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Show fr certainly Is a shorac we can't afford to go op to Smart Sot Beach this summer. Homer," remarked Mrs. Justwed. And It 6hou!d bo noted that hop effusion was a remark, not a complaint at least Mrs. J, meant It as such), "It will be the first summer i've rulssod there lu five years," she continued. In the same tone. "I know, though, wo can't afford It. so I've been looking around for another place." "numph!" was Mr. J.'s noncommittal reply, "Yes. Indeed." Mrs. Justwed went on. "you hove, no Idea bow hard I bare tried to And a place." "Aren't you a trifle previous, Blossom?" Inquired Mr. J. "Not at all, Flomcr: not at oil. The. trouble with most people Is that they put off planning for their Tacotlon, en-gaging en-gaging their board and rooms, etc., nntll the last mlnnte, when tho rush Is on and the hotel proprietor have them at their than another Just because It cost them a pretty penny to gr-t there. I have fully made op my mlud ou the subject. Of course, though, niosH,-m. If you care to go soruewhert-s I am perfectly willing to remain here and enjoy my rest " "Oh, no. Homer. I wouldn't thlok of doing that. If you want to stay here. It suits me ol right, nut I do wish you'd look over Just a few of these booklets and see what remarkably reasonable rutts they offer." '"No, Indeed, Blossom." Mr J. protested, protest-ed, "no Indeed! It will simply make yon dissatisfied. Resides. I must finish reading read-ing my paper." An hour later Mrs. Justwed camt) Into tho room carrying a thlk envelope. "I am so sorry, Homer, dear," she explained, ex-plained, "this package- came for you lo the afternoon mail. I don't know how I overlooked It. It seems to bo from ono of the hotels In Maine." Mr. J. took the package and opened It slowly. "Hum-m-m," be mnsed, "so It Is, so It Is. From P.lll Thompson, you know or, rather, he wrote to several hosteliies In Mnlne, around Moosebend Lake, and told tbem to mnll booklets to me. lie's going to spend his vacation there and wants us to come along. I told hlro what an absurd extravagance It la and declined with thanks. But he said be'd bave them snut, anyway, as he wants mo to see what no Ider place It Is." "But that Is so frightfully expensive, Elomer," Mrs. J. explained, "surely you wouldn't think of going there!" "Well. I should say not:" Mr. Justwed retorted Instantly and determinedly. "Of course Dot! I'm Just going to tako a look at them, though, to see what they offer." Two hours later, Mrs. Ju9twed called to him for tbe third time that it was after 12 o'clock and time to retire; but Mr. J. was fairly burled In booklets up to bis neck lu tbe next room. He bad evidently fouud the scenery most delightful or tho colored sketches most artistic. the hotels." "Very well, Uomer," Mrs. Justwed as-seated, as-seated, quite frigidly, "you may tell rno of this perfectly lusa of this plan of yours." Mr. J. knocked the ash off his cigar and regarded the burning end for n minute thoughtfully, Intensely, as one who Is weighing well Lis words beforo letting tbem fall. "You see. Blossom," ho began, "this thing of rushing off to an expensive watering wa-tering placo for a vacation, spending every cent you can lay your hands on. being on the go morning, noon and night, nnd then coming back to the city tired and fugged and worn out, Isn't a rest and a vocation at nil. Half of the people do It Just because the other half lead tbo way. Rut I've mode up my mind that It Is all tommyrot and tbl3 year I'm going to stay at Lome and get real rest A stav-at-bomo vacation Isn't a dull affair at oil and " "Oh, it Isn't, Isn't It!" pot In Mrs. J., real sarcastically. "On the contrary," continued Mr. Jostled. Jost-led. Ignoring the Interruption, "It can be made most enjoyable. Go away, and you'ro packed In one little, two-by four room nnd you live In a trunk; stay ot home, and ycu have the wbolo flat to roam about In. Get tied up st a summer resort, and there's always some fool planning plan-ning something for 'the crowd' to get all bet up over nnd hike utrolghtway after; repose In your own llttlo homo and you coo do Just as you pleaso without having one eyo open as to what tho old gossips ou the veranda ore going to cackle about It. Take a little trip out from tbe city every evening, or every other day and there you are. Blenty of out-of doors exercise, ex-ercise, pleuty of sleep, plenty ot rest and freedom, and all In your own homo minus that Indescribable feeling of dreud you have at a resort botel every time you ask tho clerk for your mall or tbo key to your room." "Won't you find It rather warm In town?" Mrs. Justwed suggested, quite mildly. "Not at all. not nt all!" Mr. J. replied, quickly, "tbls buslne?s of trying to run away from the heat Is all nonsense, aoy-woy. aoy-woy. It Is hot everywhere In summer. And most people iblnk ono place Is cooler mercy. Now. I've been looking around but everything Is so frightfully high I hare one or two places In mind, though, that I think will bo within reach of our pocketbook." And forthwith Mrs, J. opened tho drawer In her escritoire and drew forth a lirge buodle. Mr. J. laid aside his evening paper and sat up. Mrs. J. untied tho package nnd a perfect per-fect stream of summer botel booklets poured forth. Mr. J. smiled quite a superior smile. "Where did you get oil those?" ho nsked. In the tone that one uses when be Is amused nt tbo antics of a child. "1 saw tho advertisements In tbe papers," pa-pers," Mrs. J. replied, quite seriously, "and sect postals asking for booklets, terms, pbotos, etc." Again Mr. Justwed smiled qulto superiorly. su-periorly. "Trash! Absolute trash!" he exclaimed. "You might have saved your postage Stamps, Blossom!" Mrs. j. looked op. crestfallen, "Why, why nomer ," sbo began. "I sbonld tblnk you'd know. Blossom," he Insisted, "that every hotel that puts out a booklet like tbe ones you have is way beyond our means. Their prices are 'way up and the extras would literally swamp us. Now I bave a llttlo plan for tbo summer that will be Just obout the nicest way of spending' a vacation you ever beard ot nothing more nor less than to stay ot homo nnd hove a good time!" Stny nt borne and bave a good timet" Interrupted Mrs. J. "Ilomor, ore you crazy? A good time! i I'd like to know what kind of n good time you can bave in this stuffy old flat, with the roerenry fairly bubbling out tho top of tbe thermometer!" ther-mometer!" "Now, there yoa go!" exclaimed Mr. Justwed, Irritably, "there you go! Just let me suggest anything nt all, and you hang tbe kill-Joy sign on it lnstanter! Honest to goodness. Blossom. I don't sec bow you coo do it! You haven't even beard my plan before you bring out your little hammer ond begin a regular nnvll chorus all over It! Suppose you let me tell you about It first It at least won't be as great a waste of time as looking over those foolish booklets you got from |
