She wasn't prepared for this development. Ever since Norman had started working again, she'd depended on the income. Now he, Agnes, and little Grace were leaving to move into their new house on Spruce Street. A big brownstone with lots of room for them, Grace, any dog they choose to get (Victoria knew her daughter-in-law would want to get a dog immediately), and any more grandchildren that came down the pike. But what would she and Cornelius do for income? How would they make up for the loss that Norman's departure meant? True, they'd been stuffed like sardines in their two-bedroom apartment above the pharmacy. It'd been very difficult for them all -- first, when the bank had taken the big house across the street, and then when Norman had to get married so quickly and so suddenly. Victoria didn't like to think about that, but it happened all the time. And all's well that ends well, after all. Agnes had proved to be a delightful addition to the family. What a shame, though, that her Catholic family didn't approve of them, just because they were Episcopalians.
She decided to find a boarder, but who would be paying these days? It was 1934 and no one had any money. And despite being told they had nothing to fear but fear itself, everyone was afraid to spend money. Money. She hated the word, she hated what it meant, and she hated being without it. Why was it, they'd taken their money for granted when it was plentiful, but when it went scarce, all of a sudden it became the most important thing? Income was still way down at the pharmacy, only a little more than fifty percent what it'd been in '28. And this was the sixth year of the Depression, if you included '29. Surely better times were around the corner, and surely she could find a boarder who'd pay the $19 that Norman would no longer be paying, now that he and Agnes had their own house. That $19 would make all the difference in the world to Cornelius and her.
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