The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-15

you wouldn't torture yourself all the time conjuring up catastrophes that never happen. They make a lame excuse for the way you choose to dress"
 The sultry thunder-showery air outside became a sissy imitation to the brittle, cracking temper Iris exuded from then on.
 So Bart capitulated. He bought pair of gray flannel slacks at Nothrum's, the poor working mans department store, of Railroad Square, out of the high rent dis ! trict. He bought a shirt to go with the trousers and had the jacket to his blue suit cleaned. It made a fairly passable outfit except for the fact that wearing the garments every time they went anywhere an- noyed Iris even more than the mo- new-suit crisis had.
 Everyone thinks it is all you own, Bart" she said irritably.
 "Who wants them to think any, thing different? Whats wrong with having only one dress outfit, Iris? i At least I own this"
 'That gray suit would have given you four ensembles, Bart! Changing coats and trousers with your blue suit"
 Look, honey, I'm not buying that suit. Now forget 1t, will you? You don't know anything about business, and do. So let me man. age this"
 Iris did. She decided it was toe hot to eat. Too hot to cook or pre- pare meals, either. And of course it was. The July heat was the breath of blast furnace and the girls staying on in the deans of- flee that summer were all glac his wife had held out for the cruise Things were bad enough, with the heat wilting everyone, without the dean fussing over everything, scold- ing, questioning, protesting through each day.
 q could die," Iris murmured lying flat across her small maple twin bed with only a f1lny printed dimity negligee over her lingerie 1T never want to think of food again"
 "IIl see if I can collect the mak- ings of salad, Iris. You rest" She grinned, when he left the room There wasn't so much as enough tc feed chickadee in the refrigerator She had looked, putting away the breakfast things. There were nc crackers, and only the skinned re- mainder of the quart of milk. Nol was there any bread.
 Bart came back into the bed room a while later, and sat down in the chintz chair. His lean dark face glistened with precipitation, and his tie hung over the dresser, his collar open at the throat. His cuffs were folded back fiat in neat folds to his elbows. The dark wavy hail lay sleek and moist, now, under the siege of breathless heat and he sat quite still by the open window, look ing out. Waiting for a breath of air stirring that never came. Look, honey, this working and keeping house is too much for you, he began diffldently, T didn't count ! on you working all summer long thought when you said the dean was going away on the trip, that you'd be able to rest through the hot months"
 I'm all right, Bart. It's trying to do all the cooking and cleaning that gets me down. I'll be all right when it's cooler"
 Why don't you give up your job and just keep house, Iris? Wed manage. With the budget, we get by for SIP on our food, and rent is only $8 each week. That leaves $30-"
 T couldn't quit my job if I wanted to Bart, so forget it please. ?
 You haven't signed a contract have you, Iris?"
 No; I can't quit, though" You'd get to love it, honey; you'd have time on your hands after a while. When you got things down to a system. And thered be none of this coming home to an empty pantry and a bare table nights" "I'll get your supper, Bart, ] thought you weren't hungry, either. don't see how anyone can want to eat much in heat like this" And as she lanked out a printed linen dress and matching sandals, Be- lieve me, if I had the money, I'd go out somewhere to eat in weather like this. No food to smell cooking, no dishes to wash, no cleaning up.
 %. K. We'll eat out"
 "No!" Iris insisted stubbornly, q know what that means. You'll hate every mouthful eat. You you hate taking me to dinner. You never do any more. Because you'd rather save the money"