©ur 
IN SOME WAY. 
A STORY FOR BOTH WIVES AND HUSBANDS. 
J1Y GERALDINE GERMANE. 
“Here are $5, Harriet, and that is all the 
money I can let you have,” said Mr. Flager, 
laying a bank note upon the table. 
“But that won’t begin to get the dress and 
trimmings,” she said, with a wistful Jook in her 
“ You’ll have to get something cheaper then ; 
$5 is enough for any woman to pay out for one 
dressand he strode through the doorway out 
Into the field with the air of a man who knows 
all about matters in general and dresses in par¬ 
ticular. 
Mrs. Flager drew a long breath and sat down 
to consider. “ O dear ! F.u nothing but a beg¬ 
gar!" said she to herself. “I have to beg for 
every penny 1 have for myself or the children; 
and the little I get is doled out to me as though 
I were a pauper and lie a self-sufficient alimu 
glver. If 1 could only have a share it) the but¬ 
ter or eggs, or In some of t ins profits of the 
farm, I could got along without asking him for 
money. I don’t see why 1 shouldn’t have; I’m 
sure I help make and earn it all; but lie seems 
to think lie knows to a farthing just how much 
1 ought to spend, and says he can furnish me 
with what I need without any ‘division of prof¬ 
its,’ aud it’s pinch and scrimp and save and 
manage to get along with such homoeopathic 
amounts as he deals out to me. I declare, I'm 
sick of it! and I’ve a good mind to get that dot¬ 
ted mull in spite of him. There, I’ve worn that 
old brown lawn three summers, and now can't 
have but anti he knows that won't get any 
decent kind of a dress. I think it’s it shame, so 
hard as I've always worked ! Let me seeIt’ll 
take ten yards of that mull just for the naked 
dress, and then there's the lining and facing 
and buttons and trimming; $5 won’t any more'll 
got the cloth, and 1 s’pose I'll have to get some¬ 
thing cheaper, but 1 hate to, and It seems as 
though I ought to have as much as that so long 
as I’ve worn that old lawn. I wonder If I 
couldn’t take some butter over to the store to 
pay for the trimmings without George’s know¬ 
ing it ? That’s just v hat I’ll do,” l nought she, 
a bright and determined look coming Into her 
face; “the butter belongs to me just as much 
as it does to him. I have to make it, and It's a 
pity if I can’t have a few pounds to do what 
I’m a mind to with. Johnny,” she added, going 
to the door mid calling to a fair-haired, bright- 
eyed boy who was sailing chips of wood down 
the spring run, “come In and see to the baby 
w hile I go over to the store." 
Johnny eagerly watched to see the latest 
launched ship sail down the tide, then came 
and took Ills place beside the cradle wherein 
cooed a dark-eyed baby-girl. To him his moth¬ 
er was an embodiment of all that was good and 
lovely, and ho was ever ready and willing to do 
as she bade him. Ho usually obeyed ids fal lrei, 
but it was more through fe.tr than love. There 
was not that clinging confluence, that trusting 
faith in him that lie had in his mother. He 
wondered greatly why she went “ down cellar " 
while she was getting ready, and then again 
just before she started. Be did not see the 
little till pail that hung on her arm, close under 
her shawl. 
In a little more than an hour Mrs. Flager 
returned with the longed-for dot ted mull, trim¬ 
mings and all. But it usually happens in the 
course of human events, that ns soon as one 
desire is gratified others keep coming up, like 
many-headed Hydra from the depths of the 
sea, and as she laid her treasure away In the 
bureau drawer, looking out of the spare-room 
w indow at the spring sunshine as it lit up the 
bare, brown meadows, just beginning to be 
tinged with green, she thought," How warm 
it’s getting: 1 do wish I could have my dross to 
wear to church next Sunday; It’ll be warm 
enough, 1 know, and there'll be MrB. Smith an’ 
Mrs. Grey an’ Mrs. Dunn, all dressed up in 
their new summer suits, and I’ll have to wear 
my winter dress or else that old brown lawn, 
and 1 declare I'll stay at home before I’ll wear 
that! I wonder if 1 couldn’t, manage to get it 
made? I,ot me see; to-day is Tuesday, ami I 
shan’t have any time to work on if this after¬ 
noon ; to-morrow George is going to have the 
men come to break up that ten-acre lot, and 
I'll have them to wait on ; Thursday there’ll be 
baking and churning to do; maybe I might get 
some time to sew on Friday, but then there’ll 
be cooking and churning to do Saturday, so 
there's no use of my thiuUingof getting itmade 
this week, unless I sit up and work nights, and 
George won't let me do that; he says it don’t 
pay for the lights I bum, and I don’t s’pose 
he’d be willing to hire a stitch done if I went 
stark naked ; at least lie never did, and I’ve no 
reason to expect ho ever will.” 
