back, telling Marie how much of a snap she had had since she
married him, and how he must have looked like ready money to her, and
added that now, by heck, he even had to do his own cooking, as well as
listen to her whining and nagging, and that there wasn't clean corner in
the house, and she'd rather let her own baby go hungry than break a simp
rule in a darn book got up by a bunch of boobs that didn't know anything
about kids. Surely to goodness, he finished his heated paragraph, it
wouldn't break any woman's back to pour a little warm water on a little
malted milk, and shake it up.

He told Marie other things, and in return, Marie informed him that he
was just a big-mouthed, lazy brute, and she could curse the day she ever
met him. That was going pretty far. Bud reminded her that she had not
done any cursing at the time, being in his opinion too busy roping him
in to support her.

By that time he had gulped down his coffee, and was into his coat,
and looking for his hat. Marie, crying and scolding and rocking the
vociferous infant, interrupted herself to tell him that she wanted a
ten-cent roll of cotton from the drug store, and added that she hoped
she would not have to wait until next Christmas for it, either. Which
bit of sarcasm so inflamed Bud's rage that he swore every step of the
way to Santa Clara Avenue, and only stopped then because he happened to
meet a friend who was going down town, and they walked together.

At the drug store on the corner of Second Street Bud stopped and bought
the cotton, feeling remorseful for some of the things he had said to
Marie, but not enough so to send him back home to tell her he was sorry.
He went on, and met another friend before he had taken twenty steps.
This friend was thinking of buying a certain second-hand automobile that
was offered at a very low price, and he wanted Bud to go with him and
look her over. Bud went, glad of the excuse to kill the rest of the
forenoon.

They took the car out and drove to Schutzen Park and back. Bud opined
that she didn't bark to suit him, and she had a knock in her cylinders
that shouted of carbon. They ran her into the garage shop and went deep
into her vitals, and because she jerked when Bud threw her into second,
Bud suspected that her bevel gears had lost a tooth or two, and was
eager to find out for sure.

Bill looked at his watch and suggested that they eat first before they
got all over grease by monkeying with the rear end.