Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1920-04-01
wnerr sne could buy sgcgara splendid

out or soap and IL was so much cheap
er buying it In large quantities. Bu
this ten dollars was not for soap Oh
eggs or potatoes. It was for terrapir
and green turtle.
Lucille started out early to shop
and she spent hours in her search fol
the inexpensive luxurles that she had
hoped for. But they were not to be
had. Why, even ordinary barnyard
fowl were fifty cents a pound. Ere
quently as she marketed she consulted
the little menu that she had made out
for the dinner that night, and frequent
ly she ran her little silver pencil
through certain dainties she had
planned to have.
1t was not alone a physical fatigue
that weighed her down when she re-
turned from the marketing trip.
you'll wear cap and apron, won't
you, Sally?" she asked when she came
home.
II suppose so, ma'am," replied Sally,
''if you get one for me- You couldn't
expect me to have them for myself"
Lucille had to take the cork out of
the bottom of the china elephant bank
in which she had been saving nickles
with which to buy a washing machine
Then she went out in search of the
white cap and apron that she could
buy with the small amount that the
elephant presented her with.
The dinner seemed to be successful
enough, but something must have
passed between the Bobby Stranges
afterward that took a little of the
felicity out of Lucille. For when her
brother John arrived Unexpectedly the
next morning at about nine after
Bobby had started off for his office he
found his sister in tears.
He had trouble in tracing these tears
TO their source, for Lucille knew that
John was an answering friend and
champion of her Bobby. If he had not
been she never would have explained
to him.
after you had all gone" she eX-
planned. "he said to me that | needn't
have been so thrifty. He told me that
he wouldn't in the least have minded
If | had spent all the money he gave
me for the dinner-in fact, he said he
had rather hoped we would have some
thing a little better than chicken and"
-Lucille's tears seemed to start afresh
at the details of the little dinner
party; she sobbed like a child before
she went on-"and stringbeans (sOb)
and tomato salad (sob) and ice cream
and-and chocolate cake" And with
the mention of the cake she had spent
so much pains In making she burst
into a torrent of tears of self-pity and
sobbed on her brothers shoulder as
she had done in long-agO days when /
he had comforted her over the demise |
of a canary or the breaking of doll.
"And 1 spent every cent he gave
me-" Lucille went on when she had re-
gained her composure. "There wasn't |
a cent left and had to take the cork
out of the elephant. told him so. and |
then he said that it was all because
didn't know how to buy. He said that
that was my great fault-nOt knowing
how to buy, and he said that there
we're some women who could manage
on lot less money than did and have
more delicacies, too. He was very kind,
only he really thinks don't know. But
honestly John, l went to the cheapest
places In town and carried all the
bundles home myself. so | wouldn't
have to go to places that send them"
"Well, guess Bobby just don't un-
1erstand," reflected the loyal John.
'BObby's young-not much older than
there are a lot Of things you
have to learn. Perhaps I
,an teach him."
"Oh, please don't. please don't" en-
reated Lucille. Don't even mention
he II. @. L.. because if you do then
Bobby will know that have been talk
ng about him to you. and that would
De dreadful" John promised secrecy,
tut he went away secretly promising
himself that he would educate Bobby.
Weeks passed and the slight disap-
continent that Bobby had sustained
egarding the dinner party was we'll
Ugh forgotten. Little was said con-
erning the question of food costs, ex-
ept that Bobby once or twice referred
o Lucil1e's general ignorance concern
ng the rudiments of buying. He had
ecided to be magnanimous and not re-
rove her, but he would occasionally
ease her about 1t.
Then stormclOuds began to gather.
Bobby was away from home two nights
ne week and three the next. He was
and seemed to be dis
raught. Rather reluctantly, when Lu-
lille asked him where he went, he told
er that he was at the club. Then Luz
file recalled the little tiff they had \
ad concerning the H. G. L., and she
yas troubled indeed. Women had lost
heir husbands affections before, she
Did herself, because they had been
ad housekeepers. She had decided to
axe her troubles to JOhn-JOhn who