And the troubled little woman went back to 
the kitchen with thought after thought, and 
plan after plau following eueh other through 
her head, all centering on the question, “ How- 
should she get that dress made?" 
As she mixed the custard and st irred the tea 
cake for supper she began to wonder, “ What 
George would say?” She had never tried to 
deceive him before, and knew not what answer 
she should make if he should question her too 
closely. She really hoped he would think or 
say nothing about her purchase, but he was too 
careful as to where his money went for that, 
and as soon as he was well seated at the table 
and she was pouring his first cup of tea, ho 
looked up Inquiringly and said: 
“ Did you get your dress ?” 
“ Yes.” 
“ That one you wanted ?” 
“Yes.” 
“ So the $5 got it after all your trouble ?” 
No answer. 
“ I say, did you get your dress for $5?” This 
came loud and sharp. 
“ Y-e>-sthen she hurried into the pantry 
and drew a long breath, frightened at what she 
had done; then she thought she hadn't really 
told a lie, for she dUl get the dress for $5, and 
it was the trimmings she bought with the but¬ 
ter. “What business was it to him any way ? 
She wasn’t uhvays going to do just hi# bidding; 
she meant to lie her own master sometimes, 
and tilings there belonged to her as much as 
they did to him, if he did keep everything in his 
own bauds, and she'd let him know it, too!” 
This lust was thought angrily and witli the 
tears starting. 
The next morning the Flagers were early 
astir and in a considerable bustle, for both had 
extra work to do that day, be in the field and 
she in the kitchen ; besides, she had a plan all 
hatched and matured In her womanly brain, 
ami as soon as the men were fairly away, she 
hast ily dressed herself for a walk. 
“ Where you goln*, ma?" asked Johnny. 
“ I’m just a going to run over to Mrs. Briggs’ 
a few minutes, and I want you to stay in the 
house and take good care of Sissy while I’m 
gone; If she wakes up before I got hack, take 
her up mid hold her until l come. 1 won’t bo 
gone but a little w hile, and If your father comes 
in and asks where I am, you needn’t tell Mm; 
Just tell ’ini that I’ve gone out a few minutes, 
and will be right back.” 
Mrs. Biuggs was a poor woman In the neigh¬ 
borhood who, like many another,being obliged 
to nearly support- her husband and children, 
was glad of such odd jobs and such pay as she 
could get. As soon as the “good mornings" 
and remarks on the weather were exchanged, 
Mrs. I'EAGER said: “I come over to see if I 
could get you to make a dress waist for me; I 
want the dress to wear next Sunday, and can’t 
get time to make it all myself. I guess I can 
make the sldrt, if I can gel, the waist and sleeves 
made ; and I’d like to get you to do over this 
bonnet lor me if you could. You do such work 
sometimes, don’t you? You see 'tisn't soiled, 
but it's out of fashion, you know, and I don’t 
want to wear it as it is with my new dress.” 
“ Well, 1 haven’t anything on hand, just now, 
that I'm in a hurry about," said Mrs. Briggs, “so 
I guess I ran do your sewing for you, and 1 cun 
do over your bonnet if you think I can do it 
well enough ; l have done such work.” 
“I'll risk but what you’ll do it well enough,” 
said her customer. 
“ Then, If you think you can trust me, you 
may look at I lie blocks and see what style you 
will have it. I haven’t many different shapes; 
I can’t afford to buy many for what little work 
I get of that kind.” 
“ I haven’t the money to pay you,” Mrs. Fla* 
ger wont on to say; “George told me, the 
other day when 1 got my dress, that he couldn’t 
spare me any more Dow; but we’ve got plenty 
of nice maple sugar, and I thought maybe you’d 
just as lief have that as the money." 
“ Certainly 1 would. 1 have to pay money for 
all such tilings, so what’s the difference ?” 
“ I didn’t bring the dress wit h me this morn¬ 
ing, for I’ve got work folks to got dinner for, 
and couldn’t stay long enough to have it fitted. 
Can you get the waist done by Saturday if i 
come over in good season to-morrow morning? 
