The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-02

to him that she had changed he was
too perplexed about it to judge in
diligently.
Now he had no desire to examine
her motives. She had, with or with
out reason, ceased to love him. Rod
was thankful for it, now. 1t saved
him from life of hypocrisy to keep
her happy. But along with the de-
parture of their love had fled much
of Rods faith in BERTHE Louis good
qualities.
No, he concluded, he'd better not
tell her about the theft if he wanted
to save his money for Lila without
having a lot OF trouble over it.
I've told you I'm saving" he
said quietly, but not to pay for
gimcracks from Park Avenue deco
rators."
BERTHE Lou regarded him through
narrowed eyelids. She saw that he
was firmly set in what he intended
to Go. But she would not give in
meekly.
81 won't send back a thing" she
said stubbornly. IF we're going
back to live in that hole I'll take
come decent furniture"
Rod stood up. do as you please"
he said, but you'll have to pay for it
out of your household money"
BERTHE Lou found, as the summer
wore into fall, that he had meant
just what he said.
She was hard pressed to meet the
payments on the $500 radio and the
costly "gimcracks" she had pur-
chased under Lila's guidance.
She began to think Rod was
mean. He simply would not give
her even a hint of his reason for
tightening up the purSestrings.
If BERTHE Lou suggested a show
he said he'd prefer the movies. And
they never went out on a party to-
gether any more.
BERTHE Lou found many excuses
for avoiding Lila. Rod still went
often to the LoreeS and Lila finally
was driven to pretend to Cyrus that
she and BERTHE Lou had quarreled.
While Cyrus said nothing, it was
his opinion that Rod was not eX-
actly loyal to his wife. But then,
he reflected, Rod might be think
ing of his job.
And besides, if Lila was right,
BERTHE Lou had turned out to be a
giddy f1apper wife. She was hitting
a pretty fast pace with young Marco
Palmer and his crowd, Lila had
told him.
1t was true. BERTHE Lou became
tired of doing her own housework,
of counting pennies while Rod saved
a lot of money each week and
wouldn't tell her what it was for.
She could think of several uses
he might have for it-and did. One
of them was concerned with Lila
and made BERTHE Lou turn hot and
cold with anger and dread.
Her hands were getting rough and
Redeemed from peeling potatoes
they had them often because they
were filling-and washing dishes.
And she hated to answer the door
bell. Nobody came so often as the
collectors.
But the thing that started her on
an excess of mad pleasure seeking
was the humiliation she felt over
Rods frequent visits to the Lorees
without her.
To BERTHE Lou it was ample proof
of his willingness to live each in
our own way" as he had said the
night she came home with Marco
Palmer.
For a while she had refused to
go out with Marco again, but he let
her know he hadn't forgotten her.
BERTHE Lou called him up one eve
ming when Rod was dining with the
Lorees.
She was desperately lonely and
heartsick. Marco came over for her
and they went to club and danced
until 2.
Then BERTHE Lou insisted upon go
ing home. She had to pass through
the living room to reach the bed
room. Rod used the davenport.
There was no guest room in this
apartment.
He was not in. BERTHE Lou
stopped by the table at the head of
the davenport and unpinned the