The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-07-24
SISTER ann BUTTS IN :
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

AoN A1luNu pOuuu Ol SlTlO1u Sleuk
COSTS Tad confded to Sister Ann.
And l said that 1 didn't know just
how much pound it was, though I
did know that the steak we had for
dinner cost just one dollar and three
cents. He didn't in the least mind our
having expensive steak. In fact l have
it because he likes it. But he wanted
me to know just how much a pound
it was. And then he asked me how
much lamb was, and I said l didn't
know, though I know just how much
the joint we had on Sunday cost And
then" but here Tad's tears got the
better Of her and she leaned on Sister
AIMS broad young shoulders and
shook with sobs. And then - and
then he said that-he said that if most
men ran their businesses as careleSSly
as women run their homes they would
all be ruined. Oh, how could he, Amp
Ann had gone to her brothers little
bungalow after a frantic appeal from
her sister-in-law, Tad. I'm in such
trouble she said, land I know you
can help me OUT
But I don't like to butt in pro-
tested Ann, who, in spite Of the fact
that she was four, years younger than
Tad, was looked upon-perhaps be-
cause she was tall and broad-shoulder-
ed and level headed-as the natural
arbiter of all Tad's marital difficulties.
Il don't like to butt in, and dear
knows | don't know anything about
managing husbands"
but what am going to do?" walled
Tad. Bert has been your brother
longer than he has been my husband.
You must know how to manage him."
Sister Ann paused for a moment.
Nerves." she said at length with
the decision of a specialist arriving at
a difficult diagnosis. Both got nerves.
What you need is a change. Get your
mother to ask you to visit her for q
while. Change would do you both
good''
But suppose when I come back
Bert is just as stubborn as ever. Sup
pose he still thinks that about the way
women run their houses?''
leave that to me-" easily promised
Ann. I'm not afraid of Bert-becauSe
we aren't in love with each. other
suppose. Tell him tonight you are go
ing, and if he says anything more
about housekeeping just smile and pre-.
tend to be preoccupied with your going
away plans"
SO Tad went away Sister Ann found
her brother Bert at the office the day
after Tad's departure. ''What are you
looking so mopie abOut?' she greeted
him, in spite of his cheerful smile.
''MOpie mopie," wondered Bert ooh,
maybe it's cause Tad's gone1Dugh,
as a matter Of fact, l wasn't 1orry to
see her gO-needs q change, l guess
ooh, has Tad gone to the shOrei
Where you going to live?'
Martha, the cook, is staying" ex-
planned Bert. 81 guess we can man
age"
Goodness, can you afford that sort
of thing?" asked Ann. "COOks are al
ways wasteful when you leave them to
their own devices"
ooh, are they?' queried Bert, mildly
interested. "Well, We'll see"
"But what l came in for is this: ]
want jOb-want to earn some money
all my own. Can't you squeeze me in
here somewhere? I'll do anything for
fifteen dollars week, and I'll bet in
side of week / could be worth three
times that amount to you right here"
Bert smiled but he was used to tax
ing his sister at her word.
How'd you know how to run q
brokers' Officer"
I'D just apply little good house
keeping, I'd keep my eyes open for one
thing. I was just looking in the waste
baskets as l was waiting in the outer
office to see you. Why, there was
enough paper thrown away there by
carelessness to last a stenographer a
week. It's just that men don't notice
those things, [ suppose. And the way
the StenOgrapherS waste pencils!
was watching them sharpen some.
They didn't look what they We're doing,
and Of course they didn't care. But
paper is up and 50 are pencils, and
still the waste goes on. Do you know
Bert, l sometimes think if most womer
ran their houses as eXtravagantly as
most men run their businesses they'd
: land their husbands in the poorhouse.'
! OF course, Bert, whose ambition to
gain money by saving it as Well by
! making it was we'll developed, accept
. ed his clever young sisters PROPOSE
ton, and within a few weeks he agreed
: with her that she had saved three
: times her salary. - r. s..,.~l
] Long head you've got, Ann" sale
, Bert, and Ann simply smiled and said
4 'Just little good housekeeping. Any
woman would think Of those things il
: she was given free rein. BY the way
z when is Tad coming back?"
"Heaven knows" Bert was decided
a ~ detected. 1--WE asked her to come
Z home this week. Let alone being lone
8 some as Robinson Crusoe, I'm spend
Z ing a fortune keeping house withou
a hoe Wnndor if You'll taEn raoI1laJ