Evening star., 1926-04-11
Jimmy Thought Marge Enjoyed Saving Money Their Home

I She knew what he meant and
knowing her sex, she did not deny it
| Instead:
81 think you're dead right" she as
sured him, a shade too aggressively
"I simply couldn't work in ar
Office" he enlarged. "And like this
work. It's like being paid for what
| is fun for me. And whenever there's
spare moment 1 work on that car
buretor idea, you see."
TO Jimmy the carburetor idea wa,
what the Grail was to Galahad. II,
Marge it was all pure Greek. Being
feminine, she pretended to understand
it perfectly, but what she really saw
when she said II see"' was how hi.
eyes narrowed and became almost
mystical, and the grim determination
of his young mouth. The most she
actually understood was that gasoline
nowadays was low-grade and that the
carburetor, designed to handle thi!
defect in a way that would increase
mileage. was expected to bring Jimmy
fame and fortune.
They were engaged, but 1t was to be
kept a secret. From all save those who
had eyes to see, ears to hear. They
were to be very sensible. They were
not even to dream of marriage yet
LII lAA0 1ilCoh(ltllO OtIIllIly WOOld WOI n
harder than ever. And save harder
too.
II may need money to market the
carburetor." he had explained. 'I've
got a thousand saved"
I've got three hundred and forty
eight dollars myself. And L"
IT," he assured her huskily, don't
think there ever was a girl like you
wouldn't touch cent of your saw
ings, but"-he paused and kissed
her-"believe me, I'll hold on to every
nickel from now on just as tight as
I'll hold your
USOLD the bus today" announced
~ Jimmy one night in mid,Janu
ary. Got four hundred and fifty for
it. Moriarty is going to put a truck
body on it."
And SO, through the late winter, rar
a passionate competition in niggardli
ness. They made a little god of their
determination to be sensible and to II
they sacrificed every normal craving
youth knows. No more movies, nc
more candy. Even a college ice was
taboo. The more sensible they were
about things the sooner they would
come to the goal which-must not be
even thought of. Except at such mo
ments as when Jimmy would murmur
"a palace is what you ought to have
by rights"
"a cottage will do. If you're there
too" she assured him.
Even to her family, the harshest OF
critics a mortal knows, Marge was an
enigma these days. She wore, at times
an almost consecrated look which
moved the unregenerate Barbara to
fury.
"She's just plain nutty." Barbara
assured the family. II can see myself
going crazy over piker like him.
What's the good Of being engaged-if
you don't get anything out of it? They
might as we'll be married.
Barbara said her mother, reprov-
ingly. You mustn't say such things"
Yet, in her heart, her mother felt
the same.
Its all right to be sensible" she
told Marge'S father that night, "but
Marge is overriding it. She needs a
new spring suit, but she fairly snapped
my head off when I suggested 1t.
don't know what's come over her."
The truth was, Of course, that
Marge was in the grip Of one Of the
The spirit Of self-sacrif1ce was upon
her.
In February 1t drove her to for
swearing even Jimmy for more than
one night week. She did not believe
that Jimmy's invention would ever
amount to anything. That would be
too good to be true. Yet she knew
that next to her it lay. closest to his
heart. And Of late there had been
fresh perplexities, disheartening to
him and leaving him subject to fits Of