South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-19
III OUR IDEAS AND OUR
IDEALS DON'T CONFLICT"


1 made a most humiliating dis
covery a few minutes after the
shabby proprietor OF the cleaning
establishment had gone. In my
haste TO pay the bill which Diclxy
had neglected for so long l had Civ
en- the men all the money l had in
the house. Tomorrow the butcher,
the baker and the candlestick max
e." would call for their weekly bills.
and l had nothing with which to
pay them. | must either ask Dicky
for money or pu; of the tradesmen
tomorrow.
Either OF these courses was intol-
cradle 10 me. l always have had
a horror Of a debt, be il ever so
small. II is bred in me. My little
mothers early married life, before
my father ran away. was a long
nightmare Of debt and the duns of
creditors. One of my first mem
cries is OF my mothers despair at
having no money with which TO
pay a pressing creditor. cannot
remember when I made my first
resolve never to owe anybody any
thing.
On the other hand. long years of
independence had intensified anoth-
er trait of mine. that OF hating TO
ask favor of anyone. I mad hoped
that Dicky, when we started TO
housekeeping. would talk over his
financial affairs with me as he
would with any other partner. I
had planned 70 discuss with him
what sum we could afford weekly
for housekeeping expenses. Then
I had expected that he would hand
me that sum each week without any
further discussion.
But Dicky's plans evidently did
not run along the lines which ap-
pealed to me. The day We came
into our little home ne had taken
my purse from my hand, stuffed
some bills inside. and said care
lessly: That's for the housekeep-
ing. Tell me when you need more"
Thousands OF women before me I
suppose have gone through the ex-
perience I did. that OF trying 70
stretch that money 10 the farthest
possible extent so as to put off the
day when l should have to ask for
more .......-.--
Say, Missis Graham, the laundry
man here has the shirts and collars
He says a dollar and thirty-hve
cents" Katie stood in the doorway.
TO my eyes a very Nemesis.
l counted out the change in my
purse. One dollar and FIVE cents
was the total. l handed her the
dollar. .-.-....
That is all the change have
here. Katie" 1 tried 20 make my
voice nonchalant. Tell him TO add
the rest 10 next weeks bill"
Katie came back In a moment,
her eyes swapping with indignation.
What you think Missis Ora
ham? That driver, he one fool. He
say he new driver, don't know you.
he can't leave laundry no money.
He say he take il back with him.
say. You big stiff. I give you
money I have some in my pocket
book. So l pay him. get laundry.
You tell Mr.. Graham call up laun-
nave AAtAiA NOAlN HO lHUft UtIts
Thank you. Katie" said faint
~. II will hand you the money
when / get some change" Katie's
slang and manner grated upon me,
but / realized that this was no time
for criticism. When a person saves
your life it is not quite chubby TO
object TO the manner in which he
does il.
That's all right" said Katie
grandly. and vanished 10 the kitch-
en-. For a minute 1 whimsically en-
We'd Katie. She had no complicat-
ed financial problems. So much
work, so much money. and only
herself 10 suit in its spending.
For the first time since my mar
riage I dreaded Dicky's home-com-
ing Our little dinner each even
ing had been the one event OF my
day, something TO look forward TO
and to dress for. Today I felt as
il were going TO execution.
"But il is a point of honor TO