The Washington times., 1918-10-03


dingers. That little Mason girl has
1t all over every other girl ever
saw"
Jim laughed good-naturedly when
I told him. / felt his mirth bOded
well for a protecting friendship
with my beloved Neal-still a child
at twenty-five.
But in the morning I found my
husband inclined to grumble a bit
over the visitor. who was still slum-
bering peacefully and whose pres
ence in the liNDng room made me
suggest that we breakfast in our
bed room and let Neal have his sleep
out
Jim was nervous and moody dur
ing breakfast. Remote and dis
trait one moment. he would jerk
himself back to an earnest effort
at friendly attentiveness a minute
later. ] thought he was angry about
breakfasting in Che bed room, but
after a few nervous efforts to say
something my husband at last
blurted out:
ANNE. have you a little money
you could-lend me-"
Ny heart sank. I had paid all my
bills that night before. when / went
out to buy the extras for our COM
pany" supper. And at that moment
there was only little change in
my purse.
i've only about a dollar. dear"
Acknowledged.
only a dollar? Why. Anne. what's
become of the money / gave you a
couple OF days ago?"
At that it seemed as II my blood
drained away from ms heart in q
flood and then went pounding up
to my head in a hideous. warm
gush. Was my Jim the. sort Of man
to call his wife to account for ev-
cry cent she spent? II didn't seem
consistent with his generosity. I
tried to keep my voice steady as l
answered:
You gave me $50 ten days ago.
I tried to make it last-but food
and ice, and gas and the laundry.
and shoes, and yesterday the taxi
and
But Jim interrupted:
why, sweetheart-don'tg so on
cataloging like that! Do you think
/ want an accounting? What wor-
ries me is that didn't realize you
were-stony broke, and that you
didn't ask for more when you were
down to bedrock. Only a dollar in
my wife's purse-and Dicky Royce
has hundreds to-fling-at sally.
Nv Anne-with only a dollar"
He fumbied in his hip-pocket-
and found nothing. In startled un-
belief. he turned il inside out. II
was empty. From his vest he drew
some change Then, in a sort OF
panic. he began fishing in all parts
of his clothes. Meagerly-one at
time-he drew out four 81 bills.
His lips frightened. but he cortrived
a rueful little smile and a casual
tone as he murmured:
81 must go to the bank"
And as I remembered the great
roll of bills he had drawn from his
empty hip pocket only ten days
before, a sudden chilly doubt as
sailed mellow long could Jim get
money from a bank into which he
was putting none?
Here. dear. well share. and
share alike" he said. offering me
So of the bills.
"Oh. l don't need it. dear. I've
plenty for today and if there were
have''-
"Anne. you didn't mean that-so
/ won't let 1t hurt me. 1 can't have
you borrowing from that boy.
Take these"
He tried to put three of the bills
into my hand, but I shook my head
in earnest protest. and fairly
snatched my hand away. Finally.
when I saw that il hurt him to have
me refuse, / accepted two OF the
bills.
"Babbsie,-Sister, Come on. give
a fellow good morning kiss,
came Meals voice through the door.
"I wish that boy wouldn't call
you Babbsie." Jim said. irritably-
but I knew that this was only an
outlet for the unhappiness it had
caused him to have me see how lit
tie money he had.
Neal grinned up at me with the
same warm hearted affection he had
shown back in the days when he
was a tOddling four-yGar-old and
was "biE sister Babbsie" all OF
eight and in the diGnified third
grade at school.
Hello. Sis-do you still kiss q
fellow before his face is washed?''
cried Neal Eayly.
Sat OOWu on lne CpuCn DN MS
side and buried my face in the way
ward curls that hadn't yet been
smoothed back How lOnEed to
sob out some Of my worry and un-
certainty But I knew that Jim
would come into the room in just a
minute-and besides didn't " mt
to give Neal cause for asking di:-
ffcult questions.
He came into the room, greet.d
Neal with a brisk good morning."
and hurried away without kissing
me EoOd-by. For a second Neal
scowled anErily. then the twinkle
came back into his ewes, and he let
the incident pass Without comment.
While Neal dressed ! did up our
bed room. when I got over to TIE
bureau, there on th- pincushi m,
with n pearl-headed hatpin thrust
through il. was a dollar b.I. ana
crumpIed against a slip - paper
on which was written.
THE lions share for YOU, sweet
heart-yOu're more than my better
half"
crushed the bill in NV hand and
set my lips to the words Jim and
written. Again 7 wanted to cry
and dared not. My bcyas generosity
tCr:wcl NE even while It made
me proud.
NJ Jim James HTT Harrison,
"N lieutenant % he Amsr,,an living
f'Cr>-- was o1t in - city nunt-
ir-- '.-s worl and in hi picket
there were only two one dollar bills.
Had he more than that in the
world? Would he find work that
day?
(rO Re Continued.)