Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-05-07

a temple to dead loves and live lovers
She could hear-and by pressing hel
face close to the wall. barely See-the
chuckling. turbulent little Truckee riv-
err. hurrying from Lake Tahoe to Lake
Pyramid, like a divorce hurrying from
one husband to another.
Inhaling the fragrant smoke Of hel
cigaret. Helen Marley bitterly reflect
ed that she had been the inspiration OF
all three of her husbands great sue
cesses. For all the good 1t did her!
One would have thought the enor-
NOUS ROYALTIES from Knees of the
Goddess would have kept them il
a%ffiuence. She in her innocence hac
never doubted it. But she did not know
Jim Marley. He had been born with
a congenital distaste for having money
any money-in his possession.
He spent it, at first, as fast as il
came in. Then faster. They moved
into the most expensive apartment il
the Ritz over her protests. They were
evicted two months later for non-pay-
ment of rent. Looking back at that
period, she could hear herself continu-
ally protesting his eXtravagances. Jim
we can't afford to do that. It's crazy!'
And his in%variable answer: We'll, We
want it and we'll have it for a while
anyhow"
And they had everything-for 6
while. He bought expensive automo-
biles, dogs, real estate, jewelry for her
Once when she foolishly told him his
clothes needed pressing he bought ff-
teen expensive suits on the theory that
he could wear them till they got out
Of press. He carefully figured it out
that it would take forty-five days. He
was a mark for every deadbeat in the
theatrical district. He never refused 6
loan. And once he bought a delicates-
sen store because the proprietor did moi
make sandwiches to suit him and re-
fused to allow him to make them him.
self. His legend was that of Broad,
ways craziest spender.
She wondered, looking out over Reno
why she had stood for it so long. Per.
haps it was her belief in his need fol
her. She could see herself coming int
whatever hotel room, small apartment
or single room they happened to bt
inhabiting to find him waiting for hel
with the eager look in his eyes
"Astarte-" And she remembered hi.
look of bafled suffering when an idea
for a new play continued to evade him
Il don't think I'll ever be able to write
again." he would say, his head in hel
arms. I'm an accident. A flop"
AS a matter of fact, he got his idea
for his second hit, Sacrifice" wher
she pawned all of her jewels for enough
money to keep them in food and hous-
ing. The marvellous alchemy Of his
mind changed the jewelry into hel
wifely virtue for dramatic purposes
Sacrifice had been tremendously sue
cessful. But their life went on just as
crazy and poverty stricken as ever. II
was Al Wurtzen who first gave her the
idea of marrying a wealthy husband.
Look, Helen he told her one day
Il know you're going to be sore at
me. But I'm tellin' you somethin'
You're no good for Jim Markley. Nc
wife is. She gets him worried and he
can't produce. And when Markley
can't produce, I'm out of luck. That
guys a genius. And all geniuses are
just cameras with monograph attach
ments. Why don't you divorce him and
marry yourself a rich man? You can
do it. You're beautiful. And you're
what most beautiful danes amt. You're
on the level. Look. You'd get every
thing you wanted. You'd never be
worried. You'd have peace. And peace
is what keeps the lines out of a wom-
ans face"
She had hated AL Wurtzell for
months after that. But every day
brought clearer to her the truth of his
analysis. She wasn't doing Jim Mark
ley any good. He hadn't known of her
existence for weeks, though he lived
beside her. And the day he came out
of his abstraction with the light of de-
sire in his eyes she pushed him away.
I'm through, Jim. I want a d.
vorce."
He stared at her. The softness went
out Of his eyes. They became opaque
and his mouth frightened.
Il don't blame you a Bit" he told
her, at last, surprisingly. Il can see
you've had a rotten deal. Astarte, you
should be the wife of a wealthy man.
Eyes, but how? You've made an old
woman out of me-" She started to
cry.
mo one knows" he admitted. He
was silent a moment. Then: "rNo
One Knows!'" he shouted. Say,
there's a great title He left her.
Three hours later he was back with
AL Wurtzell's check for $4,000. Wurt-
zell had given it to him as an advance
royalty for the play on his oral synop-
sis.
Here, baby" He handed her the
check. Il hope you'll marry a wealthy
man. You could, but you won't. You'll
marry some bum without a dime OF
prospects"
II won't!" she famed. "In marry
rich OF I won't marry at ALL"
NO" He shook his head and smiled
crookedly. "Astarte, you're one of those
rare women made for love. That's
your hard luck. It's the way you're
made. You're romance in the flesh
And rnpoonco will Io%u~r -