The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-07-24
THE EVENING STORY
THE MARGIN OF SAFETY.

| income-savlng nothing for a rainy day.
~ anything should happen to Tom; II
either OF them should be III, meet WAR
an accident; II some stocks they had
invested rather heavily in should pass
their dividends what in the world
would they do?
Until now Mabel Buffers middle age
had kept all the freshness and pretti-
ness OF opening blossom bloom, but
gradually her face began to have a
faded flower look; there were shadows
under the dull eyes.
None was more aware OF her "loss
OF goods looks" as she put 1t. than
Mabel herself. and, like any human
woman. OF course, she resented 1t an
grily, which, together with her con-
slant tagged feeling, made her exceed
ingly irritable.
whats got into you. Peter" Tom
took her to task. II never knew you to
be so snappy before"
you needn't talk" she retorted i'm
patiently. You're cross yourself"
Great Scott! I've. reason to be
cross. What a business mans up
against nowadays is enough to get on
any ones temper"
The times were certainly tout Of
Joint" Never had Mabel felt more dis
satisfied with life. And she had so
expectantly looked forward to this year
after the war, when, with free con,
go back to her old pleasures. But, quite
apart from her high cost of living wor-
ries, these former Observation-Disclosures,
dinners, teas even bridge-had lost
their zest. IF were getting my
moneys WORTH" she thought disconso-.
lately. but I'm not. Ninetenths OF
the time I'm bored to tears"
Yet what else was there to do except
to keep on the go? Her whole nature
was energetic. With capable Lena,
there were no household duties to oc-
cupy her.
she told herself one afternoon as she
inertly put on her expensive new suit
and the hat for which she had paid so
exorbitantly, to go to concert she
cared nothing about. were the first
years after her marriage, when they
lived in little fiat where she did all
her own work, and the recent war
months, when she was busy with things
really worth while from morning until
night.
a moment before you go out" said
voice at her bedroom door,
With a cold, sickening sensation OF
premonition. Mabel turned. That same
evening the Buffers were getting ready
10 1T" It's come come Tom. She asked" said
Tom glared into space; How much
do we have to put up this timer"
"She wanted another five. But the
amount does not signify. 1 fired her"
'You did what?"
Great Scott, you can't bluff 'em
that way!"
II wasn't bluffing. and neither was
Lena. She leaves when her months
''But you know how impossible It is
to get a servant"
I'm not going to try"
Tom Butler stood and stared.
wait till we get in the taxi and
I'll tell you my PLAN" she laughed
gaily at his stupefaction. e.
And this time, as the taxi whisked
them across town, they did not sit in
glum, preoccupied silence. for Mabel
talked as fast as a woman talks when
pleading q cause vitality close to her
she said. TITS foolish. wrong, to go on
as we're going-not living beyond our
means exactly. for. thank goodness.
We're not in debt yet, but UP to the
limit. without any margin of safety"
Margin of what?"
"'Eargin of safety" she smiled. ST
came across the expression In a maya
zine and cribbed 1t. There's a lot in
1t, Tom. To be safe In your ulind-in
your soul-you've got tohave margin:
something over and above running ex-
penses; an emergency fund to fall hack
on In case of accident. And it's not
only Lena's high wages Wen save. hut
waste in fuel and all sorts Of other
things"
But you can't &c. along without a
servant. Pete" protested Tom. ITS out
Of the question"
with somebody in TO clean once a
week. ! can do IT perfectly we'll" We
hemently declared Mabel. 'If I stay
on the job. that is and stop gadding
about. Oh, know what you are
going to say. but you don't understand.