The Coolidge examiner., 1932-02-05
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PAY DAY
By AMY CAMPBELL

4 envelope in his pocket, Dick
Howard had a sense of depression
that he hated to 60 inside and face
the eXhilerated mood of his wife.
She was always elated on pay days,
ready for some new adventure in
spending.
To have been married year and
half, with a baby one month old,
and not to have been able to save
more than paltry sum from his
fairly good wages, seemed over
whelming tragedy. Most of what
they saved had gone to pay the hos
pital bill. The doctor was yet to
be heard from.
Dick couldn't see how he was so
stupid as to turn over nearly every
cent to Mae from the beginning.
He had given her the credit Of be-
ing able to manage well. He was
still terribly in love with her and
as for the baby-well, nothing was
too good for the little fellow.
That was the worst of this never
getting anywhere. There was the
baby's future TO consider. He ought
to have the best. Especially in edu-
cation. Dick felt ugly with himself
for being so soft in acceding to
Macs demands for money. He had
never once protested and Mae had
taken it all for granted that she
could have almost anything she
wanted.
He had got so sick of hearing
her mention over all the things she
would do the minute money was in
her hands. He had never once
heard her say the wOrd--save. If
she had it would have been differ
ent. Then they could talk things
over.
He hated to spoil the kids fun.
She was lovely in her excitement
of getting things together in the
house. She must be enmeshed with
different deferred payments for
various things. He couldn't see
how she could be so weak as to
fall for that dollar-down stuff. But
he hadn't the heart so far to damp
en- his enthusiasm.
Not that he didn't want TO spend
He told himself he got as much
kick as the next one out of throw
ing money for a little bit of fun.
But Mae was surely hyped on this
installment buying. He wondered
where it would bring them if she
didn't ease up.
Suddenly he thought of the alb
surdity of his acceptance of her ex-
travagance. He saw them in debt
which they could never meet. If
he had any stuff in him at all he'd
tell her. He'd tell her tonight when
he handed over the pay. He'd be
kind about it but wise and firm.
He'd treat her like a fine little. kid
that just needed advice.
He felt kind of sick about at
tempting it as he opened the door
and called his usual "Hi, you two"
"Oh, Dick, I've hardly been able
to wait to tell you what we've got.
Baby and l. You know you said
you wanted him to have a good edu-
cation. Well. he's going to begin
right here at home first with his
own lovely library. Look"
She led the way to the living
room and displayed the beginning
of a group of knowledge volumes
for a child from babyhood tot
looked to Dick, like old age. She
leaped upon pages with her fingers
and pointed excitedly TO certain
items which attracted her eye.
A slow fury came over Dick. He
looked at the baby asleep in the
new buggy, and at Mae with her
eyes gloating over this new pur-
chase that was to enchain them
with new obligations. He tight
ened his fists to keep them from
gripping her shoulders. He felt he
could shake and shake her into
sensibility with a more keen de-
light than he had ever known in
either kissing or loving her.
But when she went over to the
baby, cooling above him, calling
back that she had had the money
for the down payment so she
thought it was a splendid thing to
get the books, he took a quick step
toward them.
"And so you had to get into more
debt, didn't you?" he glowered
above her as she bent to pick up
his son.
"And now" she continued, with
out looking at Dick, without seem
ingly to have heard him, ''its time,
Sonny, to tell your Daddy our sur
prise for him-how busy you and l
have been trying to spend the pre-
cious money he works so hard for.
Even with all the things we've
saved lot more than the doctors
bill which came today. We can
pay it and clean up most of our
debts and start a bank account for
Sonny and some time mavhe VOL