He was an electrical engineer, with an office in the city, and had a tolerably good income, although his first wife's New England thrift had compelled him to live parsimoniously.
Ida made up her mind from the first that thrift, after the plan of the first woman, should not be observed in her household.

Without hinting to that effect, or without Harry's recognizing it, she so managed that within a few weeks after her marriage he put an insurance on his life, which would insure her comfort in case she outlived him.

He owned his house, and she had herself her little savings, well invested.

She then considered that they could live up to Harry's income without much risk, and she proceeded to do so.

It was not long before the saturnine Hungarian, who could have provided a regiment of her own countrymen with the coarse food of her race, but seemed absolutely incapable of carrying out American ideas of good cookery, was dismissed, and a good cook, at a price which at first staggered Harry, installed in her place.