Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-02
TODAY'S EVENING STORY
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION
COPYRIGHT BY w. WERNER

pose anything. Suppose the stars
should fall, the earth open and sWal'
low us, which it might as we'll do II
we are to give up everything. But
do as you please. 1 have nothing
further to say
And there the matter rested until
the next day, clear, bright, cold
the last day of the old year.
Betty began her reforms that very
morning. A fine grapefruit was in
the pantry; fresh eggs. the gift of
generous country friend; pink-streak'
ed bacon. She set before Bert light.
ly buttered toast and coffee-pout-
ing And pouting she ate sparing-
ly of her meager portion. Pouting
she received his good-by kiss and
when the house was tidied, she sat
down idle in the reception room win
dow, looking blankly into the street
-pouting.
NldIIllS w ll1OSO1J IUO NOOA . ONAO"1
ran up the steps and hurriedly en-
tered. She had waved to Bet at the
window. Anyway, they were very
intimate and accustomed to informal
entries into each others homes. She
was dressed for the street. but not
for the street were her tear-redden-
ed, tear-swollen eyes.
ooh, Bet" she burst out hysteric-
ally, sinking into chair, "such a
terrible misfortune has come upon
us, like a thunderbolt out of a clear
sky. Billie, you know, has been all
ing little for several days. Last
night at 10 o'clock we had to call a
doctor. He said it was appendicitis.
They hurried Billie to the hospital
and operated at once. Gangerene
had set in and he's, oh. so ill.,
"Oh, Mamie"' Betty whispered.
She had heard speechless, too horri-
fed for words.
And that's not all poor Billies
physical suffering. It's mental, too.
There the terrible expense-$250 for
the surgeons fee; S45 week for the
nurse-two weeks at least, maybe
longer. Billie cant take the least
risk. Fifty week for the room,
the very cheapest that was vacant
Then the medicine, and all the 9th.
err little items that count into dol
lars, so fast. And only the 500 in
the bank we saved to pay on our
house next week"
Bettys heart seemed to stand still
while her face whitened to the pal
lor of poor NAMES cheeks.
maybe the firm will give Billie
his salary while he's away. But we
cant count on that for a certainty,
for the whole two or three months,
anyway. The doctor says he may
have to rest that long. And we'll
have to call on Billie's folks and
mine to help, and not one able to do
it without skimping themselves. OF
course, We'll pay back, but the hui
initiation of it, Oh, Betty. how fool
ish we have been, all of us. Nothing
but a good time is all we have
thought of. How 1 wish we had all
the money in the bank we have
Wasted.
When Name was gone-she was
on her way to the hospital, and just
stopped in to tell Betty her tale of
woe-Betty, pouts vanished, made
ready for the street. One visit, her
first, was to the bank; the other to
a florist for a lovely sheaf of sunny
jonquils to be sent to William John
son, South Side hospital with the
good wishes and sympathy of Bert
and Betty.
1t was the same transformed Bet
ty who met Bert at the front door
that night, to his joy and relief
He had suffered all day with thought
of Betty's tears. Poor kid!
When she had told him, with tears,
of Billie's and Mamie's sad plight,
she showed him a small savings
bank book.
"Billies and Names sorrow has
been our GAIN" she said. You re-
member the $50 Grandpa sent me
Christmas? / intended to put it into
d new spring suit that l didn't need.
The fall suit I bought in October,
will do all right. I put that $50 into
the savings bank today. l went out
just as soon as Poor Name left, And
every cent we used to spend on NOV
les, late suppers, and the feathers
we didn't need is going in the bank,
90. Oh! Oh! How 1 pity those
Yo0r Name and Billie. And how
.1.r'r, ooioer to econon1ize and save"