The Washington times., 1914-11-09

MOTHER month sped by, in
| ~ which ] grew thinner and my
~ appetite failed, and then came
the domestic accounting with
my wife, which had grown to dread.
Check book in hand I sat down one
night and began TO pore over bills. This
time my wife had not borrowed money
from her mother-in-law and / was saved
that shock. The bills, however, were
cXorbitantIy high. and / checked them
off. slowly. and raised my eyebrows
at the end. Nv plan to share any sur
plus with my wife at the end of the
month was CROWN. ironIcal. This month
there was nothing at all left. Instead.
we had Il deficit Of So cents. | spoke
of it.
had expected Mary to dissolve in
tears the instant she discovered there
WAS no money for her. but, instead. she
went on with her sewing.
That's all right. Peter" she said
generously, II don't mind in the least
this time. II YOU re satisfied. | am.
Il IN not satisfied" I said slowly, mot
in tn" least-for the bills are beyond
I've simply @ot l" be content. This
dIu.. Eil! is positively scandalOus We'V"
used enough drug store stuff 10 heal Il
regiment "I sick and wounded"
] CG HIuSl remember, SnC Sdiu, Win
peculiar air. that | did not then nm
derstand. though I understood it well
enough Il httl" later that the winter
months are bad for colds and. then,
we've filled SO many prescriptions there
for your nerVes-and-and-
If I'V, used mp this amount of nerve
medicine" saId decidedly, its up to
me TO depart for sanatorium or a
m"rGuc. The worst old hypochondrac
III cNistrncc couldn't have used more"
well" said Mary brightly, lets not
worry ABOUT that. If the medicine does
YOU &opd, Peter, it's certainly all in a
gOod cause isn't it,
Fool that | VAS. ! thought this de-
".d"Gly decent If Mary and let it go at
that.
As tn" weeks filed on noticed that,
d|spllC this monthly deficit. my wifi"
med always u have money and she
seemed always 10 have clothes. 30
thinking man lets a situation like thnL
get ny him without question. Mary 3p-
pcar"d "ir evening in silk thing Of
eHr'uiEjt" InCll"S$ and luStcr and ]
wheeled ANA pu, tn" question:
MAR. ] said, your mother isn't
giving You cIoth"s is She
Mar" flushed sC3rl"I.
Indeed, no. Pet"r.' she SAID. Mother
says Sh" wouldn't dar" give me n thing
after he way Npu went over there and
ScUldcd and buIlied before. Just because
she lent Ile a liLilc spending money"
How cid H"u get this dress them" |
Demanded. ''Th"r" has RI no time been
money left from oul monthly bills 70"
ycu tC buy it,
II found place." she said after a
while. "Oh. Peter. why do you bother?
If J get things without bothering you
and-and the bills are no worse-why
don't YOU let mo 20 ahead and do it,
Now ! Cffer as my sole excuse my
tense irritablity and my shattered
nerves. For on" wild instant a horrhl"
suspicion flashed IN my face and
seized lAy wifc's hands in "A grip of iron.
MARY" | said, tell me, for 'iod's
sake. where did YOU get that dress?
Thank God my wife has an innocent
mind. She did not get the brutal 3us-
piCion in my face. Sh" leSan to cry.
why. why. Peter" she said, II
found a place where women may buy
plumcS and coats and dresses and every-
thing, simply by paying a dollar a week.
think it's wonderful. I've been doing
it for some time. That's why | keep
looking so nice"
Copyright 1914. Newspaper Feature service.)