If you can't, I’ll try and come this afternoon.” 
Mrs. BkihGS thought early the next morning 
would do, and with the agreement that tier 
dress waist and millinery should be ready for 
her by Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Flager, took 
her departure, her employe marveling “ How it 
happened that she should be hiring work done.” 
Such a thing wasn’t known in the annals of t he 
neighborhood. 
Al t he time appointed she again dressed to 
go nut, and proceeded to -wrap up a good-sized 
cake of homo-ntade sugar iu a clean towel. 
“What ye bundlin' up that, sugar for, ma?" 
asked Johnny, who had been watching his 
mother through the pantry door. Here was a 
dilemma. Iu her hurry and excitement she 
had not once thought of the watchful eyes of 
her boy, and now should she fell him the truth 
and nothing but t he truth, or should she add 
to her guilt by making up a story thut- would 
satisfy him ? 
While she was thinking the mat ter over the 
question was again and again repeated, and In 
u manner that demanded an immediate reply. 
“He has never done what 1 bid him not to,” 
she thought, “and I can trust him now;” so. 
God disposes.” The next day was cold and 
drizzly, and Mrs. Flageh was doomed to dis¬ 
appointment and her old clothes. 
counter of a dry goods’ establishment in a busy, 
bustling, pushing, jostling, noisy, reeking city. 
“Hbrk’S a digraph dispatch for ve, Misthcr 
Fl-AGRB." . . , f 
“Forme? You must he mistaken, {never 
had a telegraph dispatch in my life.” 
“ Bure, an’ It’s directed to George Flager, 
anyhow, and me father fetched it from the vil¬ 
lage afther bedtime last night, an’ sint. me over 
wid It, early this tin,min'. There don't no other 
man by the name o' George Flager live ’round 
here, aoes t here V" 
“ Not that I know of.' , , . 
“Thin, It must be yours,” said the boy, hand¬ 
ing him a yellow envelope. 
He opened it and read the contents. Good 
Heavens!” said he, turning white t» the roots 
of his hair, " what does this mean ?’’ 
"Dear me, what is it ?" said Mrs. Flager, 
dropping an egg that she was about to break 
into the frying pan and trotting up to her hus- 
Sho rend over his shoulder:—“Come to the 
city Immediately. Johnny i- in the officers 
hand* for burglary. Bring $800 for ball," 
“O, there must be some mistake.” said elie, 
with deep-drawn breath : “it cannot bo that 
Johnny, our John n y, ba committed burg try ! 
It must be some one else, and they have taken 
him for it! You must go right off, George, 
J ust as quick as you can, and see about it 1 O, 
iow the poor boy must fed !” And i lie stricken 
mother was walking back and forth in a state 
bordering on distraction. 
She was aroused by her husband, who said: 
“ Come, let’s have our breakfast; I shan't have 
any too much time, for I shall have to walk to 
the village, go to the bank mi’ get some money, 
and the train loaves a*...." 
She was too much excited, and Lulu too 
much grieved and horrified to act, Mr. (’i.aglh 
hurriedly swallowed a few mouthfuls, arrayed 
himself in hU best suit., and was on his way. To 
all the prying and anxious inquiries of the 
neighbors It was answered that he had gone to 
the cltv on business, and everybody was in a 
state of wonderful wonderment as to what 
business Geohue Fi.agit.il who seldom traveled 
farther than the village, and not very often 
there, could have in the city. 
“ But after he came back, brlrglng Johnny 
with him. the nature of his *: bui ine- V’ leaked 
out to their great, satisfaction, and it was in a 
multitude ol mouths that "Johnny Flager 
had got into some kind of a Scrape, they didn't 
exactly know what, ami his uncle had turned 
him off, and hla father hud to go ami help’iin 
Out of it an’ bring 'lm home.” And then every¬ 
body wondered, for " Johnny used to be such 
an honest sort of a chap and was so steady, and 
stmt home 'most all his wages." 
