The Washington times., 1934-09-08

little extra, don't you think?"
Homer Alspaugh locke Cd
harassed. "It's terrible the way
expenses are piling up right now,
Marian" he complained. "I was
glad enough to join the Country
Club, but it costs a good deal.
Then you had to take over the
Holbrook's car. How much do you
figure you'll need for a dressP"
"Only two hundred and fifty
dollars. -" On his Mortified and
indignant gasp she pursued
hastily, II want you to look on it
as an investment, darling. It's
perfectly true I've never spent half
that on an evening dress before.
But we're getting into a different
crowd now, where the women
spend suc| amounts right along.
It's bound to help you in busi-
ness, to have your wife keep her
end up. Most men in your posi-
ton give their wives jewelry, and,
Of course, If I had a diamond
necklace or a string Of pearls,
could wear any old rag and get
away with it.
II always have thought it funny
you couldn't get me a necklace,
Homer. Even Dorothy Holbrook
has one. You needn't look at me
like that, I'm not asking you for
pearl necklace. Mercy, I know
an ordinary string Of Oriental
pearls costs at least five thousand
dollars! All I'm asking for is q
decent little evening dress that
shall wear again and again, and
that only costs two ffty!" She
made the figure sound like two
dollars and fifty cents, by her dis
dainful utterance.
you're not going to get til"
Alspaugh delared with the defen-
sive vehemence Of panic.
Marian changed her tactics,
came and sat on the arm of his
chair and petted him, talked baby
talk to him in melting accents.
Today d'Ahues was coming to
Long Island, and she was to meet
him at the station in the new car,
She had been out only twice in
the new car, and she felt elated
and self-important as she slid be.
hind the wheel, turned on the
switch, pushed q button with her
finger instead Of stepping on q
starter. The obvious newness OF
the car, the expensive look of the
interior, with its distinguished up.
holstery and many gadgets, the
imposing row Of indicators stretch
ing across the dashboard - all
these pleased her.
DAlhues' eyes bulged as he
climbed in beside her. He knew
fine cars and was not abreast Of
recent American developments by
which the highest quality is at
tanned at medium prices. So, his
little dove was actually a very
rich little dove. He had suspected
this before but now he accepted
it as a fact.
She was madly exhilarated by
the cars speed and the pres
ence of the man beside her.
The concrete road ran between
the golf links and the silver
sparkle OF the water. The day
was just on the verge of being
too hot for comfortable driving,
but the air here was fresher
than inland. Marian's foot in
its narrow white buckskin shoe
pressed the accelerator closer
and closer to the floor.
She slowed a little, measuring
the road before her; too narrow
for turning, and too frequented
for a petting halt. There were
even regulations forbidding you
to park. Suddenly, at the right,
a dirt road she hadn't remem.
bered, opened off. Marian was
almost abreast of it when she
saw it, but with quick decision
she spun the wheel. She would
run down there a few yards, get
well over to one side and forget
the world in d'Alhues'S arms.
So she planned, but in a flash,
the world, the sun, everything
slid out Of her consciousness.
Her turn was too short, the
car moving too fast to make
it. The front wheels ded
straight for a telegraph pole.
Screaming, she frantic ally
twisted the wheel, then released
it and in panic flattened her
self against d'AlhueS.
In the fraction of a second be-
fore the crash, he wrenched at the
door, which opening as the car
Side-sWiped the pole, spilled out
the man and woman. With little
of its momentum spent, the car
plunged on to complete Wreckage.
Before he left home in the morn
ing Alspaugh had given his wife q
check depicting by two hundred
and fifty dollars a bank balance
that already looked little sick.
His life insurance premium was
due and there were mortgage in
terest and amortization payments
to be met. Then there were a lot
Of pressing bills-the Alspaughs
hardly ever did better than to
pay something on account on their
bills for living expenses and for
clothes. The bootlegger had to
be paid promptly.
In the intervals Of his morn.
ing's work, Homer jotted down
figures on a piece Of paper and
looked at them sourly. He had
been all kinds Of fool to give