The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-30

she tells me I ought to send you
a wedding present, and she said
silver would 3e about right. Have
you got a pattern?"
Did she have a pattern? The
catalogues she'd poured over in
the dull nights at the library when
she made up dreams about her
self and Edward!
81 sort Of thought-it's called
Venetian. But I'm afraid it's
rather expensive. But perhaps
one Of the odd forks"
"A pickle fork, perhaps" he
said. I'LL See."
She went home bursting with
her news and when she got there
Edward was up in the sky with an
$50 commission.
Sunday morning they had their
first meal in their own home. 1t
was a marvellous meal, too. Marie
hadn't watched her mother-in.law
get breakfast every morning for
nearly six months for nothing.
This is the life," he said
stretching, having another Gig
arctic. Our own place"
You really like it," she asked
for at least the fifteenth time.
TITS perfect" he said, honestly.
II can't believe it! I can't be-
lieve it al belongs to us!"
IT can," he said. 1T seems per-
fectly natural already. I don't
know why we didn't do this long
ago. I don't know why l didn't
get into this real estate racket
long ago. It's the thing for me.
With my contacts, the associa'
lions I've built up"
Wouldn't you rather go up to
Humboldt? We can in q few
months if we save"
well, of course that's real ca.
reer. But it takes money, and
later on we may do it. For the
present this is pretty SWELL"
There's one thing we lack" he
said, "a radio. And a car. I feel
like q ninny cumming rides over
to the property, not having a Gar
of my own. What do you say that
put down on one, out Of this $50?
You could carry on the expenses
for a couple of weeks if worse
comes to worse, and if I don't sell
another lot next week, why. !
will the week after.
Lets get it," she said.
Out in the kitchen she thought
again Of their leave-taking.
When the final moment came
Marie said: we'll won't say
goodbye, because we're living sc
close--and I'll be seeing you on the
boat, Pop"
Edward stopped and kissed his
mother, awkwardly. There were
few oaresses in the Wilson family;
they were all self-consciouS about
it.
To shut out the memories she
sang a little song as she washed
her own dishes in her own diShpan
in her own kitchen.
When did trouble first creep
into the peace of their $40-a-month
Eden? Looking back at it after
wards, Marie could never be sure,
and as for Edward-Edward would
never say.
It was about that time that
she suggested they might as well
eat out. Nearly all the married
girls she'd met said they always
ate out. Several suggested tea
rooms where perfectly delicious
meals could be had for from IS
to so cents.
For some reason he was upset
about the chest of silver that
Flo and Walt Carson sent for a
wedding present.
He said it wasn't the kind of
a present that you expect to get
from an employer, especially when
you've been married six months
and never had real wedding any
way.
She said, still in the same small
shocked voice. walt is married."
II know he's married. But how
much does that mean to him? Oh,
I'm not criticizing you, Marie. I
know you don't mean any harm,
but I'm not so sure about him.
Why isn't he living with his wife?
What's he doing up here, while
she's down south? If he thinks so
much Of her. why doesn't he send
for her?"
Well, she tried to forget 1t.
But every time she picked up
one OF her beautiful wedding pres
ent teaspoons to stir her coffee in
the morning, she thought of it.
She had told Walt the pattern she
liked. She had started it.
Everyone who knew Walt knew
that he never did things like other
people. He'd always had lots of
money to spend and he'd always
delighted in spending it.
The car was another thing. It
was fun to ride in it in the eve
nings, but it really wasn't the sort
Of car they could afford to own.
1t was cheap enough to buy but
look what it cost to keep it in gas!
And as for oil, it never had
enough.
All Ed could think OF was that
1t was a swell looking job" He
charged the oil and gas and the
Wilson's were all alike, anything
they charged they thought Of as
free. He was always surprised and
momentarily angered when the
bill came in. And he never thought
Of what it was costing him and
the $35 payment that would have
to be made on the first of the
month.
Tho fi,s& - Tell, +I,ov,SJ o,o,.