Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-19
LET'S live! n ~! q. 2 ?. ! :. !.
EN w2E8 u - . W HMH a 0n8 CENTRAL Press ASST nc
CHAPTER xxx

The September sun was busily
painting the walls Of the bedroom
with running gold when Byrd awoke
with the realization that il must be
very late.
she looked quickly al the other
bed where Larry wss still sleeping
before the events of the evening be-
came clear in her mind. She re-
membered now. Everythingi
The bright sun that poured into
her eyes couldn't palliate the situa-
tion. She couldn't, and she wouldn't.
go on living like this. her mind con
tinuslly lacerated BY Larry's acts,
her soul constantly torn by his self
ISL brutalIties.
Never again would she make OK
cuses for Larry. Never again would
she tolerate the things that he did.
Never againl
Thank goodness. she could face
the truth at lasti
Larry would continue 20
spend his income faster than he
earned il.
He'd pursue his idea CT a
good time 10 the accompaniment OF a
tinklinr glass. jaEE and gay parties.
He'd be bis own sweetly tenn
peramentsl self until he was ruined.
Certainly it was time for her TO
take a hand in the situation.
Her tired brain whirled like >
dynamo until she felt that al last
she had q plan a. f~sr-reaching a.
the Treaty of Versailles" The
peace Of the world wasn't as impor-
tant as the peace in the Browning
home.
Byrd hurried into the living room
to find Pat gone.
She snatched a cup Of coffee and
then rushed to the garage and with
a tiny feeling Of misgiving. she drove
the car out Of the garage. Why
should she always leave the car for
Larry
Byrd went directly 70 Progress
Folks office and paid q second thou
sand on the house. That second
payment, she felt, clinched the bar
gain.
The house was theirs!
Feeling like the rock Of Gibraltar,
she hurried back - the apartment
70 face Larry. A scared little smile
e~vaporated almost instantly from her
white face rs she realized that he
was going 70 have the shock Of his
life.
The pungsnt aroma Of strong cot
fe was in the air rs she walked
into the apartment. Larry was IN
the kitchen. moving around awk-
wardly. getting his breakfast. tie
caught Byrd in his arms before she
had a chance to say a word.
she pushed him away. with 2
frovn and . gesture. which SAID
plainly that she would never again
have ? thing 10 do with him. But
Larry held her all the more closely.
ct won't do YOU a bit OF good.
she said. as she held herself rigid in
his arms. ,u
"Byrdkins. darling. I'm frightfully
sorry about last night Larry leaned
his cheek against hers. and there
was contrition IN every syllable.
Byrd was still like . stone in his
arms.
"While you're eating your break
fast. we can discuss things, .
said. evenly.
His rms dropped TO his side with
q sudden hopeless gesture.
Byrd quickly recovered from the
sensation tndL pIlChtu tAioAeA 49,
heart. Larry could take things 90
patheticslly!
She coddled the eggs an dbuttered
the toast, as she had done for him
for six months, but her small fes-
lures were chiselled out of white,
cold marble.
Then she told Larry that she had
decided they couldn't live together
any longer. She couldn't endure
their ouarrels. She couldn't endure
DAYS Of luxury, followed BY days Of
poverty. She couldn't endure the
worry Of unpaid bills, of constant
loans. Of uncertain and questionable
business ventures. She couldn't en-
dure gin parties and India She
couldn't endure married llfe-any
Of IL,
Then it was that Byrd got the
shock Of her life. For, instead Of
bridlia- with fury under the insults
that she had poured over his head.
Larry's face sobered instantly and
vhitened a little. He looked down
at the fork which be held IN his
band, masking strange markings on
the tahlecloth
Something seemed to catch in his
throat.
Il know I'm no good" he said.