Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-04-01
Ties That Bind
By BERTHA LEAH CROSS
C@fy Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.l
(WNU servicel et n

tWNO 5erVicoJ nf p "
NAOMI STEVENS sat on the back
l ' porch watching the dusk as II
settled over the garden. To her. this
time Of day was the loneliest and the
hour when she felt the most let down,
tired, old and dlslllusioned. This
night she was feeling unusually 30 be-
cause Of the letter from Laura, the sec
ond shed had that week. In the lat
ter she pleaded even more urgently
with her to accept her invitation to 90
to Europe as her travelling companion.
..If / only could = ahe mhiz1ared.
"But here I am. as always, tied hand
and foot by mother. If mother could
only see, could realize how terribly she
hampers me In everything want to
do. Talk about the selfishness Of the
young-it's nothing in comparison to
the old. They think only Of them
selvesr
All of her life Naomi had craved
good time. She longed for travel and
excitement.
First 1t had been her father, who,
parsimonlous to the point Of miser-
illness, had forced both her and her
mother to scrimp and save; to go
without and make over, while he
boarded his money. Then when he
had died, ten years ago, each had
lacked initiative and urge to get out
Of the rut into which their lives had
settled. 1t had taken but these let
tiers, however. to light the flame OF de-
sire In Naomi's crushed ego.
"There's money" she told herself,
plenty of it II only mother can be
aroused :"
But the mother-a self-effacing lit
tie woman who had lived for forty
years under the domination Of her
husband. Cowed, timld, shrinking,
after these years Of bondage. What
force could galvanize her and make
her forget her husbands reiterated
statement: "Women's place is In the
home" Could she be freed, enamel
pated from that obsessionf
Naomi was now forty-hve She had
let youth go by as she had love. Fred
had become tired of waiting.
She had been a lovely girl with n
wealth Of curly, brown hair and large,
wistful eyes filed with dreams. 9th
or mon had been attracted. Rut they.
like Fred had been appalled by too
much interference. and later BY too
much nrosnectIve motber.in-law. Thev
had nassed nv 10 other less hammered
Girls
Now hod coma this onnortun,tv
ca,von,vad into l,sa she LOT bsr
,horght. dvoII an tb,s chanca NJ a
lifetime Even the words IN the letter
were etched on her mind. "Come ON.
Naomi" her friend had written.
"Chect vour mother with her sister
and come with me"
The teors came now faster and fast.
or SINGING her ewes overaowine--a
narfect torrent q, heart.breakin9 tears
~ longing
srddon,v tho toars stonnad and sha
.ot nm with . snan The Are IN her
oUos dr,od tho toars. spm GOING ..
sSo soid aloud sTr eo,no n Eurona
With laura Mother can % n Cali.
forn,a with the Tawsons" Red spots
anneorad nm her cheeks. She had d.
cided
cho houon FORMULATING IN hsr MIND
49,. 49, =, n-oo.d,ro rtr.t -.
you'd write Amt Hattie that her
r,othar mas con,,rg ~ .ha could mate
49, end ost %, Sor bs,n Than ,hs
would wr,to Yan-a that shs would .r.
r,uo n Naw vorS reodv 10 saII ~.
sovonth q, Iulv
aI,,, ,o,no 20 snsnd snsrd snena ~
.A ia rachIassiv 1T ON coin. 20
onv '".u .ua,s 80. .vo,n ara 80 ,,s~
r"- - ac,,o. re- aon,od rrvss,,
r I'M 800 .r
~ spe"u wv .n ~
Ai,er supper Isle sne wa an s - 'no 49,. ~.
iase ior 'ne e, Ta .a,,,.r "s p0' ~.
'e.t'i W Laura ~ ~ az uo
wouiu . ,nee' ner !" New -, 1A '.
SIKH: ve pu,neu Wy o.Iuses now,
sne thousnt. soins S'ra'srr ~, no "us
TO Dreak tne news 70 ino'ner nnS
ne" interests nnu nc" anu
YOUTH sne toiu herseh'
Mother' sne said Abruptly Inc
swaylng rocked stopped al the tense
ness IN Naomrs voice.
"Yesf what Is IT, NaomiT Her
tone held mild surprise.
I'm sailing the seventh OF July with
Laura"
"Sailing% in a bewildered tone.
"Yes, sailing for Europe on the sew
enth. And I've made arrangements for
you to stay with Aunt Hattie while