Just Desserts

by Jo-Anne (5-T-3)

"I simply can't imagine where the money goes to,' said Mrs. Plum as she thrust an almond cream into her mouth and chewed it up with rapid movements of her angled jaws. "How can you spend so much money at a little old grocery convention? And perfectly good money, too," she amended as though there were, in some slyly de- ceitful way, another kind which when spent by other people didn't cost so much.

"My dear, said Mr. Plum rather more patiently than one would expect after all these years. "It costs money to attend convention Why, there's a thousand things. You'd hardly guess."

"Stuff and nonsense!" said the imperious lady assaulting the wintergreen mints with a dental clatter. "The company should fur- nish you with spending money since all you use it for is to drink and carouse with your dissolute friends while I slave at home."

Mr. Plum sighed which was the response most satisfactory to his wife. "Why, do you know, she said, "how difficult it is to be a housewife? Do you know how much work there is in washing cur- tans and cleaning rugs? Just look at those and imagine. She had at the rum centers with gusto.

Mr. Plum looked at the unwashed curtains and the uncleaned rugs with the bits of cellophane candy wrapping on them. "No, dear he said. "I can't imagine."

"Well, it's time you learned. We can't afford to send curtain to the cleaners like other people. And I have to work around the house in cotton dresses; if you only knew how awful cotton makes me feel! I should wear silk all the time."

Mr. Plum, a paragon of self-control, did not make the obvious observation that since Mrs. Plum did very little work about the house she had very few cotton dresses; and, correspondingly, that since she felt she ought to wear silk all the time, that is what she usually did wear.

"You should be made to stay at home and slave about the house