The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-13
SERIAL STORY
 nDlNE NN A RlIn@ET BY JANET DORIAN
 

dinner"
 "Tt saves 20 cents a day on cream alone Iris" That was Bart, defensive, trifle annoyed. That's $40 a week - almost $73 Q year. And in 20 years it would mean @ good substantial block of paid-up life insurance"
 T never heard of taking food off the table to make insurance premiums, Bart
 "There's your cream, Iris; I haven't taken anything away from our table" And he did not add that he was SIS ahead, for that first week alone. That buying the food for the house, paying cash for it and taking advantage of low-priced bargains was the right idea. If he could win Iris over.
 "Left-overs, hash, cabbage. Cheap food for cheap people. I'd rather work overtime, Bart, and live like civilized people"
 If living far beyond our means means being civilized, Iris, then I'm afraid I misunderstood you when you said we'd manage to get along by pooling our salaries and living on a budget"
 "You were thinking of saving money even then, Bart, weren't youP You married to save the expense of living in a restaurantl You married to better yourself, not because you loved me"
 Tt seems to me if you loved me, Iris, you'd want to help me get ahead"
 "Well, am! What more can you expect?"
 "You might take 1t with little sporting fairness, instead Of acting like a persecuted martyr. Other women cook and keep house and seem to like it."
 "Other women do not work eight hours a day in an office, Bart Whitaker"
 "Ellen Kent does"
 "Ellen,S a miSer She hates to spend money on a wave, even."
 "All right, Ellen's miser, and I'm one too, suppose, by the same yardstick. But I'm still looking after my own expenses and seeing that I get my moneys worth on the money I earn and spend. I'm sorry if you feel badly over it, but 1t happens to be my affair.""
 And in spite of his explanations and argument, Bart remained on the outside edge. He could not make Iris see the right of his belief in the budget book. He could not make her believe an estate was built with dimes, adding up to dollars, to hun dreds, thousands, and finally to snug security. There was today, there was 8 pay check for each of them each week, and they weren't growing any younger.
 There were arguments aplenty, those weeks during which Bart tried to work out some sort of stable adjustment to their finan- cial affairs. Always beginning with petty trifles, they ended up invariably with mountainous is- sues, with old, forgotten hurts and disappointments dragged in, and an overwhelming gulf between them as the summer settled in for a long, hot run and their nerves wore thin with disappoint- ment and defeat
 aBrt wanted Iris to take out some insurance. And endowment life insurance policy was 6 good way for women to protect them selves, and it was thrifty plan to get ahead.
 Life insurance benefits only the survivor, Bart!"
 Endowment insurance pays you $2,000 in IS years, Iris. You could pay down on a small house with that much money, and have the rent rent to invest in more insurance if you wanted to-"
 T can't afford any further ex- pense right now, Bart"
 Good heavens; what do you do with your money, Iris? You're making $25 a week, and you haven't thing to buy"
 Her long, violet eyes licked him curiously and he felt faint twinge of uneasinesS.
 'Is it so astonishoing that I lived my life, earned money and needed it before I married you, Bart?" He flushed in quick irritation, but did not back down.
 "All right then, Iris, what hap pense to the money you used to spend on food and rent?"
 "When you bring home your books from the shop, Bart, and explain the spending of every dime you earn, I'll do the same for you"
 That was the week Bart bought the soap-shaker in the 10-cent store. He had, he told Iris, noticed they used quite lot of soap flakes in the kitchen, and back home his mother had always saved the thin wafers of soap left over and used them in the soap-shaker. It saved quite bit.
 "Use toilet soap to wash dishes, Bart?" Iris challenged incredu- lously.
 "Why not, Iris? If it's fit to