Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
ATE Friday afternoon Erik Jorgenson
killed his young wife Greta.
1t had been inevitable, he brooded,
gIancing down at the still figure. She

1t had been inevitable. he brooded,
gIancing down at the still figure. She
had taxed his patience to the break
ing point and when he lost his temper he was
liable to do anything. The stick OF stove wood
had been handy Silly fooll Extravagant
womani She had it coming to her, all right
oil right!
Lucky for him, he forced chuckle, he had
seen those two evil-faced tramps lettering
around his farmhouse that afternoon; lucky
for him, too, Nils olson, a neighbours boy. had
also been there to see them. Nils had said they
had sought food that same afternoon at their
back door had become angered at his alright
ened mothers thoughtleSs refusal and had left
openly grumbling threats. Greta, of course-of
course-had also in alarm unwisely turned the
dangerous hoboes away while he was in the
south field, and they had in sudden anger
struck her. To his horror, when he came in
from work, he had found his slender young
wife lying on the kitchen floor dead.
Erik Jorgenson methOdically put on q clean
shirt, his coat and hat, went out and harnessed
horse to the buggy and drove to the village
to inform the sheriff Of the tragedy. Brokenly
narrating the gruesome facts, he looked Larry
walls the sheriff, straight in the eye. The
middle-aged farmer, semi-recluse, had q good
reputation Whereabouts and there was no reason
10 disbelieve him
THE sheriff Immediately broadcast orders to
pick up any tramps IN the vicinity, sum-
mOned q coroner's jury and went with Erik
Jorgenson back to his farm, several miles of
the main highway and mile from the Olson
place Nils supported Jorgensons testimony;
the tramps had hung around his home; his
trembling mother told Of their threats against
her, and murder by parties unknown was the
verdict.
Erik JorgensOn, when at last his house was
emptied Of the oficial party and the corpse,
49, ~. H.
funeral and then it'd be all over. All over.
Soon forgotten by everybody-even him.
Saturday morning, after q night Of sound
slumber, Erik JorgenSon arose at O'Clock, rs
usual; there was no need TO break his routine
lust on account of this affair. He prepared his
breakfast; he had prepared 1t half the time.
anyway-Greta had been lazy thing plain
no account OF course, she had claimed she
was sickly-she just pampered herself, that was
the trouble. Let horse remain Idle IN a pas
ture for a long time and it'd never be any good
in the field.
She had been spoiled She had wanted
him TO buy q radio, flower pots and curtains for
all the windows. She wanted to spend money
wild like that! And with wheat and corn the
lowest in years. with taxes going up and the
bank cutting down its interest on savings. Did
she think he was a millionaire?
No need for regrets nowI It was all over!
OF course obtruded an after thought maybe
but at the same time she shouldn't have
brought up that touchy subject of again.
A car! Well, horse and buggy had been good
enough for his dad and his ma, and 1t
good enough for him and her! Yeah, he would
outlive this and marry again-the next time to
a girl who was buxom and strong and able to
help in the fields when it was necessary.
Erik Jorgenson, dismissing the train of
thought sat down TO the bare table, pulled the
bacon and eggs toward him and ate avidly.
Nothing, he grinned, could affect his appetite
A sudden whining caused him to glance
around. 1t was Greta's pet cat. The enormous
gray feline stood there at the back screen door,
mewing hungrily-humbly. Tinker, she had
named him. What senseless namei Annoyed,
Erik Jorgenson threw a table knife at the ami
NAL and, crestfallen, it skunk away from the
door. He would, he decided, get rid of the
beast; he didn't want anything of the woman's
around any more. The cat was a nuisance and.
anyway, it cost money to feed cat. Let it
starve to death or find another home He had
TO sweat and worry enough to make his own
living; he had no business with cat Sos
Greta had found IT, idly he remembered -