SUE ASKS FOR MORE

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1936, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUE ASKS FOR MORE

Once In A Lifetime

S UE perpetuated ' her usual Friday armed hold-up; filled her purse with a good supply of unearned increment; and then held out her hand for more.

I scratched my head and fingered my now anaemic pay envelope. “Count it again,” I urged. “It ought to be right.” Sue smiled sweetly, and dropped her bombshell. “Of course, you realise that wages and salaries have been elevated to the 1931 level,” she said. “Now hand over, and make it retro—whatever it is—to July 1.” “But, my dear,” I protested, “we were not married until 1934, and you cannot—”

“Oh, yes I can,” returned Sue. “You must pay me what you would have paid me if we had been married in 1931.” I had a brainwave: “That’s easily fixed. I will now fix the wage you should have had in 1931, if we had been married, at 10 per cent, less than you afe getting now. That means that you owe me about £SO for the extra 10 per cent. I have been paying you during the past two years.” A CASE FOR THE COURT. But Sue was not having any of that. “I wonder what Mr Savage would say to that,” she murmured reflectively. “He would probably describe it as ‘sweating,’ and I feel certain that if it happened to get about, he would decide that it was a case for the Court. The trouble, my dear, is that you have been making too big a profit out of me in the past. It has got to stop, and, besides, I want a riew evening frock.”

“What, again?” I burst out. “Dash it all, you had one last week.” “Yes, dear, but there is another dance this week, and you wouldn't like me to appear twice in the same frock, would you?” “Too right,” I replied, adding: “Now let’s cut out the joking and have some tea.”

Tea|?” repeated Sue. “Oh, yes. There is no tea, dear.” “What do you mean, no tea?” I snorted. “I said we would cut out being funny.” “But I’m not being funny, Boob,” returned Sue. “I mean it. There is no tea.” NO TEA STUNT. “Dash it all. Sue,” I roared angrily, “here I am returned home from the office tired and hungry, and you spring at me with this ‘no tea’ stunt. I’m afraid I simply cannot appreciate

By the “Boob”

the joke. I’ll try to laugh, though, if you will explain the point to me.” “The point, dear,” said Sue soothingly, “is that Mr Savage says we are not to wofk more than 40 hours a week. Jotting up my times this morning, I found I had already worked 40 hours 1 minute. I can’t disobey Mr Savage, can I? I’m sorry, but until Monday morning we’ll have to have our meals out.”

I slumped into a chair and tried to straighten things out. It all seemed so hideously wrong. Sue’s attitude puzzled me. Even if she had been reading the newspapers, she couldn’t have absorbed all that from them. It must have been that woman next door. Yes, the more' I thought about

it, the more I was certain that fc Mrs Jones had been cackling over the fence. “And how long were you talking to Mrs Jones yesterday?” I put to Sue. SUE OWNS UP. She seemed surprised, and looked as though she was going to dodge the question. However, I brought the inquiring eye into play, and she gave in. “For about an hour,” she replied. “Well, of course,” I said, “that means that you have worked an hour less than your time. You know what Mr |3emple has said about people who slack on the job. He said, you know, that those who have work, and won’t work, don’t deserve to be a charge on the State, or on any member of it, or something like that. “In any case, my dear, it gives me the right to refuse to feed you tonight. You will, therefore, stay at home, while I go to the hotel for dinner.” Sue began to sag. “And, further,” I went on, “this has probably been going on for some time, so that really -all the money you have been taking from me has not been earned. Sue, I’m ashamed of you!” Sue began to sob. “But,” I continued, “if you will agree to forget what you have read in the newspapers, and what you have heard over the fence, I am prepared to forgive tonight’s little episode—and—l will buy you your evening dress.”

Then Sue began to smile. Half an hour later she served tea.