“1 don’t see how the boy came to do such a 
thing,” said George Flager, in conversation 
with his brother al ter Ids arrival In the city and 
the truthfulness of the story had been confirm¬ 
ed ; “he used to be aagood a child ns I oversaw, 
ami I never knew him to do a dishonorable act 
when he lived at homo. I ought to have known 
better than to over have lot elm come here; 1 
might 'a' knew he’d got Into bail company and 
“ It’s of no use to talk t© your father; he 
thinks your homespun suit of grey and your 
coarse shirts are good enough; he say* you’ve 
got one good suit for 8undays, and that's all he 
used to have when ho was a boy. He thinks 
anybody and everybody ought to get along 
with w liat. he used to. But things ain’t now as 
they were then ; folks used to live In log houses 
and wear llnsey woolsey, and one was just as 
good as another, If they were only honest and 
behaved themselves; but now-a-days only folks 
that live in nice houses and wear fine clothes 
are thought anything of, and poor folks that 
can't dress up and carry a high head ain’t any¬ 
body.” 
“ But, mother, I can get along with that tan- 
colored suit 1 wear Sundays till I can earn 
money enough to buy me something better. O, 
1 rather do It than to go to getting thlngB unbe¬ 
known to father. It’s all right enough, for 
what I know, for you to get what you need 
when he’s so miserly with you and you're 
worked as hard for what there is here as he 
has; but I’d rather get along mo»tanyway than 
to take what he thinks belongs to him, just os 
I’m going away to do for myself.” 
“I’d like to know if you ha'n't worked like a 
nigger over since you're big enough to do any¬ 
thing 1 An* It's u pity If you can't havo some¬ 
thing decent to wear w hen you're a goln' away 
from home 5 D’ye a’posc I'd let ye go off there 
’mnng strangers with nothin’ but them old tan- 
colored clothes for your best! Why, your 
uncle'd bo ashamed of yel Folks dress differ¬ 
ent. there from what they do here, you'll find, 
an' I've been a layin’ up butter 'n eggs a little 
to a time nil summer to get you something new 
this full, for I didn't expect your father *d get 
you anything; precious little he's overbought 
for any of us. I’ve always had to scrimp and 
manage in some way to get clothes for you and 
LULU, an” things to use in the house.” 
“ You'd better sell what you've got laid up 
and get something for yourself and Lulu; you 
need it laid enough." 
" Yes. we need it bud enough ; that's so. But 
you've got to have some decent clothes, ’n I 
don’t see any other way to get’em; and now 
your father’s gone off to that auction, it'll lie a 
good time to take the butter 'n eggs over to the 
village au’ do up your trading. You'll need as 
many 's half a dozen flno shirts an’ pocket 
[ never 
it i>csomeone eiae, anti mey nave laaen 
ir it I You must go right off, George, 
quick as you can. and see about it! O, 
ic poor boy must feel!’’ And I )m stricken 
l J J< I I | V D |IIW> I* '••• I . - — - —■ - T • II *1 
Ma-Wchwl,. a .-ic.OO.. „• «*, a pair of wSr'M 
pants, an some collars. a more’u he did.” 
“ But, mother. 1 don t seo how you re going “'Twasn't that, ” said Willi am Flager; 
“ Bui, mother. 1 don t seo how you re going 
to make so many thing* In two weeks, and you “ Johnny knew enough to take care of himself 
know Oncle \Yti,LIAM said 1 must come tr. that anywhere. But I tell you what, it isn't always 
time, for the boy he had was going away." h 08 t j () a kinch a boy"down too dose; if they 
“I guess maybe 1 can get Mrs. Briggs to can't have what U honestly tholr due, they are 
make all but lb « * Arts an’ pocket ban ker- pretty apt to get v.Iii.i (hey think licloiigs io 
chiefs, an’ I'll manage to pay her In some way. j them lu some way. This Isn't hi - first crime, 
Johnny well understood her “ In some way t)V any moan! ». At first, things wi t on all right, 
meant, for he had long been accustomed to but alter a while the novelty nl city iit'eunU of 
getting necessaries for his mother, and to ob- being In t he store began to wear oil ; then came 
talning a little spending mouey for himself now a desire to attend places of enter! in moot a id 
and then, by smuggling farm products to the 0 f mnu«-mem. just like mv utli r i imp of hi 
village stores and groceries. At first lus natu- lltfe _ uo t. that tie wished to enter into anything 
ral truthfulness had demurred at this wav of tJia | was wrong or disreputable, l ki pt ado • 
supplying their wants, but his mother had si- wa tch or him in regard to such matters, but ho 
lenoed hi* objections by telling him that .they wanted to go to a concert or lecture or u re¬ 
worked for it, and If his father wasn t willing spool able party now aim then, a nd he bad no 
they should have what rightly belonged to money to go with, and if he had the money he 
them, they must get it the best way they could. vcrv often hadn't suit able clothes to wear. He 
Bo many time* had the smuggling process ij ai J too muon of his mother’s pride » id inde- 
been repeated, and so many time* had he been . MSU d©nco to ask fm more thanm* ated wages, 
convinced Of tbo Justness thereof, that, with though I used to give nirn a half dollar or so 
but little compunction of conscience on his IlOW and then, when I felt as though he really 
part., one of the farm horses was hitched to the ought to have it; but he asked me to !■., ep back 
shabby old baggy, much the worso for wear. a part of his earnings from you, on t Ji* pie tti . 
