The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1920-09-10
When A Girl Mnrries
By Ann Idsia,
Copyright 1913 by King Features synds-
cate, Inc-)

pearance from the luncheon at the
| Santvoort.
1 insisted on making my apology
| substantial, and on substituting a
| cozy little picnic supper for the
| luncheon I had deserted so shame
| lessly.
We had jolly time and Sheldon
congratulated Jim warmly on his
escape from the gang" as he called
them. I waited breathlessly for him
| to suggest some other position for
Jim, since I knew that he himself
was down in 1.-THE Street" But the
suggestion did not come, and Jim
| made no effort to invite it.
AS they were leaving, Envy gave
me a startling bit of information.
| Tommy has gone to the Adirondack
| camp for month. He was sorry
| not to say good-by - but you went
said Evelyn. However, we'll all
forgive you, because you saved our
dear, Impractical Jim and bobbed
up serenely at the end of the day
with this nice, new man."
Neal beamed. Not very many re-
! cognized his right to the title,
"man."
My young brothers last contribu-
| ton to the conversation before I
| tucked him in cozily on the big
couch in our lving-room, was:
'Harrison's friends sure are hum
| dingers. That little Mason girl has
it all over every other girl I ever
saw
Jim laughed good-natured1y when
told him. I felt his mirth BODIED
well for protecting friendship with
my beloved Neal - still a child at
| twenty-five.
But in the morning I found my
husband inclined to grumble a bit
over the visitor, who was still slum-
bering peacefully and whose pres
ence in the living room made me
suggest that we breakfast in our
bedroom and let Neal have his sleep
out.
Jim was nervous and moody dur
ing breakfast. Remote and distract
one moment, he would jerk himself
back in an earnest effort at friendly
, effectiveness a. minute later.
thought he was angry about break
fasting in the bedroom, but after a
few nervous efforts to say something
my husband at last blurted out:
Anne, have you a little money
you could-lend me?'
My heart sank. I had paid all my
bills the night before, when 1 went
out to buy the extras for our 'com-
pany" supper. And at that moment
there was only a little change in my
purse" .
"Ive only about a dollar, DEAR" 1
! acknowledge.
only dollar? Why, Anne, what's
become of the money I gave you
couple of days ago?"
AT that it seemed as if my blood
drained away from my heart in
flood and then went pounding up to
my head in a hideous, warm gush
Was my Jim the sort of man to call
his wife to account for every cent
she spent 1t didn't seem consist
emit with his generosity. I tried to
keep my voice steady as I answered:
you gave me $50 ten days ago.
I tried to make it last but food
and ice, and gas and the laundry
and shoes, and yesterday the taxi
and"
But Jim interrupted:
l. '|Why, sweetheart-don't sgo on
cataloging like that! Do. you think
I want an accounting? What wor-
ries me is that I didn't realize you
were - stony broke, and that you
didn't as kfor more when you were
down to bedrock. Only a dollar in
my wife's purse-and Dicky Royce
has hundreds to - f1ing-at Sally.
My Anne-with only a do1lar!''
He fumbled in his hip-pocket-
| and found nothing. In startled I'M
belief, he turned it inside out. 1t
was empty. From his vest he drew
some change. Then, in a sort of
panic, he began fishing in all parts
of his clothes. Meager1y-one at a
| time-he drew out four 81 bills. His
| lips frightened, but he contrived a
ruefui little smile and a casual tone
as he murmured:
81 must go to the bank"
And as L remembered the great
! roll of bills he had drawn from his
now empty hip pocket only ten days
| before, a sudden chilly doubt as
sailed me - how long could Jim get
money from a bank into which he
was putting none?
sd 'Here, dear, We'll sharp and share
| alike" he said, offering me three of
the bills.
| "Oh, L don't need it, dear. I've
plenty for today, and if there were
! any sudden call, Neal would let me
| have -
Jin's face darkened.
| ''Anne, you didn't mean that - SO
won't let it hurt me. L can't have
you borrowing from that boy.
| Take these
He tried to put three of the bills
into my hand, but I shook my head
in earnest protest, and fairly
snatched my hand away. Finally,
when I saw that it hurt him to have
me refuse, 1 accepted two of the
bills.
| "Babbsie!-Sister! Come on give
| a fellow a good morning kiss
| came Meals voice through the door.
- sI wish that boy wouldn't call you
Babbsie," Jim said rritably-but l
| knew that this was only an outlet
| for the unhappiness it had. caused
him to have me see how little money
| he had.
Neal gripped up at me with the
same warmhearted affection he had
| shown back in the days when he
| was a toddling four-year-o1d and I
was big big sister Babbsie'' all OF
| eight and in the dignihed third