Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-11-13

be 4 branch manager, for golf at q
dollar a hole. He'd never had a raise
nor did he show the slightest sign of
ambition to get one.
got TO STOP" Bills voice was 60
ing on and on. "Otherwise-"
Otherwise put in Flip suddenly,
we'd better get a divorce"
Using what" he asked, with no visi-
BILE surprise, for money? That's an
other sample OF your logic. A divorce
costs a lot of money"
If l thought there was anything I
could do" she said, with elaboration.
TO get enough money to release me
from this t-terrible life with you, I'd
begin now. This very day."
He sat back and looked at her with
an amused smile.
If I thought you had it in you." he
said, ito save or sacrifice or even to
work a little, I'd call your bluff and
cooperate with you. With all the non
essentials stripped off our living ex-
penses we might be able in time to af-
ford a divorce. I doubt. however, that
you-"
Il could would" she cried.
The doorbell rang. Bill shrugged.
Pull yourself together" he said.
That's probably Pat and he'll be wild
when he finds we aren't ready to go
yet"
But this was not Pat Farrell. 1t was
the postman. Cleo entered the dining
room and handed Bill a registered,
special delivery letter. browning, he
opened it. Then he lifted to Flip a
face frigid with anger.
Il gave you forty dollars last week
to pay the piano people," he said icily.
What did you do with it?"
The frightened young woman i'm
paled upon his piercing gaze stared at
him blindly. Forty dollars! What
HAD she done with it? Through
the mists of memory she perceived at
last a certain down at the heels spin
ster with a red tipped nose and a man.
ner of gay congeniality SO badly done
that in sheer vicarious embarrassment
Flip had signed on the dotted line and
handed over five dollars as a first pay
ment for a set of books designed to
educate the child. There had
been a young man with mops. She
had given the young man ten dollars.
Exhibits A and B: the book agent
and the mop man. She thought
harder. G. D, and E and very
possibly F, G, and H, were related n
way or another to the luncheon matt
nee and tea with Helen Ferris. A little
innocent window shopping had hyp-
notified them both into h~ats-alluring
and reasonable.
The piano man had not called to
collect and Flip had forgotten all about
him.
From this damning array of evidence
she finally emerged bloody but un-
bowed. Who was Bill Snow to look at
her and speak to her like this? She
ignored his question as if she had not
heard it. She began instead to remind
him Of his clubs, his poker and his
failure in the world of business.
When Flip had at last paused for
breath, Bill spoke:
1.-The point you are missing" he said,
lis that the piano is being taken out
today. A large van will back up to the
OOOl DIV lullCll lllllC. AL lllC llCl5AlOOlo
will be looking out Of their windows"
mo, Bill" She loved her piano. She
could not endure life without it. Sure
ly you have-forty dollars"
He put his hand into his pocket and
drew forth a small handful of money
which he threw upon the table.
Forty dollars and twenty-seven
cents" he said. Drew it out of next
weeks salary to cover our expenses at
the game"
Anna Phillippa, noting with disap-
pointment the long silence, sought to
stir things up again. She lifted her
plate high above her head and dropped
it overheard.
Jaw gone!" she shouted delightedly.
Bills maddened eye took in the blob
of farina adhering in It's pool Of milk
to the pale silken nap Of a rug which
belonged for the most part to a Mr. I.
+. Berg & Sons. Bill choked. Flip,
startled, flung out her hand and struck
it against the toaster wherein smoked
noisomely a cinder that had one been
bread. The percolator, neglected and
overtired, was sobbing thick black
drops to the tablecloth. Flip, moaning,
slipped her burned fingers into her
mouth.
Bill, who inexplicably felt her pain in
the pit Of his stomach, was infuriated
by it. 1t outraged him. Everything
around him seemed to despoil his rea-
son. Insanely he seized a piece Of
toast from his plate and flung it across
the table toward his wife.
1t did not hit her. 1t met instead
the lofty decurled couture Of Cleo on
her way through the swinging door.
Cleo shrieked, clutched her buttered
brow and stepped forward.
IT want my pay" she demanded.
I'm leavin'. I nevah worked where
folkses frew things at the help an"
Flip raised a silencing hand. She
was on her feet, looking ever so many
more than her five feet two inches.
"Give it to her." she commanded
Bill. AT once"
Bill fingered the money lying on the
table.
"But the game" he stammered.
"a nOneSsential-a mere sundry,"
said Flip, with a wave of her hand.
"Cleo is another. Let her go. I mean