Where do Buddy and his friend keep their money?

In Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory,” Buddy and his friend raise money to pay for the ingredients to make their annual Christmas fruitcakes. They do small jobs, enter contests, save money given to them by other household members, and even hold a freak show in their barn to make money. As they add to the “Fruitcake Fund” they hide the money in an “ancient bead purse.” The purse is placed under a floorboard that...

In Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory,” Buddy and his friend raise money to pay for the ingredients to make their annual Christmas fruitcakes. They do small jobs, enter contests, save money given to them by other household members, and even hold a freak show in their barn to make money. As they add to the “Fruitcake Fund” they hide the money in an “ancient bead purse.” The purse is placed under a floorboard that they are able to raise. That floorboard is located under a chamber pot, which is placed beneath the friend’s bed. For the most part, once the money is placed in the purse, which stays in its hiding place, it is not removed until it is time to shop for the fruit, flour, whiskey, and other ingredients to make the cakes. The purse is only taken out to add money, or on Saturdays when Buddy is allowed a dime to see a movie.