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Show I The Married Life of Helen and Warren 1 i X) TVTABm Originator of "Their Married H j JBy MAtSllL Life." Author of "The Jour- 2 I HERBERT URNER tX?"' ir ' 1 I HELEN RESENTS CARRIE'S EXTRAVAGANT ORDER H I WHEN WARREN IS PAYING THE CHECK jj 1 lg (Copyright, 11)17, hy Llie M'.C'lure Newspaper Syndicate.) '... A I "You know I love to have them when we (line at home," protested Helen. "B u t Carrie knew this was our maid's Thursday off." "Oh, well, they're not in town very ol'len," 1 Warren steered her over the crowded crossing. again," as she glanced about with appraising ap-praising disapproval. "If you didn't think you'd like it why didn't you say .so?" asked Carrie, .sharply, detaching a large Lynnhaven from its shell. "You needn't make us ail uncomfortable by complaining about it now." "An opinion of a public restaurant shouldn't make anyone uncomfortable," uncomforta-ble," retorted Helen stiffly. "It's certainly cer-tainly nothing personal." "Yes,, that's a good location, but it's only a twenty-foot lot and they can't protect the light." The men were talking talk-ing real estate. "I simply loathe a noisy, bangy orchestra or-chestra when I eat," went on Carrie witli aggravating persistency. "To me this is much more restful." Helen refrained from continuing the argument. Somehow Carrie always succeeded in irritating her. They could never be together without clashing. clash-ing. As the dinner progressed, she took refuge in silence. It was useless to try to talk with this feeling of antagonism antag-onism between them. The more she brooded over the probable cost of the dinner, the more she resented Carrie's inconsiderate, extravagant ordering. "Let's see that card again," Warren motioned to the waiter. "Look over the desserts there, Carrie." "Why, dear, it's almost eight now," broke in Helen. "Will we have time for dessert?" "We're not ten minutes from tho station," remarked Carrie coldly, twirling her last stalk of asparagus in the rich Hollandaise. "Oh, then you may have time," hastily, hast-ily, fearing Carrie had divined her real motive. "I'll have pineapple mousse and coffee," cof-fee," calmly. "No, I don't care for anything more." Helen pushed back the card the waiter wait-er proffered her. "Nothing more." Lawrence, too, waved it aside. "Why, don't you want some cheese?" insisted Carrie. "You know you like Camembert." ' "Sure, two Camamberts," Warren gave the order. "And we'll all have coffee." If Carrie was not well, her appetite appe-tite did not betray it. She w'as thoroughly thor-oughly enjoying this expensive dinner for which Lawrence did not have to pay. When the waiter finally laid the check at Warren's elbow, in a swift furtive glance Helen caught the ominous omin-ous total $11.05. Then with studiously studi-ously averted eyes she drew on her gloves. An a la carte meal always ran into alarming figures but $11.65 for that dinner was exorbitant. "Only ten of," announced Carrie, triumphantly tri-umphantly nibbling a pink mint served with the finger bowls. "I told you we had plenty of time." Outside, as they waited for a street car, Lawrence asked cordially : "Now, when are you folks coming out? How about Sunday afternoon?" "I'm afraid we can't make It this month," regretted Warren. "Well, Carrie has to come in next week for a fitting. Friday, isn't it? Why can't you dine with us then?" "Oh, you must," urged Carrie. "The Craigs told us about the dearest little Italian place that I'm wild to try. You sit out in the backyard hung with Japanese lanterns. It's a bit of real bohemia." "Yes, we know of several of these back-yard table d'hotes," remarked Helen icily. "But this is a new one. They've just opened up this season. It's w-ay down near Washington .square I've forgotten the number. Now be sure to keep Friday open," as they started for the car. "We'd love to have you go with us." "Well, they seemed to enjoy it." Warren War-ren turned to buy a paper at the corner cor-ner newsstand. Helen was struggling to keep back the sarcastic comments. Any remarks on the expense of the dinner would only irritate him to a scathing denunciation denun-ciation of her penuriousness. "So we're going with them to a cheap table d'hote next Friday?" This thrust she could not resist. "That's what I suggested but you said Carrie disliked them." "Oh, they're all right once in a while, but I don't think she'd have enjoyed en-joyed it tonight," with entire unconsciousness. uncon-sciousness. "No, probably not since they weren't paying the bill," under her breath. "How's that?" angrily. "Now see