San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-06
Dane and Nora Lee Set
i Mad Pace at Spend
ing Money.
CHAPTER XIV

ed. Lord, how the dollar
had shrunk in these last few
years! Six hundred a month
was nothin = NOTHING -.
And in his fatuous youth
he'd imagined that a young
couple ought to get by fine-wallow
in luxury on half that sum.
He puzzled over the figures-won-
dered IL the bank had made a mistake.
His salary was now $500 a month.
Added to this was the interest on some
high class public utilities stock he'd
bought with the money left in his
uncle's will. SO that their total in
come was better than 5000 coming in
steadily every month.
And they had no rent to pay. Yet
they saved surprisingly little. I'm
bum manager" he decided-"no head
for business"
Nora Lee was sitting across the
room pulling threads in a silk costume
slip. Later she would hemstitch it.
She tapped her foot, impatiently when
the threads snapped.
FEAR OF "COsT."
He asked lazily: you're not crazy
about sewing" are you, Norry?"
I'm exceedingly artistic, if you
must know it. This will be beauti-
full"
"Why don't you buy It ready
made ~
at would cost too much"
He chuckled silently at this deli
cious irony. Then he began to muse.
They had agreed that $500 for all the
household expenses and for Sonny's
and Nora Lees clothes would be am
pie. Dane should pay for all amuse-
ments; the upkeep of their two cars
and all such things as life insurance,
the redecorating of the house, taxes
and doctor bills. What was left after
his personal expenses were deducted
should be put in joint savings ac-
count. II possible, Nora Lee should
also add to this from her budget.
But she hadn't. And six months
previous, when she began to attend
dinners with Natalie and some of Ma
tales friends, he had added $50 to her
allowance.
TOSSING 1T AWAY.
He wrote down S350-scratched it
out hastily. Rot the figures remained
in his mind. More than half of this
Nora Lee spent on herself-her
clothes, her manicures, der water
waves, her luncheons downtown, her
bridge teas
He wondered vaguely il she found
it worth while; and then, with an odd
touch Of shrewdness, he wondered if
it we're necessary to her happiness.
He worked from morning till night
often very late. And what he
earned was tossed away carelessly,
with no significant return to show for
it.
1t suddenly gripped him that they
would grow old and have nothing.
Their youth was speeding from them
and all their dreams of travelling, d
ioyous yagabondage were fading. In
deed, they scarcely recalled these 70
mantle hopes now.
TRAVEL PLANS.
They had meant to saunter
through Europe. He would see all
those magnificent cathedrals-nll
that were left after the war. They |
would haunt Italy and the ruins OF
Greece. They didn't plan to travel
ode luxe" Indeed not! Well enough |
for the parvcnu to impress walters
and maids-but they would see the |
couptry-get to know the people
camp in queer, romantic places -.
A thousand times in their court
ship and in the early years of their
marriage they had made out gay |
itineraries.
Yet this very summer he wanted
TO 70 to Honolulu. He said eagerly
"Geo whizz, Nory, we've never seen
n thing together and the whole |
blazing world waiting for u.s."
She became excited. They planned |
il. Then she began to count the
cost Of all the clothes she would |
have to buy. Even cutting her |
wardrobe to n minimum, an outlay |
of $500 would be necessary i
counting stockings and a wrap and |
sport clothes
The trip was abandoned. He grew
heated recalling this. lie had n FLAIR
ing impulse 10 dash over and grab
the blue silk thing from her hands;
to shout: Quit it! Think of some
thing clse!"
His thought went on in cold,
rational hardness. He found him
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