The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-01-06
A Break for Julia
By SMITH JOHNSON

~ wait till IL o'clock lunch hour,
! so eager was she to show her friend
Julia Winter her new ring
It's lovely" praised Julia. 81 do
| hope you and Leslie will be very,
very happy" she added, wistfully.
81 hope so, too" retorted Char
, lotte. "And l guess we will be, for
Les seems willing to give me any
thing I ask for Lucky for him that
he works in a store and can get
good break on the sort of stuff l
want.
Where will you liver" inquired
Julia. .
"Out on Park terrace"
aren't the rents awfully high in
that district?' exclaimed Julia.
ooh, yes" cheerfully admitted
Charlotte. "But we only live once,
tell Les, so we're getting the very
best of everything"
'tIt sounds wonderful" sighed
Julia.
"I'n say it's wonderful" agreed
Charlotte. "All that swell stuff for
only $25 down, and he didn't really
have to pay that, for the store is
giving him credit for the twenty-five
as wedding present, so he took the
fifty he saved and made the down
payment on my ring"
"Oh!" gasped Julia, aghast at the
thought of the size of the debts in
proportion to the size of Leslie's in
come.
"That's what l get for having a
sweetie who is salesman"
''Want a nice willow rocker for
your hope chest?" called the fore
man of the warehouse, as the tall,
cheerful-looking truck driver passed
the Office door.
whats wrong with it?" replied
the younger man.
paint got scratched off in uncrat-.
ing and the party that ordered it.
claims the color can't be matched.
We settled with her for S. CASH
and we don't want the rocker"
"Store it for me?" grinned the
tall chap in tan.
"You bet" cheerfully agreed the
foreman. "Put it right in with the
rest of your junk. And while you're
in the mood to spend money, better
take look at the table over by No.
Is. Make you nice dining table
when you've got the top done over,
and it won't cost much since the
party that owns it hasn't got room
for it and won't pay storage any
longer"
In the warehouse Pete's bargain
hunting had become a standing Joke.
But it was a kindly joke that the
men enjoyed, for Pete MacElroy
was popular and the men all knew
that the young chaps purse was
| strained to the utmost with helping
put three younger brothers and Sis
tiers through school and at the same
time saving to marry Julia Winter.
"Iu wait" Julia had bravely
promised.
Sunday afternoons when Peter and
Julia walked in the park or took a
bus ride or went to a cheap movie
they talked, as lovers will, of the
time they would be living in a
home of their own" with garden
and a radio and an open fireplace.
And then sorrowful silence would
come between them.
Peter and Julia were the first
guests to be entertained at the Park
terrace apartment. Proudly Char
lotte displayed her new treasures.
Silk draperies, silk bedspreads,
handsome glassware, china and
rugs, stunning furniture.
Honestly, Julia, l wish you could
clear out of that stuffy hall bedroom
before the hot weather comes"
whispered Charlotte as she kissed
her chum goodnight.
Going home on the bus Peter and
Julia were strangely quiet, yet when
they reached Julia's rooming-house
Peter said, Lets sit on the porch
while and talk"
Nervously the young chap clasped
and unclasped his big hands, cleared
his throat and exclaimed abruptly,
Honestly, Julia, there isn't a bit
of sense in going on this way. We
are just eating out our hearts. And
at the rate I'm getting on we'll both
be gray-haired before l can give YOU
more than about two rooms to live
in"
Julia's poor heart almost stopped
beating. Yet she did not blame
Peter for wanting to stop pinching
pennies to save for a home after
spending most of his wages for his
brothers and sisters.
Bravely Julia winked back the
tears which filed her brown eyes.
She tried to speak, to tell Peter
that he was free-to offer to give
back to him the inexpensive little
ring he had given her two Christ
masses before.
But the words choked her.
Anxiously Peter peered down into
her face. Tensely his firm, tanned
fingers closed over Julia's trembling
hands as he said, "How about it.
sweetheart? Are you game to start
homemaking with me in lust two
rooms? I've some odds and ende ~