Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1920-01-09

earth, but ri be hanged n I'll ask
ms wife 10 wear secondhand clothes
all her life or wen 'em myself. This
digging along forever on seyenty-nve
n month and board Is getting my goat.
Today this cnme. II was the last
straw" lie drew his offending check
from his pocket and dipped II into her
lap. She read Il and met his eyes
when she had finished. Il don't
know thnt ! blame you much" she
said.
They skinned along for n time.
ench waiting for the other to spenk.
when she had mndo up her mind that
he never expected to open his mouth
ngnln. she give In. "And-and how
does-the glrl-feel about IT. she In
qulred. THAT would muke-some diff
ference-of course" Hours passed for
her before he replied.
IL hnven't-asked her-yet," he
snId hesltntlngly.
With "a little shlver OF relief she
sank back In her seat and cnught bnci
the smile In her eyes so that he might
not see. He went on clustering, man
fashion:
1T isn't unreasonable, ls II, 10 want
enough to live on decentlyf I'm not
aspiring to plumbers wages, you
know, or anything like TINT but hang
II, even a teachers got to live"
She began speaking then n her
voice grew softer and fuller as she
vent on. IL know" she replied. TITS
unfair and II probably will be for a
long time to come, but you can't have
everything. you know. Bob. You have
the work you like best In all the
world. Not many men can say that
II know oil that" he said, shaking
his head In reply. 1--WE talked that
way to NJ self. too, but all the same
stenm-hented apartments In town rent
for $50 n month"
$50 you have been house huntlngf'
He had not even the grace to blush.
"Sure !" he exclaimed. "Why shouldn't
I? Even n poor devil Of u pedagogue
can look, can't he7"
She leaned forward, her eyes dane
Ing, but for the moment she felt a
little like his mother. nevertheless.
Boy" she explained slowly and
emphntlcally, "when you're II school
teacher you don't rent n steam-hented
apartment In town you get a cottage
In the country and buy n good second
hand stove. For that matter. oil the
furniture Is secondhand but you
needn't look like that-it's nicel You
buy n few pieces nj q time and put
on three conts OF paint and then you
enamel 1t and IL you want to you paint
little flow"
He could not wait for her to finish.
"And for an engagement ring" he
jeered, "you buy some pretty little tin
thing nj the five and ten"
She shook her head defiantly till the
red tassel bobbed. mo, you don't
You hunt up that lovely old amethyst
ring of your mothers that you once
showed TOTO me-
lie was still stubborn and uncon-
ylnced. "Anu them he demanded,
when the house Is rented and fur
nlsled and-and everythlng-who pays
the bllls1"
Her patience reached Its limit.
Cant you figure out anything for
| yourself7" she demanded nngrlly.
"Some land goes with the cottnge, OF
course; enough to raise garden truck
for the-the family, and besides that
you do whnteyer you can. Rinse
chickens or rabbits or bees or thor
oughbred dogs or mushrooms or any
thing that sells-how can | tell ex.
nctly? Personally, I've made several
hundred dollars writing 'deteketlf
stories. Maybe your-your wife could
do something like that-after the
dishes"
The assistant professor OF biology
begnn Ia believe he had died and gone
to heaven. He felt as lf he were tread
ing on balloons that bore him higher
and higher. yet strangely did not
break. The prospect OF remaining Mt
his work made him giddy enough, but
added 20 that the idea OF wife and
home was still beyond his rapidly ex-
panding Imagination.
do you-do you suppose-it could
be donef' he demanded. and tried TO
swallow. The red mouth beneath the
red tum-o-shnnter was qulyerlng, but
the round little chin was firm. "of
course II could :" she said.
"Godi" murmured the assistant pro-
lessor OF biology fervently, III al
mos; believe II could, tool And you
don't believe ia be n low-down cad
for asking the best little girl In the
world TO marry me and live like thatT'
His hands moved forward. eagerly