The Washington times., 1932-10-20
Jimmy Attracted Her

jimmy NTETdCVeO FeI
Still, as 1 said before, Jimmy
attracted her. Maybe 1T was his
worldly wise manner. Maybe it
was his smooth, easy chatter.
And then again, it may very
likely have been the way he
parted his hair.
She fell in love with him.
Then, when she heard about the
wife and kiddies, she wanted to
quit. But Jimmy told her that
he wasn't living with his wife.
That changed GATHERINGS mind.
She quickly learned an age-old
truth: There is no right or
wrong in love"
jimmy" she said one day
while slipping soda, we've got
to do something about you and
me. 1 mean, we can't go on like
this. You live with your mother
and father. You can't see me
often. 1t doesn't seem right.
Can't you get a job or some
thing? Then we could take up
housekeeping until your wife
divorces you or something"
il I'm m y looked profoundly
into his glass.
Baby" he said at last, II
think thew got salt in this ice
cream
Jimmy was that kind of a
man. Slow-thinking, happy-go-
lucky. irresponsible. Nothing
mattered very much, except the
moment. He loved Catherine,
IN his own dizzy way, and that
was that.
Even Catherine was content
until she knew about the baby.
That sort of spoiled matters.
You can't keep baby secret for
long. Catherine knew that, and
was mortally afraid.
So, before the infant came,
they talked it over. Jimmy
couldn't help her. He didn't
have job. Besides, there was
his wife. And children, to him,
were no longer a novelty.
The Baby Is Born
The baby was born in a big
hospital under the auspices of
the city of New York. Cath
crime looked tired and white
and cried when the nurse
placed the tiny bundle on the
bed next to her side.
But the city of New York
was inquisitive. Just for the
records, you know. They asked
her when her husband was COM
ing to see the baby. What?
She didn't have any? Hmmm.
And how old are you, Miss
Jones? Seventeen? And who
is the father of this baby? You
don't know? Oh, a man by
the name of Jones? All right.
You'd better rest now"
So they christened the little
fellow John Jones. He was just
a nosy little somebody who
came unlimited and yelled
loudly enough for all to know
his mothers shame.
When she got we'll enough,
they sent Catherine to a home
for wayward girls. The unmar-
ried mother couldn't under
stand. 1t seemed So-Well, un-
fair like. Was it a sin to love
someone? Was it a sin only on
one side? They didn't do any
thing to Jimmy, did they? And
worse, they snatched the baby
from her and sent him to a
home for foundlings.
Catherine was kept there for
three months. Three months of
prison and bitterness. Three
months which seemed like
three years or even three Gen.
turies. Three months in which
to think of Jimmy and the
future. Three months to re-
pent. Three months to think
of her baby in a home with
other unwanted babies.
On the day that she walked
down those front steps to free
dom, she vowed that she would
never see Jimmy again. Then
she ran to the nearest drug
store and phoned him. Jimmy
came running.
They fell into each others
arms and said nothing for a
long while.
Her Strange Request
Then Catherine made a
strange request. She asked
Jimmy to stay with her over
night. She was afraid, she
said. 1t was her first night of
"A NATIoNAL r9EISTg 9f'IS !. :s.ss & s."