The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-19
CHAPTER XIX

CHAPTER XIX
ID ERTIE LOU awoke one winter
| ID morning with a headache. 1t
was not unusual for her these days
to open her eyes when the alarm
clock sounded it's dreaded call and
close them quickly on a flash OF
pain.
She was very tired. Rod had Of
fered to go out for a cup OF coffee
at restaurant, but BERTHE Lou was
sticking to her bargain.
She had said, when they moved
into an apartment with higher rent
than they could afford, that she
would be very thrifty.
Time and again Rod had urged
her to have a cleaning woman come
in at least once week and scrub
for her.
But that would be 81 and the
woman's carfare and lunch. And
81 would buy tea for Lila and Molly.
BERTHE Lou grimaced with pain as
she lifted her head from the pill
low. Rod was still asleep. She left
the bed quietly and stole into the
bathroom for an icy shower.
She seldom had this chance be-
fore breakfast as the usual order
of their little household was for
Rod to jump hurriedly into his slip
pers and dash for the bathroom
while BERTHE Lou dived into a morn
ing dress and contented herself
with a face bath.
Of late Rod had oversight a few
times, and BERTHE Lou had got a
moment under the shower before
she called him. 1t helped her head
little, and dispelled her lassitude,
at least for a while.
But the mornings housework
brought it back. And by afternoon,
when she went to a matinee, or tea,
or bridge, she was often almost faint
with fatigue.
She'd have been Mortified, though,
if any one had told her that she
needed more nourishing food.
Rest, she recognized, would have
been a blessing, but she was satisfied
to go from an orange at breakfast
time until dinner on the refresh
ments that were served at the So
cial affairs she attended.
And, more often than not, her
dinner was too frugal to be properly
nourishing.
For Rod and BERTHE Lou had come
to a queer pass. Living in a
nice apartment, charmingly fur
nished, and hob-nobbing with
wealthy people, nevertheless they
were starved.
BERTHE Lou was cutting and cut
ting on her household expenses.
Drudging and Shaving. Pressing
Rods clothes. washing all but The
heaviest pieces Of laundry, mend
ing, cleaning and repairing until
she actually despised the sight of
| her sewing basket.
Rod said it was insane. BERTHE
Lou said she didn't see what else
they could do. Surely Tom would
give him an increase in salary soon.
He ought to be able to see how
badly they needed it.
Put he doesn't see," Rod argued.
"You always look like a million
dollars, BERTHE Lou. I can't GO to
him and ask for more money when
you give him the impression of
having spent my entire salary on
clothes.
"And don't forget that We throw
him and Molly swell dinner here
now and then which makes my
salary seem like a sweet suff1ciency
to him. You've sure turned out to
be good cook, honey, when there S
anything to cook" he added with a
Wry smile.
And BERTHE Lou had replied that
they must keep on. 1t would be a
waste OF all their sacrifices to give
up now and admit that they couldn't
make the grade.
What grader" Rod had wanted
to know. Then BERTHE Lou would
go over it again, patiently and hope
lessly. Some day something would
come from associating with the
right people, she declared. And any
how, he knew she couldn't cut away
from Molly and Lila.
Hadn't she tried hard enough
when Lila and Cyrus came back
from Florida? She'd refused and re-
fused. But Lila had so much money
to spend, it was joke to her when
BERTHE Lou even thought of trying tc
repay the hospitality she insisted
upon extending to her friend. Fol
BERTHE Lou and Lila we're friends.
So BERTHE Lou occasionally gave
luncheons and bridge parties in hel
own small home, and worked dog
gedly for two or three days in ad-
| vance to prepare dainties and make