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

BIT nervous. Byrd looked like an ami
mated spray ~ larkspur that bloom
Cd in the orgsndy and lowered IN
her eyes.
she glanced spprehensively az the
clock II was seven o'clock, and
Larry hadn't telephoned.
Her teelinE Of ~forebodins in
creased. II was pretty safe to guess
that ii Larry wasn't home a. even.
he wouldn't be home at sll--not IN
IA 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 ali day preparing II.
Her anxiety grew. The torment
of not knowing where he vas. or
why he had changed his plans ron
sumed her like a fever, parched l.er
throat and made an ugly feeling e
terrific anger blaze up inside Of
her.
Oh. Il was barbarous 70 treat her
like this. and she was a fool for
enduring it And underneath, hat
red. which was akin n love. seethed
like torture through her mind and
body. She had 2 suspicion that she
coult d. nothing about II Not a
single thing And he knew IL. too,
Byrd went ~ bed without one bite
Of supper. Listlessly she hung the
pert little organdy on a silk harger
Suddenly II seemed 70 hang limp
and empty. II epitomi5ed all her
snticipatsd emotions, all her a%ntici-
pated happiness since she had been
married. AL ~ them ~collarsi,g be-
fore they had been realized.
Che awoks as she hesrd Larrys
key fumblinE II the ksyhols. and
then the door orsnsd.
Al alcoholic wrath enysloped him.
and preceded him like a hidsous
spirit into tbs room, reaching her
nottrils with that sharp. sour stencil.
then he lurched heavily into the
bedroom.
Larry was always handsome. no
matter what state of dissrrsy he
was In. His hat tipped over his
car. his collar wilted. his overcoat
saEging on his arm. he still looked
like q slightly mussed edition of q
once dapper young man.
Re leaned over Byrd rud kissed
her MOSTLY.
Sorry I'm 50 lat lie a~polcEi1ed
IN \ thick. unsteriv voice. Grt into
D little game with the bovs Ak the
office" lie tried a. hrow his hat
and coat ove , chrir but missed.
They slid e the flcnr. That hat
! get for Dragging
But you promised n come. home
as COR as you finished vour work"
said Byrd. sadl,. and still with a
barely discernibls, rg91in- edge 70
her tone. VIII didn't YOU tele-
phore me7'
The eternal aleaiirn, laughed
Larry. Eood-naiureli dot
know why' Believs me or not"
here his voice suddenly became very
loud. Il don't know vhv."
Promises don mean y thing ~
you. ever" said Byrd. wcarilv.
Sorry repeated Larry. sterling
10 undress. Awful sorry. | toll
you m swfu' -crrvH Ills voice
suddenly reached rpther rrraeerln.
Did YOU lose much Byrd in-
CURED. fearfully.
Lets see" h took ? wrno n-
dun from hir ccHt pocket and care
fully opened II. H. cad been crunch
Cd M e. IL 10 had gone into th1
waste-hasket and then had been re-
claimed fro nit. WAL. ahcn three
hundre' dollars. EN- WHAT'S ? litt
what's a few hundEe among
fricnds7 Whs's = few"
Byrd laid back among Tire pillows
and cIenched her Asnls until tis
nails Isft little scared halt-mcpEs .l
the flssh. She had TO torture her.
self TO keep from screaming AZ the
TOP If her voice. She had N remind
herself that enc soul 1er rc- ilg
cry would bring Pat. aui psIh-ps
the whole apartI.-A. IN. she must
control herself. With , titanic et-
fort ~ II her body was Q dead torso
and her legs rrelt icicles attached
70 H.. she crawleu out cf bed md.
putting her arms around Lsrry's BIZ
shoulders. and her head on his broad
chest, she went q torrent Of tears,
hot, scalding. bitter tears.
Larry made futils and imrsrscnll
1tterpt5 % quiet her
"Tha's all right. darling" he TIED
70 pat her shoulders. but his hand
slipped from her bare skin. "Ihs'E