Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-09-12

GIG AENA tue 7AlcA ILtfuc AtluuNs
Some thrifty souls have been add
ing up their dinner check" said Jim,
finding all the sayory that the Rose
Gardens special dinner lacked In just
sharing 1t with Nancy. Lets figure
out what they had. r. that must be
roast" He consulted the a la carte
side Of the menu. Sure enough !;
prime ribs a Pedro were forty cents.
'TThe girl had fish," Nancy took It
up gayly. Taking up everything in
life with quick. gay sympathy was
Naney's way. Mercy, the extravagant
creature must have had fllet of sole;
that's the only fish that's sixty-tiye
cents. But what can Is or an g
be1 There's nothing on the menu for
eight cents"
They studied the menu for few
puzzled moments. then Jim grinned,
enlightened.
"It's a budgetrr he exclaimed.
These aren't foods at ALL Look I
R-40.' that's rent. forty dollars. And
'F-65.' I'll bet that's food"
"of course 1t isl" delighted. "And
c. is clothing. But what on earth is
T-ST
"Insurancei" said Jim promptly.
Eight a months a hundred a year
That's about what five thousand
straight life would cost a young fel-
low. IL just happened to look 1t up
the other day"
"And g & L is gas and iee,s Nan
~ guessed triumphantly.
An Incredulous pueker appeared be-
tween Jim's eyes.
''That guy isn't allowing enough for
rent, is her He can't get place CT
TO take a nice girl to for forty dollars,
.an her
"Of course he can," said Nancy
My cousin has a two-room fiat out
GEAR High Bridge that they pay thirty
eve for and it's cute. II this girl has
any ideas about fixing up a place, for
sy's plenty"
ut ls?" Jim's astonishment was
tinged with sudden brightness. "a
must be amusement" he went on.
Gosh. that fellows got nerve.
Think of expecting pretty girl who's
5een used to good times and attention
and everything. to settle down to
eight dollars a month for amusement
for two"
why, 1 don't think that's nervy at
all. Two people could have an awful
lot Of fun on eight dollars a month.
They could go to one good show-that
would be four-sixty, balcony seats and
car fare-and to a movie or two.
And then just think Of the fun you
can have without spending hardly
anythlngl Skating on Van Cortlandt
park in the winter and going on pic
MICS in the summer, building iiFe
and cooking outdoors. And having
another couple In for dinner and TO
play cards afterward-that doesn't
cost much"
THAT'S So" Jim agreed. 'sThose
things are a circus And If you like
person a lot. it's fun just to stay
home sometimes. read out loud or play
crIbbage."
"CrIbbage is good game" said
Nancy. "Dad and l used to play a
game after dinner every night when
was youngster.s
Jim looked across the table at her,
so gay and pretty and dear. A game
Of cribbage after dinner every night
with NancyI He looked down at the
figures, the chart by which some game
little vessel was going to chance the
seas. OF course the budget chart may
have been drawn by storm-tossed
old couple, by a lone woman or fa.
ther and son. but Jim would never be-
lleve II.
"Thirty-flve dollars a month for
clothes" he read. ''They can't make
1t for that. can they7 If the girl likes
the kind OF clothes you wear. for in
stanceT'
Oh, surely 1t was a young couple
who had drawn up the chartl The
very breath Of romance can be In a
budget
The special dinner progressed from
tasteless soup TO tasteless coffee. The
hungry buzzards in the aisle drew
nearer as dessert approached. But
Jim and Nancy neither tasted. saw
nor heard the cheapness. For the
second time that night. romance was
falling over the twosome table like a
snowstorm over prosy and familiar
sights. changing rent and food and
Insurance into giittering. mysterious
charm.
Under the eye Of the disappearing
waiter, Jim slipped the soiled menu
into his pocket, sent wordless wish
after the fellow mariners who had had
II last. Wherever. whenever. however,
they were setting sail, might their