The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-25

| Why. indeed" echoed Sally Bugg, feel. ingly.
 Let us then boycott this article ot food" again asserted the blood rela- tive. Are you and I babes in the wood that we must sit still and be dependent upon any one thing for our happiness Sugar is an infinitesimal item in our diet; to give 1t up to me. would be the simplest of propositions.
 And to me-" said Sally Bugg defi- antly. If only the boys and John weren't so fond of sweet things What can we substitute in it's placer"
 Well, there's maple syrup, molasses. Why. I can remember when we didn't nave any sugar even for coffee They used what we called in those days long sweetenin', and it was good too. You've got a storeroom full of black berry jam and peach preserves. and-''
 Mercy, but think of how fattenine all those things are, and I weigh 160 now" said Sally Bugg. looking at her self in the mirror Another ounce of flesh would detract from my sym metry. But let's get ready and go to market and see if things are as bad as they are quoted"
 They quickly got their bonnets on
 
 investigation tour as to 'the higher cost of living"
 The first person they attacked when they got to the grocery store was the rice looking, smiling young man. who always waits on' Mrs John Henry Bpgg,
 A meek enough creature. to be sure. smiling and lowing, with his pencil and pad ready to take Mrs. Bugg's order.
 She incurred here and there-heard or the priceless eggs, and still more priceless butter-flour that had scared until the whole world might join in the naraphrased chorus of Blanche Rings song; plane-''
 And
 Butter that was so far out of the reach of the ordinary housekeepers $ purse as to be almost taboo" on the list of edibIes.
 Please receipt my bill," said Sally Bugg furiously. as she .;natched from Ter nnrse the statement of her last montns account. T shall leave the threshold of this store forever. You are all cheats and frauds and I don't be- ueve the war has had single blessed tnlng to do with the rise of foodstufrs. liens are laying eggs just as prolifi- caily now as they did before the Ger niahs marched on the Belgians When me price of eggs did thermometer stunt In the springtime the grocery men laid 1t on the weather; now it's the war; the simple minded cows don't even know there's a war going on. and they are giving just many gallons of milk as they did before Japan's u1tf matum was declared. Sugar-Why. the sugar planters had sold every grain cf sugar they had before Eneland's big navy was ordered out on the waters, and-and-" -
 Kind lady" interposed the meek little clerk, bear with me awhile please. l am nothing but a torn and bruised man. Every lady who has been Tn this store for the past 10 days has accorded me such treatment that feel am nothing more or less than crimf- nal. I am sure. indeed. on my word of h"nor, ladies-I believe truly that the price Of sugar next week will go"
 Up, up up,' the ladies cried in uni son, and followed by the almost anni- Inflated clerk, they swept out of the door without so much as a glance at the watermelons and the cantaloupes and snap beans and okra, and lemons and potatoes and things piled up high looking as if they, too. were a guilty lot these days and liable to remain un- bought and miserably ont of demand Tor many weeks to come.