The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-01-12

OF i paper and pencil. The result
was nothing to sing about.
1 must produce SITS each
week, for an indefinite period.
EiIeen's hospital expenses ran
well over $1OO-and DIR. Stephens
had limited. in as pleasant way
as such ideas can be limited, that
these payments must be met
promptly when. they fell due.
put the household expenses
Miss Wade's budget-at $50 A.
week. In case on Va pinch, she
might wait while for her own
salary SIS a week. But coulun
be sure of that. knew nothing
of her obligations, whether she was
caring for some invalid relative, as
dear to her, perhaps, as Eileen was
to me, or helping some younger
brother or sister through school.
No doubt she needed her money as
IimperativeIy as / needed mine. Ana
every dollar I paid her she earned
three times over.
Tried the Budget System
For my own expenses, while seek
Ing q payroll parking place. !
allowed $50 week. must keep
up appearances--I must keep my
car looking wen. and 7 must be
prepared at any time to get stuck
for the lunches or to lose al bet
at the psychological moment. My
search would lead through that
skiddv section between a good fellow
and a good thing 1t takes gas
and Judgment to make It,
I needed pretty big parking
space-much bigger than is gem
orally found in the congested district
of affairs. in the daytime, and
went back over my figures TO see
what could be Topped off.
From Eileen's expenses nothing
could be spared. My estimate in.
cluded only the cold, hard necessi-.
ties-a bare buIwark at the edge
of the grave. i had not allowed
for so much as a pansy blossom 10
brighten the bleak hour of her
suffering and added few sickly
dollars in item, flowers: schedule,
Eileen.
l am a poor budgeter, and I
confess it along with my other
sins. / am extravagant. Chalk 1t
up, Recording Angel. Get 1T all
straight. Flowers! A bootlegger!
/ felt morally certain that il
inventoried that list again I'd
add another item or two, and 1
went on to see what could take
away from the baby. Some economy
might be effected here-he was
only six days old and couldn't
offer any effective protest, no mat
ter what did to him. / had an
unobstructed field for action clear to
the front office Of the Society for
the Prevention Of Cruelty to Chill
dren.
One Ear to Telephone
And all this time / had one ear
assigned to the duty of watching
the teIephone-under strictest COM
mapd not to depart therefrom until
duly relieved For at any moment
II might receive word that Eileen
was resting so quietly that I could
strike one hundred cold dollars off
the budget. and close the account
of schedule, Eileen. l am an in
different bookkeeper. and il l made
amy wrong entries during that
period of disturbance, or com.
mitted errors of ADDITION or sub
traction, / ask the mercy of the
Recording Angel
If all this had happened forty
or fifty years ago l could have
left Sonny with some obliging
neighbor to be cared for while his
mother was sick. Such an arrange
ment was not uncommon in those
days, I've been told. And I could
have saved Miss Wade's salary,
and reduced my weekly assessment
to hundred and fifty dollars
But nowadays. even relatives con-
slider it somewhat OF an imposition
to flock down and roost on them
so helplessly. My mother would