The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-13

MIN MS Simple uuCy, put WHAT Rosie persisted
in regarding as sort of Sinking on his part.
LOT you care if your wife and kid starve to
DEATH she said bitterly.
But honey you don't understand. All the
boys walked out. + couldn't stay and scab
could 1? You wouldn't want me to do that"
."That darn. union again! Don't talk to me
about it. What has it ever done for you men
but get you in trouble? Twice before you've
gone out, and loafed weeks, and me sewing my
fingers off to keep the house going. You never
won before You won't this time neither. I'm
tired of pinching and scraping and going
about looking like a scare-crow. / tell you
straight, if have to make the living I'll do it
without supporting a lazy, good-for-nothing
husband. There!" 81, v
She paused breathess, little afraid. 1t was
the first time she had ever said so much. AL
ready she began to repent her words and
would have liked to recall them, because Joe
looked so funny and white, and didn't retort as
was his wont, but sat down without a word
Little Bobbie crawled into his lap and prattled
and Joe absent-mindedly petted him. For the
first time in his quarrels' with Rosie he felt a
bitter antagonism leap to life in his heart, max
ing speech an impossibility. He was think
ing "She knew was a union man when she
married me. she knows work hard when
l can work" He was thinking: $50 I'm a
lazy, good-for-nOthing husband am l." The
phrase kept running thru his head
He ate little of the fried potatoes that formed
the staple food for supper, and barely tasted
his coffee. By the time the meal was over
Rosie was wishing that he would speak to her.
She wanted to tell him how sorry she was for
what she had said; that she had been only
tired cross and didn't mean it; that if he would
kiss her and love her the same she wouldn't
care how many dresses she didn't have, or
parties she missed, or how hard she worked, or
anything; that she understood how he felt
about the union and was sure he was right
about it, and so forth. She waited eXpectantly
for him to say something; but when he took his
hat and went out the door without word, her
resentment fared up anew So he was going
down to the union hall again. was he instead
of Staying home and keeping her company?
Well, she wouldn't stay home by herself for
anyone. She didn't have to.
7 TP until that moment she had entertained not
the slightest idea of going to the show
with Browning Now she decided she would
She'd show Joe. She'd show him there were
other men willing, yes, and eager to take her
out. The next time he invited her.
At that psychological instant the telephone
rang.
BrOWnings deep voice came over the wire
He said he had been presented by friend with
two complimentary tickets to a play at the
Fulton" really good comedy, he believed
but he could think Of no one to invite; and I'M
less Mrs. Smith would take pity on him
Without giving herself time for second
thought, Rosie accepted. In the same reckless
mood she put Bobbie to sleep. Mrs Jones who
lived across the hall would keep an eye out for
him while she was absent. She dressed her.
self in her BEST Her best" was pitiably mod
est; but at that she made pleasant enough
picture for any man to look at. At least so
thought Mel Browning when he met her twenty
minutes later.
Browning, to place him properly, was real
estate man in the early thrties, and the agent
for the house in which she and Joe rented an
apartment. Not any worse than the average
man of his type about town, rather happily
married, he none-the-less had, as he would
have phrased it, "an eye for the chickens"
Rosie had intrigued his interest from the
first. ga nifty skirt" he had meditated, and
too good for that roughneck husband of hers
who nrnha hlv nnvar tnnlr her anu r,lann Look