San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-09
The Married Life of
Helen and Warren
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER..
a DESCENDANT Evening

utdT, VIC uoh hSSu a IuS
"Can always use a good rug"
opening his pocket knife. "This's
a peach! Wait till you see it."
With dread misgivings of his i'm
promptu purchases, she watched
him slash the cord.
But why-where-how did you
happen to get a rug?"
"DePuy SALE" shipping the last
knot. HE had some good rugs
so dropped in at Anderson's to
see how they were going"
"The DePuy sale? Why, I
thought that was next week."
SELLING his books next week.
Rugs and furniture went today
As he unwrapped the heavy
brown paper, Helen tried to recall
the rugs in the DePuy home. A
few fine old Bokharas-but the
others new and highly colored.
And this was one of them! Even
the wrong side showed vivid reds
and bldes.
"There, isn't that a corker?" tri-
umphantly. Had that in the IL
brary, didn't they? Eli? what's
the matter? Don't like it,"
"It's too bright! 1t won't 80
with Anything we have!"
why not?" belligerently. "That'll
tone down. Just been cleaned. Be
all right when it gets a little dirt
in it."
Those colors never tone down.
Oh, dear, what MADE you get
rug without me seeing it? How
much?"
GUEST" dangling the string for
Pussy Purr-Mew's eager paws.
Its not so very fine" exam
ming the back. "And at auction
certainly not more than sixty"
Sixty !" derisively. THAT shows
how much you know bout rugs!
Here's the catalog." Drawing it
from his pocket, he opened at
turned-down leaf.
1856 sARABEND RUG
North Western Persia Centre
field with all-over design Of
Cashmere Palmettes" on mag
enta red. Three borders, rosette
and vine patterns, on royal
blue.
That's not the price?" at his
penciled figures in the margin.
You never paid a hundred and
thirty for that?"
yes, and dirt cheap, too"
Warren, that's an AWFUL
price!"
as, Ell? All you know about it.
Less than four dollars a foot.
Eight feet four by four feet seven"
figuring on the catalog. Just
three sixty-eight a square foot. Go
into any rug store and see what
you get for that"
But we don't want it at any
price. Where'll we put it,"
"Oh, well make room for it.
Shift around those rugs in the
library"
Put this with that antique
Kasbmir and that lovely old
Kabistan prayer rug? This strong
coloring would kill them!"
See here, you clutter the place
with your dingy old junk and l
don't say a word. But whenever l
get anything i like, you set up
howl. Now we keep this rug
and no chuckin' it out of sight ~
Put the dinner on now, ma'am!
Anna was at the door.
Fright away. And take this out"
Warren tossed her the paper and
string.
Fold up that paper, Anna, and
keep It," cautioned Helen. I'VE may
need it."
Not for this rug! That's here to
STAYw banging in TO wash up.
A silent hostility gloomed their
dinner. The intruding rug absorbed
Helen's thoughts and appetite.
Where would they put il? A hun
bred and thirty for rug they didn't
need-and that clashed with every
thing in their apartment!
These sweetbTcads not bad. Why
don't you have 'em often?" replen-
ishing his plate. How bout your
peering around the centerpiece.
Don't like 'emI"
"Tm not very hungry. They had
some fine old Bokharas-whatd
they bring"
"Still gtewin' over that rug, Ell?
Sold the Bokharas fore / got there.
Only got in for the last few lots.
Shove over that relish ~
Helen's resentment deepened. He
had only dropped in at the end OF
the sale-probably bought the first
rug offered. And she must live with
it!
His careless slap-dash way Of buy
ing things for the house always
made her wild
She had spent days on the selec-
ton of each rug. Tone, design,
weave, size--everything had to be
considered.
you're n fine gloom.puryeyor! y
growled Warren, when they left the
table. Bring you a hundred-and-
thirty-dollar rug-and you nope all
through dinner"
81 was trying to think where
we'd put it,"
THAT'S easy! Anna, give me
hand here"
Silently aIoof, Helen watched
them carry the rug into the Library.
Shifting the other three rugs, War
rem fitted IL in by the bookcase.
GLOW bout that? Looks all right
there. don't itg'
"That strong red [! You see u
doesn't go with anything, How
faded it makes the others look. And
they're too crowded-rugs never
look well SO close
"Then where d'you want IL putY
irasciblv.