Evening star., 1932-09-01
The Runaway Wife
By VERNE CONNELLY

I to defend ker mother. that it was
almost automatic with her now.
! Aubrey sat down suddenly on the
| side of the bed. His face twitched
/ grotesquely. What was this girl do
/ ing-breaking down his faith in his
mother? He'd jolly well tell her where
| to head in.
/ Here. you've got this all balled up
and don't you forget it, My mother
never went away with any man, If she
/ was already married ="
/ "Oh, no, Aubrey . she got di-
vorce, OF course but don't you
see, she loved your father and
she and my dad didn't get along
but she was so kind-hearted she left
me TO keep him company. oh, Aubrey.
she was going to come back and see
me often and often, know she was!"
jeans voice broke.
The boy was sorry. instantly. "There,
there, youngSter, don't let it get your
goat. OF course, she would have come
back and taken you away with her,
most likely, but you see, she died
when l was about months old"
And then what did you do?"
What can 6-month-old baby do?
DAD dragged me up somehow
and. believe me, it was dragged. About
the first thing 1 remember is a bows
school that is too awful to talk about.
Then when l was old enough I tray-
eled with the old mamie was a
magician, and darned good one, too,
but he never seemed to get the
breaks 1 used to help him on
the stage-hold things for him, you
know"
Jean put out small hand. aren't
we gong TO shake on discovering each
hrf1 -
tive I've got"
Say, the same here and it is
nice to have a sister, and such a
pretty, clever one, too.
Jean noticed Marcia and DR.. Junet,
stanoing wide-eyed, witnessing the lit
tie drama between herself and Aubrey.
Marcia, did you hear? Aubreys my
brother!"
Yes, we heard, dear it is
suddenly lost your mind When YOU
coliared him in such unceremonious
fashion"
I'm terribly thrilled! Come on. Au-
brey, 1 must take you back and tell
all our friends why 1 suddenly acted
demented - and introduce my new
brother"
Fine, and how about finishing the
poetry? Don't you suppose they want
to hear the rest?"
OF course, they do. goose. They are
Just dying to hear it,"
After the introductions had been
made and Aubrey's ego had been salts
ned by reading his poetry and respond
Ing to numberless encoreS, he and Jean
were alone at last. Marcia went to
bed, and they sat in the studio, piecing
together the bits that each knew, and
trying to reconstruct the glamour that
they imagined rightfully chung to the
memory of the mother they had both
lost.
She was on the stage" Aubrey said.
Not in dads act, but in a speciality
number of her own until they
knew I was coming. Then she gave it
up, and she wasn't sorry-they cele-
brated at Downy Joe's in Pittsburgh
that night. Dad said First, they were
going to have wine, and then they got
afraid that wine might not be good for
me, so they called Joe to arbitrate the
matter, and he decided in favor of
beer-he said that was good for kids,
born or unborn. But she was fright
! fully SICK all the time and then
she just couldn't make a go of it after
I came :"
Both we're crying now over the pic
ture conjured by Aubrey's recital
the gay. brave little mother, who had
given up her first-born for some emo
tional reason that they would never
know, and lost her life in giving birth
| to the second.
| jeans hand reached out and clasped
Aubrey's. She gave it a vigorous
squeeze. "Never mipd-we have each
other now, and we'll stick, together.
| U0n't Weo I'll helm vOlI knou
you are going to be a great poet some
/ day"
DO you really think 50? I've sent a
new one to Harper's it goes
like this :"
(To be continued)