Evening Star Newspaper, September 20, 1931, Page 76

THE SUNDAY ’STAR, | You Don’t Need M éney The Only Thing for the Boy to Do Was _to Prove That the Girl Was Wrong—and He Did. By Berton Braley Llustrated by Dorothy Urfer. HE check was $4.10. Mike waved away the change from a $5 bill. “Nobody loves a piker,” said Myra, “but 50 cents would have been plenty. “Easy come, easy go,” Michael Stark swept his hand through the air with a gesture of distributing regal largesse, “you wouldn’t want to marry a tight-wad.” “If that's an offer,” said Myra Grange, “it doesn’'t tempt me. I'd rather marry a tight- wad than be one.” “It's an offer, as well you know. It’s an offer that has been made some 50 times in the past six months. And now kindly explicate the Mmeaning of the phrase ‘rather marry a tight- wad than be one.’” “You have several major faults, but dumb- ness isn’t one of them. My remark shouldn’t need explanation. But, assuming.a temporary aberration of your mentality, what I insinuate is that the wife of a man. who on a salary of $60 a week tips 90 cents for a $4 check—which is beyond his means anyhow-—such a wife would have to be a tight-wad. If she had any wad at all to be tight with.” “Ah, but married, these $4 meals could be provided for $1.08 in our bright little kitch- enette and served without overhead on the lacquered table of our cozy breakfast nook.” “And where,” queried Myra, “would you find the money to furnish the pots and pans in which to prepare that meal—let alone to buy that lacquered table and the two chairs in which we’d face each other?” “Up-to-date apartments,” Mike countered, “have the lacquered table and the lacquered benches built in.” “I'd love to marry you, Mike,” said Myra. “You're a perfect darling. But you have no money. I don’t mean what is known as Im- portant Money—you simply haven't saved a sou. And I'll bet you're in debt.” “Your diagnosis is almost clairvoyant,” ad- mitted Mike. “But the only way to save money is to make it. And with you as the in- centiv e “You have to.have money to make it,” Myra Insisted. “A nest egg to set under Oppor- tunity.” 11\/OU don’t need money,” Mike asserted. “All you need is brains and energy. Of which I have quantities of whom. t the amount of income on which you would risk matrimony with a thriftless husband like me— your greatest that, my dear. To make money without money »-why, it isn't in the cards and you know it.” Mike started and stared at Myra with a look “But it is in the cards,” he shouted so loud that scores of heads in the restaurant turned to look his way, and the eyes in those scores of heads saw a hitherto normally functioning patron of the restaurant jump from his seat, plunge around the table, kiss his pretty guest on the lips and go hippety hopping out of the to dinner at Pierre’s. “Of course,” said Myra, after giving the diners the feminine once over, and deciding that, after Bouciance that was exhibited by those who paid $185 instead of $35. - “Of course,” said Myra, “you haven't any to bring me here, and you ean't afford it shows in every cent you make and probably borrow —just the same, I'm thrilled. And you look swell.” “And I don’i see anybody else so emolient to the visual faculties as you are,” Mike returned. “As to thrills—watch me order with magnificent disregard of the right-hand side of the menu, and get a genuine kick out of the occasion.” “Mike,” said Myra, with caught breath, “you don’t mean you—you've put it over already? Have you—please—have you——?" “We shall discuss these more or less sordid matters when we have dined and danced,” Mike reproved her. Thus Myra played the good sport and entered into a conference on comestibles and cuisine. She didn’t refer to the subject again during the dinner more than two or three times and perhaps once or twice when they were dancing. Which is practically perfect silence for a girl. But with the coffee she grew insistent. “Answer me this,” said Mike. “Have you had a good time?” “I told you so, it's been — “Well, then, best beloved, treasure it up, because it's the last party I'll be giving you for quite & while.” . “Why—what——?" “This was a sort of double celebration— obsequies for my past job, initiation for my future as soldier of fortune.” “You've lost your job! Oh, Mike!” “In a manner of speaking, I have lost my job. Technically I was even fired, but only by request. Prior to the affixing of the formal can I was offered a raise to0 75 bucks—but I waved it aside for bigger and better opportuni- ties.” “Then you have had a betfer offer.” “In & manner of speaking, yes. I offered myself a better chance and took it. But I am at present out of employment and with only my own invention, ambition, aspiration and brains to carry me upward and onward.” “You mean to say you turned down a raise to $75 and quit your job with no other in WASHINGTON, D. 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