Beautiful Dreamer
	by Allen Morgan
	novel
	no illustrations
	nine chapters - 107 pages

Chapter One (part 3)

But, when it was time for dessert, the chocolate umm cake went over rather well. Jim had two pieces, Max had three.

After the dishes were cleared, Max brought a large cookie jar to the table and set it in front of his place. The cookie jar was the family savings bank and all extra money was kept there. Everyone contributed. Max put in the tips he made from driving his cab and Susie did the same. Jim put in some of the money he earned from his after-school job and Katie put in her share from the money she made on her paper route. Everyone, including Max, drew an allowance from the cookie jar. Usually, there was something left over from week to week. Sometimes the family used the extra money to go to a restaurant. Sometimes someone needed to buy something special. And sometimes, they just let the money sit there so they would be able to spend it another time. Whatever the case, every Friday the family always discussed what to do with the extra money in the cookie jar. Then they voted. Usually everyone felt pretty much the same way, so the voting didn't really matter. But when it was close, Max had the upper hand. He always voted twice. The cookie jar had been his idea in the first place.

Max sat down at the table and shook the cookie jar. He opened the lid and peered inside. "Seems to be a bit of money in here," he observed. "Anyone have any good ideas?"

"Jim should get some of it," said Susie. "He's going away on Sunday and he'll have a lot of extra expenses."

They discussed Susie's idea for a while and then they voted. It was four to nothing in favour. Max paid out twenty-five dollars from the cookie jar and passed it across the table.

"Don't you worry," Jim told him as he picked it up, "I'll be able to put back twice this amount before the summer is over."

Max laughed, "So you say now my friend, but living on your own isn't as easy as you may think. I wouldn't be surprised to see you taking another twenty-five dollars out of this cookie jar before you put any back in."

"No way," said Jim. "Any problems I have, I'll take care of on my own. You won't catch me asking for anything more."

"And I won't catch you putting in a fifty-dollar bill either," said Max. Jim began to protest but Max put up his hand. "Oh it's not impossible, I'll grant you that. All I'm saying is, it isn't very likely, that's all. It takes a very independent person to come up with an extra fifty dollars. Anybody here think they can do it? Don't be shy now; if any of you have an extra fifty just throw it right in and be done with it."

Nobody had a fifty-dollar bill of course, not even Max. He counted the $33.00 he had made in tips that week and put them into the cookie jar. Then he held it out for the rest of the family. Susie put in $21.00. Jim passed since he was going away, and then it was Katie's turn.

Katie shifted uneasily in her chair. The newspaper route wasn't going very well. Only two of her customers had paid their bill. And to make matters worse, she had to pay the newspaper company on Monday for all the papers that she had already delivered.

Katie turned red. She didn't have any money to spare but she had to put something in the cookie jar. She fished through her pocket and found a quarter. She dropped it in. The quarter made a loud clunk as it hit the bottom. Katie was sure that her father would laugh. But he didn't. In fact, he seemed quite pleased.

"That's the way the cookie jar works," he said proudly. "That's the beauty of it. Even little Katie here can put in her quarters one minute and take out her dollars the next; the cookie jar is all the better for it. And why, you may ask? I'll tell you why. Because it's deficit spending, that's why, and any government thrives on that. The more you give out now, the more you'll get back later. That's the key. And you wait and see - someday Katie will be throwing in the big bills with the rest of us. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but the time will come when she pays her own way the same as the rest of us. I'm telling you, this little cookie jar is one of the best ways to see democracy at work."

"No lectures Max, just hand out the allowances," called Susie.

"All I'm doing is pointing out the basic idea behind ..."

"All you're doing is making a speech," Susie told him.

"No more speeches," agreed Katie.

"But I still have something to say," protested Max.

"You always do," answered Susie. "But we think you should stop now."

They voted on whether Max should stop talking. The score was three to one. Max didn't even bother to vote twice. He knew when he was licked.

"Perhaps democracy is working a little too well around here." he grumbled as he gave out the allowances. But he didn't say it too loudly; he didn't want another vote.

Katie put her allowance into her pocket. She wished that she didn't have to take it.

"Everyone else is helping to pay but I'm not doing anything. If dad would only let me get a real job then I could make a lot of money too. The paper route will never work out." she thought.

But a paper route was the only job Max would let Katie have. Susie had worked a paper route when she was Katie's age and so had Jim. Paper routes were a family tradition and Katie was stuck with it.

"I should be able to take any kind of job I want," Katie grumbled to herself. "I wish dad would listen to me. He doesn't think I'm old enough to know anything."