The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1932-03-18
PAY DAY
By AMY CAMPBELL

GO by Mcclure Newspaper gyndicatel
(WNU Seryice)
a s he neared home with his pay
| envelope In his pocket, Dick How
! ard had sense OF depression that he
hated to go inside and face the ex-
| liberated mood of his wife. She was
always elated on pay days. ready for
some new adventure In spending.
| To have been married year and a
half, with baby one month old, and
not to have been able to save more
than paltry sum from his fairly
good wages, seemed Overwhelming
tragedy. Most Of what they saved
had gone to pay the hospital bill. The
doctor was yet to be heared 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 being able
to manage well. He was still terribly
In love with her and as for the baby
well, nothing was too good for the lit.
| tie fellow.
| That was the worst Of this never
/
baby's future to consider. He ought
to have the best. Especially In educa-
tion. Dick felt ugly with himself for
being SO soft in acceding to Macs de.
mands 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. II she had 1t would have
been different. Then they could talk
| things over.
| He hated to spoil the kids fun. She
was lovely in her excitement Of get.
ting things together In the house. She
must be enmeshed with different de-
| ferred payments for various things.
He couldn't see how she could be so
weak as to fall for that dollar-down
stun. But he hadn't the heart 10 far
to dampen her enthusiasm.
Not that he didn't want to spend
He told himself he got as much kick
as the next one out of throwing money
for little fun or specs But Mae was
surely hyped on this installment buy
ing. He wondered where 1t would
bring them II she didn't ease up.
Suddenly he thought OF the absurd.
ity of his acceptance Of her extrava.
gance. 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 1t but
wise and firm. He'd treat her like a
fine little kid that just needed advice.
He felt kind of sick about attempting
| 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 I. You know you said you wanted
him to have a good education. Well
he's going to begin right here at home
first with his own lovely library
| Look"
She led the way to the living rooms
|
group Of knowledge volumes for q
child from babyhood tot looked to
Dick like old age. She leaped upon
pages with her fingers and pointed ex-
| citedly to certain items which attract.
ed her eye.
A slow fury came over Dick. He
looked at the baby asleep In the new
buggy, and at Mae with her eyes gloat.
ing over this new purchase that was
to enchain them with new obligations
He tightened his fists to keep them
from gripping her shoulders. He felt
he could shake and shake her into
sensibility with a more keen delight
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 1t wa.
splendid thing to get the books, ht
took a quick step toward them.
'And so you had to get into more
debt, didn't you?" he glowered above
| itl us SiC DShl W pin uP hAS oOls
"And now." she continued, withou
looking at Dick, without seemingly tt
have heard him, ats time, Sonny, t
tell your Daddy cur surprise for him
how busy you and have been trying
to spend the precious money he works
so hard for Even with all the thing:
we've saved lot more than the doc
tors bill which came today. We car
pay IT and clean up most Of our debt.
and start q bank account for Sonn!
and some time maybe We'll put oul
rent into buying house for us all
won't WEI"
She looked at Dick, yeritable glow
about her.
"Why, you're all tired out and white
Bet you're hungry. But aren't 20.
proud of us. uh?"
He held her as II forever. the bab.
between them.
Proud? I'll show you. I've go
something to work for. Something to-
good for plug like me"
|