The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-14
THE DAILY
fSHORT STORY
For the Aviation Corps.
ay JANE oSbORN
copyright 1917. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate

v-yEEN CIay stimson received the
w appeal from the secretary ere oC1.r o.
buttons to support the aviation corps
mat was to be sent to the front by his
alma mater he began TO figure, first
n hIs own head and then on paper.
Ha figured when be was sitting at his
desl N his office, al time when his
business conscience told him be ought
IN be attending to his correspondence,
and all the way home In his limousine
that night he was still figuring 10
the men with whom Clay had gone
through college It would seem easy
enough for him to give liberal check
"a thousand dollars at least-tor Clay
had more capital to begin with than
most OF the men and his thriving bust
meas had increased his income large.
IN. perhaps Clay looked at himself
Nth the eyes Of an outsider when ne
made out that check for thousand
dollars, but before he signed IT he
thought of Peggy. Peggy made all
the difference in the world.
II wasn't that Peggy was selfish,
bnt peggy was the sort Of wife that
needed to be financed generously. II
would have been as alien to Peggys
nature, thought Clay, to attempt any
sort OF economy. even in war time
as 1t would be alien to the butterflys
nature to start in storing away the
honeyed sweetness that it gathers
from the flowers as the thrifty bee
does. Clay rather liked the metophor'
He had made innumerable lists IN
innunerable memorandum books and
o. the backs Of letters that he carried
81 his pockets Of possible expendi'
tufeg that might DO cut down or clint
mated. It would seem easy enough
TO most men to dispense with chauf'
feur, especially as the cheuneur then
employed was about 70 depart for a
training camp and the task Of replac-
Ing him would not be an easy one.
But that would mean putting away
the, limousine and using roadster.
And Clay would have liked It himself,
but whoever would have the heart to
ask Peggy to make that sacrifice?
It was quite out Of the question to
discharge any Of the house servants.
Clay had felt from the first that 1t
was almost an injustice to ask Peggy
20 be the mistsess Of his household on
the paltry four servants that his in
come warranted. Clay had read in
thu papers about economies In food
planning that various society women
had been making. He vaguely recall
ed an effort to limit diners to four
courses No doubt the food bills were
high in his household; as he never
discussed those expenses with Peggy,
and noticed very little about the min
utiae Of household management, he
could only conjecture on this point.
Doubtless her dresSmaker's bills were
heavier than need be. But Clays own
mother had taught him that man
shouldn't expect to have a wife dress
sxuuisitely without running up bills at
the dressmaker's. And since he had
chosen wife that did dress exquisite
", he never even looked at the dress
makers bills.
And be couldn't cut out the country
club, because Peggy had asked him to
ioin, and he couldn't sell any Of the
grounds around his house because
they were the delight of Peggy's heart.
He couldn't reduce his own tailor's
bills, because they we're already re-
duced to a minimum-he did that when
he bought his share of Liberty Bonds.
And he didn't smoke and he didn't
drink, so he could not cut those hab.
its out. He almost felt that it would
have been a blessing If he had had
some extravigant habit that he might
now cut out.
1t was Just when he was turning In
/! to the long driveway that led to the
low.Foofed bungalow nesting among
the trees where Peggy, who, he was