The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-01-18
BARGAIN IN PAINT
BY LAWRENCE BRONSON.


1t was ar innocent-looking quart
can of m%aIachite green prepared paint.
Mrs. Jandivere had bought 1t down
town. attracted partly by the show
card Of glossy squares, ostepsibly col
ored by the Rub-er-Steel pigments.
and partly by the fact that the can.
which under ordinary circumstances
would have cost fifty cents. was
mnrked down for this day only to
forty-seven cents. Jandivere smiled
when Mrs. Jandivere said. 1t was a
clear saving of three cents and for an
additional two cents she was able to
buy quite a nice little paint brush.
Really 1t was like getting q paint
brush for nothing.
what r you going to do with
it7" he asked.
There are many things | can do
with it. ! thought the woodwork In
the spare Don would look well In that
shade of green"
well, you'll have to wait awhile,
then. Brother Robert will be here on
Thursday and we don't want the room
smelling of paint. ! don't believe you'll
get q painter at this season at q days
notice. They're all too busy"
why. I'm going to do 1t myself"
said Mrs. Jandivere. what did you
suppose? That's what this paint is
for. IT'S all ready mixed and a child
can apply 1t. 1t says so In the cir.
cular. 1t dries in ten hours. so there
won't be any trouble about the smell"
"Have 1t your own way" said Jan.
dfvere. resfgnedly.
swell, how did the painting go2" he
inquired when he came home the fol-
lowing evening. II needn't ask,
though" he added, after q look at her
face.
II wish you'd come upstairs and
look at t." said his wife with a sob
in her voice. Il can't make it out.
They must have given me bad paint.
1t won't color at ALL"
wont color?"
mot q particle except now and then.
1t just sort of smears. And hasn't
1t a peculiar odor? Does all paint
smell like that?"
at does smell panty" said Jan
divere, as he went upstairs. "Why
you haven't mixed your paint, have
your" he continued as he looked upon
the glistening woodwork.
MIXED it? Why, it's supposed to be
already mixed"
Eyes. but you have to stir it, you
know. The paint settles to the bot
tom and leaves just the oil on top.
See here"
lie knelt dOwn-and stirred the mix
ture so energetically that he splashed
some of it or his wife's silk waist.
She cried out in horror:
II told you you'd get splashed," he
said. "Why didn't you put on some
thing sensib.e?"
II did," she said, Indignantly. Il
an old gray short skirt and a
dressing jacket I'd put In the rag bag
and never got a drop on them. But
look at you'll You're kneeling in a lit
tie puddle of it yourself. And your
nice new suit!"
The %paint-defiled garments we're put
off and laid aside to go to the clean
er's and the Jandiveres went down to
dinner. There were peas with the
lamb chOps-the canned article. jan
divere was fond of peas ordinarily,
but at the first mouthful he laid down
his fork and a. spasm of disgust
crossed his face.
"They taste Of paint" he said.
Nonsense! It's your Imagination.
Well, they do, don't they? Now, what
do you s%uppose?'
II know what. 1t was the can
opener. opened the paint can with
that and forgot to speak to her about
it. That's just what it Is"
The next evening Mrs. Jandivere
had to report a large blister in the
palm Of her right hand and that the
paint didn't seem to cover the old
woodwork, which vas cherry. except
where it was put on so thick that 1t
ran all over the floor. Jandivere went
up to look at it.
THAT'S So" he said. you'll have
to put on two or three coats"
II don't believe l can," said the
lady, tearfully. "And it doesn't look
as smooth and glossy as It did on the
card, either"
We'll, I'll get a man to-Hello
You've splashed the wallpaper, l seer
4 couldn't help it," said Mrs. Jan.
divere. "The brush just would splat.
ter. Well. we rather needed a new
paper. anyway, didn't we. dear?"
Jandivere surveyed the prospect in
gloomy silence, with his hands In. his
pockets. Then he left the room and
no further allusion was made to the
paint that evening".