San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-26
Sandy Discovers She Has
a Hopeless Case for
Divorce.
CHAPTER AZ

could You do 1t quietly, Bob
Without the newspapers getting hold
of 1t? Without Isabel knowing until
it was all oyer?'
"Oh, WE'LL said Bob lazily-
Sandy nterrupted-blazing with
suppressed excitement. II promised
her wouldn't. She'll take it terribly
But In. forced to 10 it. j can't live
on. as am. He won't have it." p.
He wants the divorce. too? But
he's willing to let you get it,"
He doesn't know anything about
it. don't intend to tell him till it's
over" f
Don't intend to tell him till it's
over? What do you mean. kid? Do
you think you can sneak. into court,
snatch a divorce out of some legal
grab box"
Sandy slid from the table. the mus.
cles of her throat contracting: would
he have to know about it from the be-
ginning?"
Naturally. He's an interested
party" NJ
She picked up blotter, tearing the
layers apart: "And II be didn't want
me to have it,. could he prevent itY'
He could make it very difficult,
unless you had strong grounds
"I have!"
what are theya"
She looked at her uncle accusing
ly. "You know about those dinner
invitations! You know how he in
suited Heinie-twice! I'm afraid to
have a. friend come to the house. /
never go around, because ! can't so
much as return treat to an ice cream
soda. He never gives me cent. He
has loads Of money. All the time lisa
bePs been sick I've had to walk-walk
miles. / don't even see the girls |
grew up with, because I'm ashamed to
accept favors / can't return"
He persecutes you with his sting.
ipess?"
Eyes, he does 70
Bob reached over and touched the
rings on Sandy's fingers-the circles
of diamonds and ereralds: "He could
refer TO these, Sandy. He could show
the hotel bills while you were in Homo
lulu. You couldn't get a divorce on
the ground of stinginess-'
Sandy shut her eyes Those areh't
the grounds!" She sat down, cover
ing her face with her hands.
What are they, them"
She answered in a still, breatbless
repression: II hate him! He sickens
me. l won't live with him. Nothing
can make me. He doesn't want a
woman. He wants some kind of n
fawning dog. Someone who will
truckle to his every whim-"
She now became faint with the heat
OF her memories. Even when / tried
honestly tried to do my part, he
walked on me. Before the baby was
born and | didn't feel like having n
mob scene asked him TO postpone
the housewarming. He appeared TO
agree. Three days later he came home
with engraved invitations. My wish
meant simply nothing. The old Ro-
mans treated their favorite slaves with
more consideration ~
He causes you great mental suf-
ferlng! That's an easy cause for an
uncontested divorce, an almost impos-
slble one if he wants to fight it.
Haven't you anything more definite?"
Yes And almost inaudibly: Its
his fault the baby died. | was walk
ing. 1t was hot. | couldn't walk any
farther. sat down. rested an
hour. ] started out again. l was
faint. i couldn't go on. i leaned
against rock. Then Jimmy came.
He passed me twice. / didn't know
this. He gave me lift-drove me to
the house. And HE saw that"
She put out her hand, showed the
blottcr across the table. "He said
things to me. He called me names.
de said / could rds-in
two months-after the baby came.
He'd take the baby and i could go be-
cause he didn't want a-a-a person
bike me in his house,
The feeling of suffocation-fainting
suffocation, as on that oppressive day,
returned. She felt Murillo's fingers
biting into the flesh of her wrists, his
breath kissing in her face with the
terrible epithet he called her
Il tainted. l struck my head. /
fell heavily. So the baby was born"
Through the thick, befogged silence
she heard Bob McNeil's voice. 1t had
a steely, Ominious note. He repeated
his question: did anyone see that.
Sandy? Did anyone hear him call
you names? See him seize your
wrists?'
She shook her head.
Wasn't Ida in the house,"
I'm the basement. She didn't sec
it. No one saw it. But the baby
was born. / was all right before.
The doctor knows that. So it was
born. And it wouldn't have been! 1t
would be alive now"
She clasped her hands, wishing to
hide their shaking. There's all that
between us, Bob. wouldn't live with
him again il it meant death 20 es-
cape. He won't let me stay on in
the house any longer as / have been
staying. He said so. Last night he
tried to break the door down when
l locked it.
And once before-the night we got
home and i told him l wanted to be
free-that / couldn't return to our
marriage. he came at me with the
fire tongs-"
MY God. Strike you, Sandy? Did
he strike you?"
"No. He was going to- He flung
them against the wall"
Did you scream? Did Ida hear
you! Could she be a witness?"
She put an icy. shaking hand to
shade her face. Il didn't scream. No
one saw him. We were alone"
Bob Mcneil n set furious look