Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-18

bit nervous, Byrd looked like an ami
mated spray of larkspur that bloom
ed in the organdy and flowered in
her eyes.
She glanced spprehensively al the
clock. II was seven o'clock, and
Larry hadn't telephoned.
Her Keeling Of f~oreboding in
creased. II was pretty safe to guess
that III Larry wasn't home at seven,
he wouldn't be home ct sll-not un-
I'll the wee, small hours. But he
could telephone He hadn't the
slightest feeling Of conjunction
about not coming home to dinner,
even though he kew that she had
shaved all day preparing It.
Her anxiety grew. The torment
of rot knowing where he was. or
Why ne had changed his plans con
sumed her like a fever. parched her
throat and made an ugly feeling &C
terrific anger blaze up inside OF
her.
Oh, IL was barharous 70 treat her
like this, and she was a fool for
enduring it And underneath, hat
red. which was akin to love. seethed
like torture through her mind and
BODY. She had y suspicion that she
could d. nothing about II Not a
single thing, And he knew it, too,
Byrd went 20 bed without one bite
of supper. Listlessly she hung the
pert little organdy on a silk hanger
aud placed VI away in the closet.
Suddenly u seemed to hang limp
end empty. II epitomized all her
anticipated emotions, all her antici-
plted happiness since she had been
married. al of them ~collapsirg be-
fore they had been realized.
She avoks Is she heard Lsrry's
Lev tu-ablinE IN thu ksyhole. and
then the door opened.
An alcoholic wrath envelopsd him,
and preceded him like q hideous
spirit into the room, resching her
rostrlls with that sharp, sour stencil.
then he lurchsd heavily into the
bedroom.
Larry was always handsome, no
matter what state OF disarray he
was IN. His hat tipped over his
car, his collar wiltsd. his overcoat
saEging on his arm, he still looked
like a slightly mussed edition Of a
once dapper young man.
he leaned over Byrd and kissed
her MOSTLY.
Sorry I'm 50 late hc apoloFiIed
in 2 thick. unsteciy voice. Go. into
a little game with The boys At the
office lie tried % 'hrpw his hat
and coat over p chrir but missed.
They slid 10 the flcor. That's what
] get for Dragging
But you promised 70 come home
rs soon as you finished your work."
said Byrd, sadly, and still with a
barely discernibls. nsgein- edge 20
her tone. VIII didn you tele-
phone me7"
The eternal question: laughed
Larry, Eood-naturcilE. X don't
know whyl Believe me " not
here his voice suddenly became very
loud. II don't krow WHY
Promises dom mean a thing 70
you. eyer!" said Byrd. wearily.
Sorry" repeated Larry. starting
10 undress. awful sorry. i toll
you m awful a|crrv.' His voice
suddenly reached srothcr rresrnrdo
did YOU lose muchf' Byrd iu.
quired. fearfully.
LETS see" he took = memo ~
dun from his coat pocket and care,
fully opened it. H. had been crunch.
ed up e IL IN h9i gone inio AL.
~waste-basket and Their had been re.
claimed fro nit. We'll. sboG three
hundre' dollars. En- what's ? Its
what's a few hundrr' among
friends? Wha's p few"
Byrd laid back amorg the pillows
and clenched her hrnib Until tn
nails left little scared hslf-mcons ir
the flesh. She had 70 torture her.
self 20 keep from screaming ID Ill.
top Of her voice. She had - remind
herself that enc soul dcs'rovins
cry would bring Pat. and perh d
the whole apartment IN. she must
control herself. With . titanic Ell
fort as if her body was . dead tors,
and her legs great icicles attached
TO it,. she crawled out cf bed end
putting her arms around Larry's bl:
shoulders. and her head on his broat
chest, she wept a torrent OF tears
hot, scalding. bitter tears.
Larry made futils and im7erson1
-ttsmpts o. quiet her.
"Tha's all right. darling" hs TIE
70 pat her shoulders. but his hans
| slipped from her bare skin. "Ths'