The Paonia newspaper., 1911-01-13
That Refrigerator
By LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY
1Copyrisht 1910, by Associated Literary Press)

w nCh oeOTBt
found himself In love with Dolly
Thatcher he sat down to figure. he
had been used to figuring, and 1t came
natural to him in this case. lie
figured that he would propose matrl-
mony; he figured that Dolly would
accept; he figured on suburban cot
tage at a certain rent; he figured on
paying SO much for furniture. and MS
weekly expenses would be so much-
1t was very close figuring 1t hardy
left anything to buy bottle oil
cough mixture with.
When Miss Dolly had said yes to
the proposition the figures were SUP
mitted to her. Like a good girl. she
struck of a little here and there ana
showed where they could save at least
two dollars a week That was over
hundred dollars a year. II was
over a thousand in ten years. II they
should live a hundred years they
would have about $4,000 to take to
heaven with them. She knew OF
dozen wives who were piling up
bank accounts on salaries less than
George was receiving. And then MS
salary might be advanced. He might
be taken into the firm. He might
ind $500 in the street
The marriage came of, and things
turned out as had been hgured-all
except one thing. They had listed the
OUTFIT for that little cottage three
times over. but had forgotten re
frigerator. That was because they
were married in March. when II is
possible TO set a dish OF butter out on
a back window sill and It will keep
reasonably hard. II softens up a bit
In May. and when June comes you
must have a refrigerator and ice or
dip your bread into butter oil
One day In June a cold chill struck
the brides heart as an ice wagon
stopped at the house and the driver
came in to see about contract Fifty
cents a week for the rest OF the sum
mer. No refrigerator. The ice man
was sent away and the young wife
went into the house and wept She
wept because the butter would melt
and the meat wouldn't keep without
ice. She wept because she had made
out the list and left out ice and n re-
frigerator. She wept because through
her tears she could see the awful
pallor on Georges cheeks when she
explained why she wept. lie would
be stunned. He would have TO reach
the wall TO hold himself up. He
would look at her with accusing eyes
and at length he would
But George didn't He stood up
under the blow. After the first shock
he even said that they must squeeze
<atKe -
and take ice. and he put his arms
around the little woman and told her
to dry her tears. That's the kind Of
man George Burnham was.
Next day Dolly was given all the
dollars he had saved and instructed
to go to a hardware store and exer-
else her judgment. II he had gone
himself he would have saved two
dollars. There were two refrigera-
tors built on the same lines, but one
had looking glass in the door and
the other did not. That glass added
two dollars to the cost. but Dolly took
II. She wanted to see herself as she
reached into the box for meat and but.
ter. She wanted to feel that I'm case
the glass in her bedroom blew up she
would have another to comb her hair
by.
The box was home and filled with
Ice when the husband arrived. and SO
far from kicking he even sat down
In front OF the glass in the door and
surveyed his chin whiskers with sat
isfaction.
For week or so all things went
well. Then the shadow. fell. The
purchase OF the refrigerator and the
weekly payment to the ice man made
the husband hard up. He looked at
that glass in the door and thought
OF the two dollars extra. The ice was
so cents a week. and II was saving
about thirty cents worth OF meat and
butter. 1t was bald-faced extraya.
gance. and who was to blame for It?
Dolly, of course. She should be made
to feel that she had ruined their whole
future.
Both felt the shadow. That glass
door reflected 1t. The ice man sighed
as he lugged in the frozen chunks.
| The young wife's mother caught on
ut once. Even the Junk men passing
up and down the street made their
cries more plaintive to flt the occa-
sion. 1t is not possible to bring a
refrigerator with looking glass door