to the tho bank twenty five minutes later searles learned that hla his bargain was too short in the legs aud too tight in the band lie he had likewise seen himself standing 9 on tip too craning hla his nock into a back window of the bock and even aslie as he had soon himself somo some on enoi 0 else lae proof bly hal had soen seen him thoro I 1 was thi the rub still those trousers were good ani and could bo remade made botler better it tho the story of 0 their purchase got out cut lie ho could invite the jokers to view a pair of elegant new trousers lt lit least they would bo be elegant when overhauled by his tailor up in the city ile he should go tomo to tomorrow mo r having thus fortified himself against attack he went home and met a solemn little wife searles heart sank tho the moment lie ho looked at her the story atory of hla his method of attending tho the sale ealo was probably all over town and this was tho the way it affected lillian lillian could never take a joke lillian eat cat on oa his knee and sald said lemmy why dont you ask aek mo me to confess contessa Cont essl exclaimed searles in fix surprise A tear rolled down her cheek check you oven ioven read my note z seated himself in hla his accustomed chair at the dining table A light broke in on oa searles ile ho bogan began jaax to laugh its no laughing nutter matter to loso lose your muff sobbed mobbed lillian oh oft lemmy its ita awful I 1 laid it down at tho the galo it ib cost 25 and some one made a anali sold it for 23 25 cents and decant wo we cant find and it IL oh dearl ah dearl searles foi yat A hla his trousers ho threw hla his bean back and roared scared 1 I cant see bee anything to laugh at observed his wife her to tones nes muffled by hit his coat front but lemuel suddenly hardened hla his heart now that the trousers scare waa oyer over 1 I 1 cant aford to run rummage sales on dia 25 muffs he grumbled and ro turned to his bis paper the next lay day searles and hla his dress suit case repaired to the city only to find and that the way of the transgressor la Is hard the tailor shook ills his head over tho the trousers lie ile feared that when the garment was waa enlarged the old seams would show searles went up the following week according to instructions and found a pair of 0 uncomfortably tight trousers with long faded streaks conspicuously showing themselves a quarter of an inch from every seam long advised his cus customer bamer to allow him to send tho garment around the corner toa dyer who would mako make tho the entire garment one shade darker and so conceal tho the streaks searles asked tho the price of the suggested treatment shut his teeth and said tako take em the tailor followed him to the door 1 I forgot to toll tell you that I 1 was obliged to reline them throughout as the old lining was so worn searles iran way down tho the stairs made a remark the tailor did not hear distinctly but accepted it as a pleasant good day apil and returned it one week later P earles was seated in the train homeward bound at hla his feet stood its his dress sult suit case containing a pair of elegant dark blue tron bers which proved themselves a close call the dyeing process having U I 1 it leamy what Is the matter shrunken them their weary owner was waa employed in itemizing on the back of an old letter searles added the column three times then tearing up the envelope ho be scattered it ploce by piece along eighteen miles of track lie he hoped tho the distance would effectively separate those items ile he carried his suit stilt caso case home reflecting ting on lite his blessings three weeks had elapsed since the sale and he be had not heard one word concerning his share shara in it tho the trousers were so nearly new that he would not have to tell 11 his is wife a lie about them and alter after all they were a bargain in this amiable frame of mine lie ho walked into his library lillian had just come in she was warming ten small plump red fingers over tho the grate she exhibited each chilly digit to him in turn tho the muff had riot not been recovered want to soo sea my now new trousers asked searles Bc arles cheerfully wishing to change the subject ife ho shook out tho the trousers in all their theft freshness and folds and swung them before his cifes eyes she merely vouchsafed them a glance how much did they cost lemuel had anticipated this ques tion hence tho the figuring on the train just 15 at longs he replied glibly mrs searles Scarle 4 took hold of the hot hem ot of one leg gingerly she elevated her nose ugh how thoy they smell searles know knew that tho the odor was due to tho recent dyeing but all he said was storo smell amell on the cloth probably ills ilia wife picked up up the other trouser leg she evinced a coming interest she turned the legs begs over and tried tho the qually quality of the cloth she examined the hems and gazed at tho seams with a critical eye then she raised her childish blue eyes to her hec husbands faco face Lemn lemmy ly how bov can you you tell such st stor oriesT leaT they were vero marked just two dollars I 1 thoi thought ight at the time lime it was ridiculously cheap because I 1 remember you paul pad just 20 for them and thou thon grow growa tout so iso fast that you really never wore ori them much searles reached for a chair and eat down weal weakly cly the trousers fell on an tho efio hoar floor in A heap ills own old trousers I 1 and lie he lemuel searles banker had ho he groaned aloud Lenit Le ity what Is tho matter lillian yuu you linao one strong point for which I 1 am very thankful thank full you ne never versee a jolie lillian an looked puzzled and lemuel thoughtful ills his eyes felt fell on her red hands ills face became animated 11 lily how you like to go up to the city tomorrow to morrow and look at muffs oh lemmul and a collar arollar leduty I 1 10 of f sealskin 0 you darling you shall havo have em cm both it you will dot do nio me a little favor ill do anything in tho the world for I 1 you hut but this Is something you are arc not to do you are pot not to tell alice louise leo lea in boston globe |