Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-07-21

her-a detachment she felt she should
not have had for her own daughter
She loved the baby, of course. She
would nave done anything she could
for her. There was so little she could
do.
Norma was weak after the baby was
born and once more there was a long
period of convalesence. Barry was
more annoying than ever now. He
never seemed to battle quite enough,
and he was always full of stories of
poker games with the boys and of the
girls that some of them visited later.
He still Dragged of his apparent vir-
tue in coming straight home but Norma
felt, though without any real reason
for her suspicion, that sometimes he
didn't come as straight home from the
poker games as he wanted her to be-
lieve. She pictured him with the taw-
dry Women of the town
Another year. And she was still In
Milford. And was still going into New
WATERFOWL or Hatsburg for the few
entertainments those towns offered.
and had gone away again. And there
were movies. And dances at the coun-
try club. And a new car and chauffeur
for her because she didn't like to drive.
And little quarrels with Barry nearly
every day. Was this living? Was she
waiting for something-something out
OF life that she hadn't got out of it.
And she was going to have another
babyl She simply couldn't stand i'll
She couldn't stand going on this way,
year after year. She had got to the
place, finally, where she loathed Barry,
That's all there was to It'll She wanted
to scream every time his hands touched
her. Here she was with two babies al
ready. and a third on the way. This
would keep on, year after year. Year
after year! More babies. A closer bond
with Barry and his drunkenness and
his cheap stories. Why, he didn't know
anything else. Nothing at all. He never
said a decent thing nor did a kindly
thing, except buying her unnecessary
presents with money he did nothing
to earn. He had novel;, no ideals.
He never looked at life the way she
had been brought up to look at things,
the way she read OF things. Barry new
err knew nor cared for anything that
could make life pleasant for her.
When he came home in the evening,
warm and a bit sweaty, she wanted to
strike him as his arms went around
her. When he insisted upon kisses
that he felt were his due she had to
keep herself from screaming. AT night
after the poker game, or Worse-and
she was sure Of the worse now, for
SO many little things had proved that
she was right-he would insist on max
ing love to her. Had always
stood for this? Did other women love
their husbands? Well, she couldn't GO
on. Simply couldn't.
What could She do? Nothing at all.
There was nothing she could do. She
tried TO think and her mind ran
around in a little cage. She had money
and all of the blatant, ugly home things
money could buy. And no money to get
away with and no place to GO. But she
couldn't go on with Barry, Simply
couldn't. Her mind was In a Whirl of
dislike and hate for him. or nervous
ness. Of being bored and miserable in
Milford. OF wanting to get out of this
mess she had made of her life.
Then, n day after Barry had been
s o obnoxious that she felt her flesh
cringe under his touch, without think
ing Of the other two wishes she wished
again.
Il can't stand this" she said aloud,
alone In the bedroom they shared to-
gether. Il wish Barry was deadlp
Then she was ashamed of herself and
cried until her head ached and then
she had to wash her eyes quickly SO
that when Barry came in he wouldn't
ask her what was the matter and worry
her with useless questioning. She could
not stand this. She couldn'tgo on this
way.
Two weeks later Barry was killed in
an automobile accident. He and four
other men of Milford's and Hatburg's
gay set, home from a disreputable
speakeasy, had met another car when
they weren't prepared for it.
The news stunned Norma-and then
she thought OF the wish and she shud-
dered. Yet she couldn't believe she
really had had anything to do with it.
After all, Barry hadn't even been killed
at home. Nothing she had said nor
done had influenced his actions.
She had actually asked him not to
go out that evening. A curious coin
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