The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-06-13
Married Life
the Fourth Year
Bv MABEL HERBERT URNER.

BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.
See here" Warren scowled at
the bill he had just opened. six dol
lars for electric light! Isn't that pref
ty stiff"
That does seem high" admitted
Helen but the days are so short ,"
We'll, we use too much electric
light anyhow. No need to keep that
light in the hall burning all evening.
Can't get any light anyway, through
these silk shades you've stuck on
everything
But. dear, you wouldn't want them
unshaded, would YOU? You know you
hate glaring light
well there is no sense in having
every bulb in the place burning. How
many have YOU got turned on here
now" peeping under the large dome
shade that hung over their dining
table.
Only three of the six bulbs were
lit. and now Helen alphabetically
turned off one of these.
NO. turn that on again. Got to
! have enough light to eat by. but we
don't need it all over the house
1t was unlike Warren to bubble
over small bill He was usually
most generous about the household
expenses, but tonight he was plainly
irritable.
Now are these all the bills?
want to get them all off tomorrow
thrusting them into his pocket with
muttered. Everything going out and
nothing coming in
Dear, is business very bad?'
Rotten. Nothing doing at all"
But you thought things would be
! better after the first of the year. did mt
you? Hasn't the new tariff helped
any,
Not so you would notice it." grimly.
''There has been less importations
since the bills gone through than ever
! before"
Less importations?" puzzled Helen.
why, | thought when they reduced
the duty there would be more"
THAT is what most people thought.
But you can never tell how these
things will work out People aren't
| buying-there's not the demand"
Helens knowledge Of the tariff, as
of most other things, was limited.
She had found it had raised her ia
vorite perfume ten cents an ounce.
but the druggist explained that per
fume was a luxury, and that on all
Injuries the duty had been raised. 1t
was only on necessities that the rates
| were lowered.
| However. when the next day she
ordered a jar of orange marmalade
and found that the regular twenty-five
| cent jar had been reduced to nine
teen, she felt more kindly toward the
bill, for after all, they used more mar
maade than perfume.
Helen was also vaguely interested in
the currency bill which had filed the
papers for so long. She wished she
knew more about those things. Mrs
! Dalton belonged to Current Event
club and talked brilliantly on all such
subjects. But Helen felt if Warren
would only explain things to her, she
could learn more from him than at
any club, and now, after moments
silence, she ventured:
| Dear. won't the currency bill help
some? I heard you and Mr.. Stevens
talking about it the other night. Just
what will it do
not understand"
"But from what you said to Mr.
Stevens, do you think that will help
We'll, that seems to be the general
| feeling-if it does not cause Over-in
! hatiOn.'
"Overinfiation," eagerly, for that
was one of the phrases that had puz
Zled her. What does thOt"--
"Oh. for Heavens sake, can it!
Read the papers"
Il do, but | cant understand them
! they never seem to tell the beginning
of things. Dear, Mrs. Dalton belongs
to Current Event club, and she has
! been wanting me to join. Don't you
think | ought to-"
/ Not on your life,"
! But she says some of the meetings
are very good. | believe Mrs. Smith
Raukins is going to speak next week
on the Mexican situation"
Warren threw up his head and
rOared. The Mexican situation, Ell
J | can Just see your Mrs. Smith Ran
| kins, one OF your busy females, getting
up here Warren pitched his voice
to Il shrill mimiCry: Nov ladies', this
afternoon | will give YOU little tank
on the Mexican situation" Then
grimly. "Now, if you go to any OF
those fool clubs and come home
spouting current events'-there is
where | get out"
They We're through dinner now, and
when they went into the library. Hell
en-, who could never resist an oppOrtu
nifty of inveigling from Warren some
word of approval, leaned over his
chair with a purring:
"Then YOU don't mind if Helen isn't
'intrllectual'. and can't talk brilliantly
on the affairs Of the day."
But this did not elicit the response
she hoped, for Warren only pushed
her away with a curt:
"Wpll | DO mind Won getting ir