The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-04-17
Caroline
Thinks It Out
By Mona Cowles
Copyright 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa.
per eyndicate.)

ITO get up In the morning and make
your own coffee and boil your own
egg and make toast for yourself is all
very well and good for a girl when
she is single, but to have to do that
sort of thing is quite different when
one Is married." Caroline had said
with very definite air FIVE years ago
ON the memorable afternoon when
Horace Blair had proposed to her. II
don't in the least mind living here in
this tw0-rOom apartment now and !
suppose you are quite comfortable in
the boarding house, but to have to live
in three or four rooms or to have to
go to boarding after we are married
would be really quite impossible"
Horace fondled the hand he held and
looked dejectedly at the graceful finger
that Caroline had just permitted him
to measure for the engagement ring.
"Ycu are very sensible girl, Car
oline," he said, land suppose you are
right"
"Of course, I'm right" she agreed.
AT twenty might have been foolish
and romantic. Then might have sup
posed that could be happy and make
you happy on my thousand dollar-a-
year income and your salary of three
thousand"
"Twenty-eight hundred" Horace
corrected with sigh.
"With an occasional picture l could
sell that would come to no more than
fOrty-five hundred" She sighed and
shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Horace, but 1t can't be
done. I've seen other girls try to do it
and-well, perhaps they are happy
but we couldn't live the way we do.
You wouldn't want to try. 1t would
mean living In a suburb somewhere
with an incompetent maid and wear
ing ready-made clothes-yes, ] know
have to now, but l won't always be
young. At thirty would look mess
in q ready-made suit-and we would
have to keep eternally counting the
money, and If we went to the theater
we'd have to sit in the gallery"
"We've had rather good fun that
way, haven't wei" Horace murmured.
Eyes, Horace dear, but doing it now
is one thing and doing 1t then is quite
another matter. You'll thank me some
time for the stand am taking"
''Then-you mean you won't marry
me?"
mot in the least. I simply mean
that can't marry you till our income
is doubled at leastl'
Horace took out an envelope and
pencil from his pocket and began to
figure.
'Nine thousand-that means that I
must have about seventy-five hundred"
''I'll relent a little." smiled Caroline.
"I'll marry you when you are making
six thousand. You can work up to
that
ut may take five years." sighed the
unhappy sutton.
sWhat IL It does? We love each
other, and we can go ON quite nicely
this way. You know marriage isn't
something to be entered into emotion
ally"
"You are q very sensible girl" said
Horace accepting his sentence grimly.
II think see your point Of view."
And so it was settled and Horace
and Caroline began their long engage.
ment. There were never any Quarrels
ACarollne was too sensible for that
and never once did she weaken from
her wise decision that to make toast
for yourself was one thing, but to have
to do it for two was another. Even
in his most impatient moods Horace
had to admire the lofty ideal thai
Caroline maintained toward marriage
1t was something that had to be under
taken on dignified, rather grand scal'
or not ut all.
And a day or so ago Caroline wa
still making her own toast and draw
ing an occasional picture that sold
quite content on her small income AM
Horace was working on patiently Wit
the concern with which he had begu
ten years ago. grimly waiting for an
other chance ahead that would brin
him the coveted six-thOusand dolla
income. It did not seem then tina
there would be long to wait, for a
ready he had reached the tifty-fve hui
dred mark and he had saved enoug
to make possible the prospects {
starting in life with a rather more pr
tentious abode than the suburban co
tage that Caroline had held In sue
contempt.
Caroline worked at her DRAWN
board as patiently and eagerly as eve
and her ability as an illustrator ha
not become impaired but owing to WI
conditions, as the editors told her, the
was less demand for her particul'
kind of talent than in years gone b
When she did get an order 1t meal
smaller check than formerly. 81
did not finch at the economies tn
necessitated. Single poverty was OF
thing. she insisted, and married pc
erty another.
Then day or SO ago Horace car
TO spend his usual Sunday afterno
with her but instead of hurrying up
4o Aights NJ stairs to her 0partme