Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01

II firmly on the ground" That was
~ how the girls who worked in the
store with Kitty Marsh thought
and spoke of her. 1t rather sur
prised and puzzled them, therefore, when the
news got about that Kitty going to leave
her well paid job department supervisor to
marry boy who occupied some very minor
position in a real estate Office. He'd make a
swell beau, they agreed. after furtively in
Specting him during his first visit to the store
but why in the name of Samuel and for Pete's
sake was Kitty, with her looks and intelligence,
hooking up with guy who couldn't be pulling
down enough to fill the dimple in her cheek?
She could have millionaire-one of the BOSSES
maybe-if she wanted to. Sure, she could!
Kitty'S reason for marrying Jim Priestley-
naive as it may seem in this age of cynicism-
was because she loved him. The fact that he
was poor did not matter to her in the least;
she was confident that they could pun together
and eventually get somewhere in the world.
A few months later she and Jim emerged
, from a quaint old church in a rosy haze of
happiness. The two weeks honeymoon was
like trip to some companionable and thrilling
fairyland, but perhaps not more thrilling to
Kitty than their ruturn to the diminutive apart
ment they had furnished before leaving town.
Kitty was an adept manager, she did mirac-
ulous things on Jim's $50 week. OF course
she had to do her own work and cooking, but
she liked to keep busy-more particularly when
what she did was for the man who she knew
adored her as much as she did him.
CHORTLY before their first Christmas Kitty
discovered she was going to have a baby.
Jim became more than ever considerate and
affectionate. Through the months that fol-
lowed he waited on her like a slave and did
everything in his power to keep her cheerful
and happy. At last the big day came. There
was a dash in taxi to the hospital. After
fearful hours in an anteroom Jim was told by
nurse that the child was born-a girl. His
wife was fine, he would be able to see her in a
few minutes.
Presently he was bending over Kitty's bed
and forcing back the thankful tears in his
throat. Then the nurse Shoo-ed him out of
the room and took him to see the baby. He
stared at it, almost incredulous at first, but a
moment later he was touching it with trem-
bling hand and grinning. He had hoped for
- girl
With Kitty's return to the apartment life
went along much it had done before, except
that there were three Of them now, and some
times the third made its presence felt and
heard in no uncertain manner. But those were
rare occasions; Kitty managed her child as
ably as she did her house.
After q while Kitty began to think seriously
about the money situation and Jims progress
at the Office. In two years he had got only one
raise.
"Jim." she said one night "how are things
going downtown? Does 1t look if you might
get some sort of promotion soon?"
Hope so. DEAR" he answered, looking up
from his crossword puzzle, "but It's tough
shedding to get singled out in that bunch of
fellows down there"
"Yes-I know" she said "Never mind
keep on plugging away and you're bound to
get break"
AS time went on Kitty gave more and more
thought to Jims future. She had not at
tempted to drive him while there had been just
the two of them-but now there was the baby
to consider. Quite lot of money was going
to be needed later on for her education and SO
forth. And, too, Kitty was ambitious for her
husband; he would not remain clerk on a
salary all his life if she could help it.
But Jim's total lack of effort to do any
thing towards pushing forward troubled her
greatly. He seemed quite content to amble
along as he was, going down to the Office at
q and returning about 6; then sitting about al
night reading papers, doing crossword puzzles
and listening to the radio Kitty felt that
proftably employed
ONE afternoon she sat down and gave her
- self up to a bout of deep reflection. Here
was the situation; Jim had ability and per-
Sonality, but he was not making the most of
them. Gentle hints and words of encourage
gnent had failed to spur him; she would have
TO manage him some other way But how best
to go about it? A direct attack, she feared.
might only succeed in making him stubborn.
TIsswkI. Ii