The Press., 1921-08-04
So Handy Round the House
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

 ried six years and my kid sister has never seen my wonderful babies or equally wonderful William. Which re- minds me that hope this Perry per son you mention so casually yet so frequently in your letters is as suit able for you as my husband is for me. But you'll have to see William to ap- preciate him. He's so handy round the house"
 She reread that last phrase. "So handy round the house." Her thoughts flew to Perry Keene, to his good looks and attractive ways. He had many admirable qualities to offer as a husband, but, somehow or other, Sue simply could not visualize him as being handy round the house."
 Sues brow wrinkled as she medi- | tated. She hadn't said ives" to Perry yet and could easily make her visit to Helen an excuse for taking more time before answering.
 That evening Perry, spurred by the hope of getting a definite reply from the girl he loved, arrived to find barrier suddenly raised.
 "N'o Perry" Sue said hesitantly, then with gathering firmness, ''I won't say yes until Pm absolutely certain. When return from my visit to Helen I'll give my answer"
 With that Perry had to be satisfied, and on the following day he saw Sue off at the station with a huge box. of | chocolates, an assortment of maga- zines and an earnest plea to "decide in his favor.''
 The unexpected marriage of Sues sister while Sue and her invalid aunt were at a southern resort for the win ter and HeIen's immediate departure for a little western town had brought | about the unusual circumstances that Sue had never seen her new brother in-law. There had been little money on either side to spare for visits, and not until the death of her aunt had Sue found herself able to go to her sister.
 Nevertheless, she accurately select ed William from the group of men waiting at the station gate and pres entIy found herself tucked in the un- prGtentiOus runabOut waiting at the curb.
 Their progress home was interrupted by a call at the fish market. Helen is just crazy over mackerel rOeS," ex- p!ained William. And Sue sighed. It was the first evidence of Williams dOmesticity.
 You dear thing!"
 : "Helen-and these darling chill drenr'
 For a moment the joy of meeting ODliterated all else. Then William un- wrapped the rOes. "The' man said they ought to be used tonight" he ad- vised.
 Helen's brow clouded. "I have steak" she began. Then her express sion cleared Never mind. I'll make 1t into meat cakes tomorrow and have the fish tonight. William is so thoughtful about bringing things hOme" she added in an aside to Sue.
 AS the days passed Sue found her self unable to arrive at a decision regarding Perry. More and more clearly she realized that a vast gulf yawned between him and her brother in-law, and instinct told her that if happy marriages were based on the William type of man alone, welded life with Perry would be fOredOomed failure.
 William not only helped with the marketing, but he swept the living room before breakfast, and if the dust sifted into the dining room, still-the living room was swept. He knew the contents of pantry and icebox, and kept tabs, in a perfectly nice way, on the amount of butter and eggs con- stunned. And he washed the supper dishes regularly with beautiful dis regard of every hOuseleeper's rule, glasses first and then silver" doing the forks and knives and spoons last, when the water was lower in temper ature.
 The last day of Sues visit Sue and Helen went to the city on what Helen termed shopping spree" Their in- tentiOn was to return in time for lunch, but the lure of the windows and the spell of the laden counters proved of such siren influence that the hours sped unnOticed.- As a re- suit, 1t was we'll into the afternoon before the sisters left the suburban trolley and hastened up the shady street to the house where William, taking a day off from work, was play ing nurSemaid to the children.
 Wont William. and the children be half starved, Helen?" Sue wanted. to know.
 "Oh, William will look out for that" replied Helen carelessly.
 And William had. "Yes," he as- sured them. 'I got the kids some ice cream cones and mixed up a little cocoa and we finished up the cold meat And as for you. your dinner is ready" he concluded triumphant ly.
 Such a dinner as 1t was! Chops, more or less irregularly broiled, salad made with fruit and cherries from Helen's emergency shelf and the rest of the salad dressing reserved for supper, toast, French fried potatoes, and bakery pie whose cost had been out of all proportion to it's depth or the richness of it's, ingredients. Helen and Sue, who had dropped into a small place of refreshmtat for sand wiches and Russian tea, could net do justice to the repast.
 Somewhere from regions upstairs fiVe-year-old Billy was emitting muf- fled sObs. "He insisted on making your toast" explained William, "and when he burned it and made him desist. he took to sulking, so I sent him up to his room for an. hour. If it's spelling your dinner, I'll go up and spank him." he added anXiously.
 William is crazy over the children" said Helen, "but he believes in strict discipline, and although sometimes it is hard, leave 1t all to him."
 The. following day, Sue kissed her sister gOodby, hugged the children, and shook hands with William. Never