The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-30

TO the unOleun department
That evening after dinner when
Warren pushed back his chair he ask
ed briefly.
Those bathroom fixtures come ?"
"Oh, yes. dear; shall we open them
Do you suppose you could put them
up tonight?"
Me put them up? Well. guess~not.
That's a job for the plumber. No.
haven't time to look at them now"
j as Helen brought out large brown
papered parcel from the pantry. I've
got to go over and see Watson to-
night.
"Oh, do you, dear?" disappointedly.
Il hoped-"then she stopped. Warren
had been out so many evenings of late
but she knew 1t only annoyed him to
refer TO 1t.
When he had gone. Helen helped
Maggie, the new maid. clear the table.
and then roamed restlessly about tSs
apartment. Somehow she could never
quite get reconciled to the long eve
nings alone. There was always that
feeling of dreariness and desolatSon,
/ She must get out some sewing, the
time would pass more quickly If she
were at work
Shall 1 leave this package here.
ma'am?" called Maggie from the din
ing room.
What package? Oh, those bath
room fixtures-yes, just leave them
there. I'm going TO open them now"
Glad of something to do, Helen un-
wrapped and laid out the fixtures on
the dining room table. The bright
nickelshone like silver against the
mahogany. Then she took some Of
them into Warren's bathroom. holding
them up against the tiled wall to see
how they would look.
He had said they wouldn't be hard
TO put up-but would they? A tiny
envelope containing the nickel screws
was tied to each piece. Surely it
would not be hard to screw these into
the mortar between the tiles. Why
she could almost put them up her.
self,
And then came the thought only
she could put them up nowl
Helen always loved to work with
tools, and In some ways she was sur
prisingly clever with them. She had
put UP the curtain rods in the new
apartment, and had even fastened the
kitchen towel roller on the fireproof
sheetiron door, of which feat she was
very proud.
And now she eagerly got out the
household tool box, and started with
tHe lOOlHDIuSn 1t Hdppeneu 10
be just the length of one of the tiles,
and with the aid of a small awl she
had no trouble in getting the screws
in the mortar at each end.
With increased confidence she tried
the. soap dish next. That was little
more difficult, but she got it up. The
glass towel rack She approached with
more caution. It was puzzling to de-
eide just where and how high 1t should
go. The screws for this were larger,
and II was harder to get them in be-
tween the things. But at last the
towel rack too was UP and she stood
back and viewed it triumphantly.
Then she went into her own bath
room and was putting UP the fixtures
there when Maggie came to the door.
Warren Disapproves.
Shall I bake some OF them apples
for breakfast, ma'am? I don't think
they'll keep much longer
And then seeing what Helen was.
doing. she looked on in open-eyed adj
miration and amazement
why. ma'an, can you put theEs
up?"
Yes. don't they look nice? Now
Maggie you must try to keep them as
bright as they are now. ] do like to
see the bathroom fixtures well poll
ished.'
When Warren came, Helen was just
through.
Look, dear, Look what I've been
doing while you've been ~Wne" She
led him into his bathroom and pointed
proudly to her work.
What in thunderi You didn't do
that?' sharply
"Of course 1 did," happily
We'll you took long chances. How
do you know that mortar will hold ?"
why, dear, that's the only way hey
could be put up
He was examining them frowningly
"Over the bathtub is no place for
tewel rack. Towels will be soaked
there every time you take a shower
Why couldn't you have waited and LEI
so headstrong, want to do everything
yourself
But, dear, you know how much
plumbers charge and / thought If I
could-it'd be just that much saved"
Well, save in some other way. Use
some Judgment. Try 20 have little
common sense"
Warren went back to the sitting
room and buried himself In the news
paper. Nothing more was said of the
fixtures. II was after eleven when he
leaned back with a yawn.
Well, I'm going to turn in"
Helen was in her dressing room
few moments later when a loud crash
came from his bathroom. IT was
sound of shattering glass. What could
have happened? She rushed into his
room.
Come here and see what you've
DONE" he roared with an angry oath.
by Cad. your economy wia ruin us
yet. Look at that, will you"
With sinking heart Helen stepped
into the bathroom. The glass Towel
rack lay shattered in the bathtub. The
mortar had not held. But worse than
that, was the faint but distinct crack
in the bottom of the porcelain tub.