The broad ax., 1918-01-12
White Badge

Ever since Mr.. snoggles moved IN
from the country he has rejoIced In
the privilege Of wearing that badge Of
gentility, q white collar. It was not
that he failed to realize that the mon
ey is no longer In the white collar job,
but In the greasy overaIls Job. The
thing that mattered was that this yoke
Of respectabIlity won him the first BIT
Of admiration that his wife ever had
expressed for him. She felt that at
last he was getting on In the world.
Loyalty she pressed and cleaned bis
one suit each Sunday morning. The
collars, however, had to be done up
at laundry, for nowhere else could
that starchy sheen be impaired. Then
the laundries raised their prices and
Mr.. Snoggles took q drastic step.
When he came home that night hs
proceeded directly to the bedroom
with q bundle.
I'll be ready for dinner as soon a.
I Dress" he called to his wife In the
kitchen.
Now, In all the novels that Mr..
Snoggies had read the men who
dressed for dinner were millionaires.
Their valet laid out evening clothes or
something Of the sort. Pleasant dreams
Of raise in salary that must have be-
fallen the head Of the house played
through her mind.
Just as she was hoping that II the
company gave him a private secretary
she would not have blonde hair, Mr..
Snoggles reappeared-in overallsl
They were not exactly the old-fash-
Toned kind, for they were khaki shirt
and trousers In one piece.
81 call them Hooveralls," Mr.. Snoe'
giles explained. "You see, my dear,
they'll be Just the things for tinkering
with the furnace and rolling on the
floor with the children. 1 was Just
wearing my good clothes out and run
ming up q big laundry bill staying
| dressed up at home here every night"
II Mrs. Snoggles dropped tear over
the futility Of her hopes there was nc
time for It to be observed. In O hash
Sue and the baby were upon their dad
dy, happy at being able to romp with
out the slightest respect for tie or col
lar or fear Of wrinkling up his suit
The next morning was Sunday and
Mr.. Snoggles, as was his custom on IL
day Of rest, remained In bed while hia
wife went down and opened up tn
furnace and prepared breakfast. A
last he decided to arise. bis Hoover
ais were nowhere to be found.
"AbbIeI oh, Abblei" he called. Mn
Snoggies appeared In the doorway, 40
tired In the Hooveralls.
Just before dinner she consented b
change into her skirts, but with tn
greatest reluctance and only altar h
had promised to buy her pair out q
his next weeks wages.
There was q knocking at the don
that afternoon and Mr.. snoggies, suFs
that there was no one In the city whc
would call on him In the limousine that
stood ut the curb. had no hesitancy ID
responding.
How do you do, Vernon" the visit
or said. I'm Mrs. Snoggles' aunt
Frances" She halloed to the rest q
the family and they swarmed out q
the car.
In q fash the man In overaIls -
membered that his wife possessed
some wealthy relatives whom sht
wished to avoid until she was more
settled. They came In, explaining that
a letter from the country had given
them the address The call was shori
and rather stiff. When Mrs. Snoggisi
told them the name Of the great cor
poration for which Vernon worked
they appeared surprised and asked IN
what department.
I'll bet they thought you drove
truck" Mrs. Snoggles sighed a. tho
left.