New Britain herald., 1915-10-16
"If Our Ideas and Ideals Don't
 CODfiictD

proprietor of the cleaning establish ment had gore. In my haste, to pay the bill which Dicky had neglected for so long I had given the man all the money I had in the house. To- morrow the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker would call for their weekly bills, and I had nothing to pay them. I must either ask Dicky for more money or put off the tradesmen tomorrow.
 Either of these courses was intol- erable to me. I always have had horror of a debt. be it ever so small. Tt is bred in me. My little mothers early married life, before my father ran away, was long nightmare of debt and the duns of creditors. One of my first memories is of my moth CTS despair at having no money with which to pay a pressing creditor I l cannot remember when I made my 1 first resolve never to owe anybody anything.
 On the other hand, long years of independence had intensified another trait of mine, that of hating to ask favor of any one. I had hoped that Dicky when we started housekeeping would talk over his financial affairs 1 with me as he would with any other partner. I had planned to discuss with him what sum we could afford weekly for housekeeping expenses. Then I had expected that he would hand me that sum each week with out any further discussion.
 But Dicky's plans evidently did not run along the lines which appealed to me. The day we came into our little home he had taken my purse from my hand, stuffed some bills in side, and said carelessly: That's Tor the housekeeping. Tell me when you need more.'' Thousands of women before me I suppose have gone through the experience I did, that of trying to stretch that money to the farthest possible extent so as to put off the day when I should have to ask for money.
 An Embarrassing Moment.
 Say, Missis Graham, the laundry man here has the shirts and collars. He say a dollar and thirty-five cents" Katie stood in the doorway, to my eye, a very Nemesis.
 I counted out the change in my purse. One dollar and five cents was the total. I handed her the dollar.
 That is all the change I have here, Katie" I tried to make my voice nonchalant "Tell him to add the rest to next weeks bill"
 What you think, Missis Graham? That driver, he one fool. He say he new driver, don't know you, he can't leave laundry no money. He say he take it back with him. say You big stiff, I give you money I have some in my pocketbook. So I pay him, get laundry. You tell MT. Gra- ham call up laundry, have him come no more here."
 Thank you, Katie,' I said faintly T will hand you the money when I get some change" Katies slang and manner grated upon me, but I re- cism. When a person saves your live it is not quite chubby to object to the manner in which he does it.
 That's all right said Katie grandly. and vanished to the kitchen. For a minute whimsically envied Katie. She had no complicated finan- cial problems. So much work, SD much money, and only herself to suit in it's spending.
 For the first time since my mar riage I dreaded Dicky's home-com ing. Our little dinner each evening had been the one event of my day something to look forward to and to dress for. Today I felt as if I were 1 going to execution. The Perplexing Problem. "But it is point of honor to dress ones best even for that" I said to myself as I went to my room. I took down little afternoon gown which is Dicky's favorite, a simple affair of soft dark blue silk with tiny old rose | figures dotting it, and cuffs and col- lar of old rose satin.
 T can't see any difference between
 myself and the savage wife who
 makes herself brave with extra beads
 hoping to avert beating" I told my
 self bitterly as I let down my hair and
 arranged it in the way Dicky likes
 best, in careless, natural waves over my ears, and coiled loosely at the ! nope of my neck
 | Os l put on the gown and fastened 1t temptation came to me. It was
 easier for me to ask Dicky for more
 money, humiliating as the task was.
 than to tell him that I had paid the bill he had neglected I knew that
 he was extravagantly careless about
 money matters, also that he was still 1 enough my lover to wish to please
 me. Suppose l told him I needed the
 extra money for some purpose other than housekeeping expenses, any ex- cuse would do, and keep quiet about | the cleaners bill? I knew that if I | simply told him the housekeeping
 money was gone, even careless Dicky
 would know that something was
 wrong, that l never could have spent in the short time We had been keep
 ing house the generous sum he had stuffed in my purse
 What is she bothering her head
 about now? Settling the war or the