Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 93: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

IOLET STEELE, in flimsy kimono and Chinese sandals, shuffled in from the kitchenette. Her slender, white hands carried a delicate platter, at the cen- ter of which a single fried egg reposed like a sunlit oasis in a desert of china. Raising it aloft, as Salome did her silver salver with ‘ts terrible cargo, she swirled about the table in graceful imitation of that famous lady’s contortions and placed it before her lord and master with a flourish that caused the sober-minded Oliver to smile in spite of his depression. “Why eggs in the singular?” he asked paradoxically. “Because eggs in the plural are hereafter taboo until you connect with something re- sembling an income.” “ We are not as hard up as all that.” Ollie was amazed at the change in his wife. For the first two years of their mar- ried life she had spent with a hand as prodi- gal as that which scatters feed in a chicken . be 4 ae yard. Their apartment gave evidence of I extravagance. travagance, but her argument was that best things are cheapest That is, he thought it in the long run. Then came the reverse. His comp had smashed up. He was cast on the roc caught with a frightfully small balance. The income had stopped automatically. — They had sold their car! oe a He could have gone to work enough, but Vie refused to let him 2 mere job. Nothing short of a “ busin connection ” worthy his talents and perso: - ality would satisfy her. So they began to stick it out. They had been sti king it out for months. Vie had performed a fin-— ished flipflop. She had “ got” Or y. Instead of keeping her fingers spread wid | apart in matters of money, she now clutche a penny till its imprint was left on h pink palm. Hence the singular egg, t toast without butter, the coffee withouw cream, the water without heat tos , » CL SC PCOTLOL re 79 i — aS