Page:Adventures in Thrift (1916).djvu/171

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

friends roasting their help for carelessness and extravagance, I often wonder where the fault really lies. If the mistress buys supplies in small quantities, or if she is extravagant, how can she expect the maid to fight her bad management with thrift? The girl is far more apt to say, 'Oh, what's the use for me to save what my mistress will waste in the end?'

"I have been watching Lena since you commenced your investigations in thrift, and, in her stolid way, she is tremendously impressed. She attacks her work in a more businesslike fashion, and she certainly regards you with increased respect."

At the last word Mrs. Larry shook her head.

"I'm not so sure about that. Sometimes she questions my marketing abilities. Do you remember the other morning when we were starting for Montclair, she asked, 'What is the use of paying more for rice in package than in bulk if they both have to be washed?'"

Mr. Larry's eyes twinkled.

"Yes, she had you fussed for a minute."

"And she gave me something to think about—