The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-09
CHAPTER H


 Drowned face was so serious, his brown eyes so intent as he figured on the back of the old envelope. Watching him, Iris felt a curious maternal pity tugging at her heart. He took all this so seriously, he waslso sure that arithme- tic was the solution to hap piness. While almost any girl could tell you it had nothing to do with real hap piness.
 "What you'll save on your clothes alone, will be a big start, honey" Bart said, after studying the oracle of his arithmetic soberly. Iris said nothing.
 She didn't tell him that it was no saving because she had purchased the suit for no other reason than this. And-it wasn't paid for yet!
 There's the rent and upkeep for one apartment, Bart" Iris volun- teered faintly He looked up at her ana grinned. Whatever rent we'd pay, will be saving
 And eating at home, to say nothing of good home cooking" Bart added fervently. Come. to think of it, we've been saps to be afraid of this for so long, honey. Way, the way I figured it, we'll be myaey ahead, being married. No hiyh-priced restaurant meals, no indigestion, only one place to keep up, and being together as we'll"
 "You1l take me out to dinner now and then, Bart Whitaker, or nj step out with the professor of natural hiStory?"
 He grasped her slender wrists in warm strong fingers and pulled her down close.
 Dear" he said humbly, T want you to be happy, I don't want you ever to have to worry ard scrimp and do without the way other wives do. It's because I love you so, Iris, that I've been afraid. Afraid it would be selfish ness to ask you to marry me, knowing the hard road we'd have ahead"
 "If you love me" Iris whispered softly. With smothered endear- ment he crushed her to him.
 Dear, dearest dear" he whis- pered unsteadily, "You know that. You know I love you, I'm half crazy with loving you ITS, why wait any longer? Why not be married now we can have honeymoon after school closes, and we have our vacations. Now we've waited too long as it is, dear"
 of course" Iris agreed prac- tically. Hadn't she known the suit would do this? After trying every thing else and failing. an $50 powder blue wool gabardine suit brought about the miracle. That, and a comfortable lounge chair, smoking stand, and good SUD- per. It just proved how sound those old-fashioned notions were!
 And you won't mind waiting till summer for our honeymoon, dear?" Bart urged tenderly. Against the rough wool of his coat, Iris shook her head.
 Mind? She'd a hundred times rather wait until summer for a honeymoon. By then, she'd have to have new summer clothes; by then she'd have Bart persuaded out of his queer obsession against clothes money expenditure. It was just a matter of time.
 They were ten minutes late to the movie, and had to stay over because, as Iris said, she didn't care about newSreels, or comedies, but she did love Myrna Loy.
 "She has the best clothes sense of any star in Hollywood, Bart Iris explained, nobody else can touch her."
 Good sound sense, too" Bart agreed, still in the roseate glow of a man newly engaged, newly pledged to marry within five days, if the law approved their license application. Wears plain duds. Suits = like that one you've got on, honey. Plain little things that don't cost much"
 Iris was glad of the friendly darkness of the theater as they sat down. Not that Bart would guess how much her suits cost, or any of her clothes for that matter, from her face. Only-well, she vas glad it was dark in the theater. Some catty woman might smile sarcastically, and warn Bart; someone might litter, after looking at the obviously expen- sively tailored suit.
 In the day that followed, Iris was beset with a hundred issues. She had to buy new lingerie, new pajamas and @ chenille robe, and