ami Mrs. Flager, with the “butter u eggs he needed It for himself, and I told him thut 
that had “ been laid up a little to a time, were t,he agreement I had nude with you.it 
handed in and driven to the store where the WOU ld bo impossible for mo to do so honestly, 
fcfc nice t out* p&nttf an vest* ail uaii - ^jid that I knew you 1 ou wull tun.L I jr ;ui y eon- 
kerchiefs" were duly purchased. Tha produce cession on your’part unless it should he for 
was not sufficient to wholly pay for the required 6 icknesaor something of thatkirtfl, there would 
articles, and there was quite a debt contracted y )e D( ,thing granted for plc.i m e or anmse- 
for future payment “in some way." ment." 
“ We must hurry back,” aahl Mm. Flageh, as “There wasn’t any use of the boy'* wanting 
(hey started homeward, “for your father may money f or SU ch tomfooleries,” chimed in the 
take a notion to come homo helpre night and | iBteiier wriggling uneasily in hi* chair, 
get there before wo do. I declare, 1 believe ( ’ . . .. ... 
nnl'lmfiJt?" just starting down the hill way small Vimunns ,n money 
^ »tis,” said Johnny, plying the whip $ fty^orVlSSS 
M?Fi1Ser had two miles to walk while the, tSwit what dlffi 
had one to drive, and as he was coming across {£,•““* A 1 Mm F naHv i c m-m — I t in i, 
he was quite near the house, by dint of fast ’I’ i n,!!lint if M . V . , | ■ 1 
unharmAftsed and^if^Um ^^tmm the biunHe* cSfpritWthoftilk^the’ Unit ur public, and 
kerchlef^carefuriy Sowed away^ln an*reUrVdand ofcthts 
quented place, their Sund^D’ jutrments changed 
for .week-day * T ' d ^^.u^ho rainr in ami sending him bourn; but he . nnim . <o . mu- 
know if“’Twasnt’most bly, made such a pitiful plea, aid -an h lair 
d I« asn t most “/ 0 ' jni80R for tb# runuv . that, knowing the < ir- 
oMnmi" were “ made on the sly." with- eumetutices a* I did, I kept him in nis place. 
- sssfflS ITS 
At hanfBrerchTei^wa* P ?0°HRNV’ B uncle was right. Nothing could 
hemmed,'the heel aud toe of the last sock were gainsay the proof nor st ay the [lun'.-limt n t i’t' 
run. Ills trunk WHS packed even to a pint basin mft crime, and with the v< tdi l, 
that confidence came the consciousness that 
Ins father was mean and stingy and his mother 
defrauded and abused. 
The dressmaking and millinery were com¬ 
pleted. Mrs. Bkiggs prai.- ed the quality of and 
seemed pleased with Iter sugar, and Mrs. Fla¬ 
ger returned home in high spirits to Join to¬ 
gether the separated parts of the dotted mull 
in readiness for the morrow. But how true that 
“ man,” and sometimes woman, “ proposes, but 
regard 
One night, when Johnny was m hi* prison c u 
and George Flageh sat by hi- fireside, think¬ 
ing, he said, suddenly, ’* 1 wish 1 hadn't been 
ouite so close with the boy, Harriet ; may be 
.*• * , i * - _ 11 * 4 1 f on on t, *!«,. ,, n* r»n1 ' I I V"l 
hardest of all to part , sprang Into the old buggy 
beside bis father, and the tall, gentlemanly lad 
of 17 was away from the broad, open fields, from 
the pure country air, from the Sabbath-like 
stillness of the old homestead, to bow and 
smirk and smile and equivocate bemud the 
n't ’©v happened.” 
“ I wish you never d been so close with any 
of us, George,” was answered In a choked 
voice, and thereby came tears and a confession. 
And alas! there might be a like Acknowledg¬ 
ment and confession in many a household. 
