The evening leader., 1919-01-04


in the world, but he often refers to his
mothers efficiency. Jacks mother is
efficient. I'll admit it. / would also
call her stin-ecOnOmical.
Since the slogan "Get Behind HoOv-
er" has become popular it seems to
me that Jack has referred more fire.
quently to the efficiency of his mother;
has several times intimated that saw
ing a little on living expenses would
be a laudable ambition for me. This
idea was put in words that 1 under
stood, when he said:
my dear, think $45 too much for
you to spend on hat this season."
So I didn't spend it. I got a per-
-good-enough best hat for $35,
and in order to make it last longer l
got one that was all right for every
day for $40.
But that isn't what started to tell
you about. You see, we go over to
Jacks mothers for dinner on her
birthday, and this year was to be no
exception.
l knew she would show us her pre-
serves and pickles and cans of things;
and her last winters suit that she had
made as good as new with the addi-
ton of new collar and cuffs.
And / happened to think that my
sweater was dirty and that / would
want to wear it under my coat if we
motored over; and also happened to
think that the fact that it was dirty
would not escape efficiency's eye.
Well, cleaning is expensive, and
didn't Jack want me to econOmize?
Hadn't l paid the most reliable clean
ing establishment in Boston $1.75 plus
expressage, for cleaning that same
sweater not long ago?-a perfectly ex-
orbitant price; why, the sweater only
cost $3.50 in the first place. No, 1t
wasn't one of those expensive hand
knit ones, but it was a very pretty
sweater. Yes, that soft rose one you
have seen me wear.
They say "a penny saved is penny
earned" so I decided that I couldn't
earn $1.75 any easier than to wash
that sweater myself, with about five
cents worth of soap.
Did you ever try to wash anything?
We've always sent the washing out, so
but there was bathtub. believe one
of the helps to efficiency is being able
to utilize the things.
1t takes a lot of energy to get up
suds in a bathtub, if you are not on
the inside.
Do you know how much a sweater
weighs when it's wet?
sOaped and rubbed and squeezed
that garment for the better part of an
hour; then, if it never became clean,
wouldn't have given it another souse.
After I squeezed the water out of
it the best I could and hung it over
the radiator to dry, I went down town
to try on a perfectly lovely set of
furs that were in Brown & Co.'s win
dow.
There I met Molly Whitman and
Tottie Franch and took them to the
Sally-Ally Tea Room for something to
eat; then I took them to the Strand
to see Julian Eltinge in Countess
Charming" I wanted to see if I
couldn't tell that he isn't a woman
even if I didn't know it.
/ dropped around to the Office for
Jack and we came home together.
We were hardly in the house before
he give me the opening 1 wanted, by
saying:
"Well, what have you been doing
today. Hon?"
"Oh, I've got the biggest kind of a
surprise for you, Jack; I've been get
ting behind the conservation board !!
I saved $1.75 this morning!"
"Pretty good for one morning. Can
you keep up that pace for a year,"
Throwing my things on a chair as
passed, seized the sweater from the
radiator and held it up.
"See" I exclaimed.
"What is it?" he inquired stupidity.
"Can't you see? It's my sweater!
washed it myself and saved $1.75"
"Um-m-m. Isn't it a little large?"
Large? No; it never was! It fits
all right !" said I, proceeding to invest
myself.
My arms were not long enough for
the sleeves-by about a foot; but being
busy wrinkling up the sleeves, I
hadn't observed that Jack was having
a fit or something; then I looked down
at myself. It was right then that l
was thankful that hadn't used wool
soap (the kind mamma used, you
know, for whatever else happened to
that sweater would not want to have
deprived it of the amount it "shrunk." 3"
1t was originally fashionable length !;
1t now escaped the floor by about nine
inches. The pockets, which were nor
mally placed, could now be observed
as little sacks hanging near the bot
tom. And the belt! That was also
normally placed, but now, if tied,
would greatly interfere with locomo-
ton.
didn't care anything about the old
sweater anyway; but there was Jack
in fits Of laughter; and it is so hu-
rni1iatino tO have failed when ono is