here ; cut that line of talk, Lawrence always keeps up his end. He's generous gen-erous to a fault." "I don't know about Lawrence but Currie's certainly not overburdened with generosity," recklessly. "She's not, eh? W"ll, compared to you," with a disdainful snort, "she's a shining example of munificent liber-ulity. liber-ulity. An Automat lunch, five nickels for each guest that's about your idea , of a blowout I" Aiaboi iiuruori UH.B1 '"They'll enjoy a restaurant d i n -Tier. And especially if they're rushed." "Then lei's go to a table d'hote that little French place," thinking of the economy of a moderate, fixed-priced fixed-priced dinner. "No, Carrie's not very well. She'll want, some real food. They suggested suggest-ed meeting at the I'.ilttlorf guqss he'd rather dine there." It was like Carrie, thought nolen Tosontfully, to suggest the newest iinil most ultra-expensive hotel restaurant res-taurant since she was not paying the check. "Why, I thought she liked those Bohemian table d'hotes," persistently. persistent-ly. "Last winter they took us to Poreito's only sixty cents with wine, wasn't It?" "Well, we're not going to any du-hious du-hious table d'hote tonight," with conviction, con-viction, as they approached the awn-ingod awn-ingod entrance to the liiltdorf. Through the crowded lobby they passed on to the writing room, -where Warren's sister and her hus-hand hus-hand were waiting. In spite of her long day's shopping, Carrie looked fresh and well groomed in a trim suit of dark blue taffeta. "Where're we going to eat?" asked Warren after the first greetings. "Want to try it here?" "Yes, this is near the station," acceded ac-ceded Carrie, promptly. "We have to get tho 8 :10." Deciding against the main dining room as too formal, they made their way down to the grill. Apparently It was too early for the grillroom patrons, pa-trons, for only a few tables were taken. tak-en. The severely plain cellar-like effect ef-fect was most cheerless. The gray cement walls and high reflected lights had the chill bareness of a subway station. "Don't look very lively," admitted Warren. "Where shall we sit?" "It's a little early, sir," apologized the head waiter as he drew out their chairs. "We don't begin to fill up till after seven." The hovering omnibus ladled ice Into the glasses, brought on the napkin-covered tilnner rolls and the thin curls of unsalted butter. "See anything there that strikes you?" demanded Warren, when they wore all supplied with menus. "How about clams?" "I'd rather have oysters," Carrie suggested. "But I suppose they're not good now no 'B.' in this month." "Oh, they'll be all right here. Lynn-havens?" Lynn-havens?" Lawrence ordered a clam cocktail and Helen, after a swift comparison of the prices, plain clams. "Anything but chicken we get nothing noth-ing else at home," objected Carrie, when Warren suggested broiled chicken. chick-en. "What's this 'steak a la Biltdorf ?' " "That's with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. It's very nice, ma'am," ventured the waiter. "Very well ; I'll have that." "Steak a la Biltdorf" wa"s $1.50 a single portion, noticed Helen with growing resentment. Lawrence's preference pref-erence was more moderate creamed sweetbreads. Warren ordered an English Eng-lish mutton chop, and Helen broiled sea bass the cheapest of the entrees. "Now how about vegetables?" Carrie promptly ordered potatoes au gratin and asparagus Hollandaise. Though usually adept at keeping down the cost of a dinner, Helen, knowing her shrewd sister-in-law would be quick to see through any suggestions of more moderate-priced moderate-priced dishes, was forced to sit helpless help-less while they gave the order with extravagant disregard of prices. Even the mollifying effect of a dry Martini did not lessen her resentment or put her in a more hospitable mood, j But, fortunately there would be no dessert, she reflected with grim satisfaction. If they took the 8:10, they would not have time for either salad or dessert. "No music here?'' asked Lawrence, dipping a clam in the cocktail sauce. "That's what I was wondering. The prices are high enough for some entertainment," en-tertainment," observed Helen critically. criti-cally. "You're supposed to come here for food," shrugged Warren. "They claim they've got the best chef In New York." Hut Helen thought of the many attractive at-tractive restaurants with music and oibarrt. Here the prices were exorbitant, exorbi-tant, and they gave nothing for it. The low-ceilinged, eelUir-like atmos-ihere atmos-ihere was positively gloomy. "Well, I shouldn't care to come here |