South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-26
IN WHICH HELEN'S EF-
FORTS To ECONOMIC TURN
OUT MOST DISASTROUS.

/ sudden impulse she took il ont TO the
1 kitchen.
Della. do you think We could clean
/ this dress here"
Della looked at it doubtfully. Il
dunno, md'am.
Wei. I'm going TO try. There's
| bottle OF cleaning fluid here that Mr..
| Curtis brought home for his ties. and
we've never used il. I'll try that on
some Of the worst places, and if it's
good We can get enough more 20
sponge over the whole dress
81 dunno. ma'am. don't take
much stock in them cleaning fluids.
| They most always leaves a worse spot
than they takes out"
But Helen was not TO be discour-
aged by Delia's lack OF enthusiasm.
Della was never enthusiastic about
anything that might involve any work
on her part.
1t took several moments to find the
| cleaning fluid among the bottles on
the top shelf in the bathroom.
why. Della, this shelf is thick with
IA dust, Get a pan OF water and wipe
| il off-and these bottles. too--they're
covered"
And Della grumblingly obeyed. This
was why she looked with disapproval
on any OF Helen's ventures-they
usually ended by making more work
for her.
Cleaning Fluid" Helen read aloud
| from the label. Cleans the most
delicate fabrics without injury
Directions: Moisten a soft flannel
cloth with the Cleaning Fluid and
gently rub the article TO be cleaned.
| DO not cOnfine rubbing to the sOiled
| spot by going over more Of the sur
face no ring will be left. VIII not
change color or injure the most deli
cate fabric. Caution. DO not use
before open fire or gas. The Clean
! ing Fluid Co
| Helen first covered the dining room
table with a sheet and then spread
the dress out upon ii. Pouring some
Of the fluid in a saucer. she sponged
| the spots around the bottom Of the
skirt, carefully following the direc-
tons.
The Dress Ruined.
! But to her dismay dark rings out
| lined the places that had been clean
ed And when she tried to sponge
away the rings she succeeded only in
making them larger. Hurriedly she
poured One-half Of the bottle and went
over the whole breadth OF the skirt
hoping that by going over large sur
face and rubbing il dry the rings
would be cleared away. But wherever
she sponged with the fluid il left the
same mottled, streaked appearance.
She used the other half of the bottle
trying to improve it, but only made
il worse.
Almost in tears. she shook the dress
over a chair? Had she ruined it? Oh.
| if she only hadn't touched it! At
least she could have worn il at night
even if il was soiled. But now. with
one whole breadth streaked and mot
tied. she could never wear it!
Il told you. ma am, i didn't take no
stock in them cleaning fluids said
Della. They amt none of them no
good" And then, seeing Helen was
almost in tears. she added consolingly.
But guess YOU can take them
streaks out Of il if you dip the whole
thing in gasOline-it's much better
then all them cleaning fluids, and
cheaper. too"
"Oh. can 7? asked Helen. eagerly.
why didn't l think of gasoline? But
where can we get it-enOugh TO dip
the phole dress in?'
Paint store. I'll take two of them
gallon water bottles and get 'em
full"
Half an hour later Della returned
with the big bottles of gasoline
weighing down the basket on her arm.
My. that's heavy" she grumbled.
and l had to go to three places fore
they'd sell it to me"
Helen took it into the bathroom,
where there would be no danger OF
fire. Emptying one of the bottles in
TO a large dishpan, she dipped the
whole dress in. The odor was sick
ening. Not wanting it TO get through
the house. she kept the bathroom door
closed.
In few moments the dress had
soaked up the whole painful, and she
had to pour in the other bottle. Most
Of this, too, was quickly soaked up
and the rest was almost black. She
tried TO rinse il up and down, but
there was not enough left for that.
The fumes were more and more sick
ening She was growing faint and
dizzy as though she was being chloro-
formed. And her hands were red and
smarting.
Almost overpowered with the fumes.
she still tried To swish the dress
around. 1t was only a dark. wet mass
now, and she could not tell whether
or not the streaks were out. Yet.
with a desperate discrimination she
kept Il Up. IL would be so hard 10
get more gasoline. and now that she
had begun she must do IT as well as
she could. So she shook and Swished
the dress until she could stand it no
longer
Then she opened the bathroom door
and staggered out the wet dress on
her arm
Get a coat hanger. quick, Della.
Hang this UP somewhere
WHY. you're as white as paper
ma'am; what's the natter"
"Oh the gasOline-it was awful in
there. Here hang this up. quick"
Della took the dripping dress ard
hung il on the wooden hanger. And
Helen fell almost fainting on the
couch.
open the window. Della on, I'm
| SO sick
Della threw open the window and
ans ged the couch before IT, Helen,
J dvSthly white. was lying almost in a
stupcr Shut up i'm the bathroom. with
/ The fumes from two gallons of gaso-
line, the effect had been a drugging