The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-08-31

he knew was to Be the hardest
moment he could ever have.
After = time she began talking.
as he had known she would. Talk.
ing. Talking. Punctuatine her
speech with long dry sobs like i.
child that has cried itself to sleep.
my Dadums taught me neve,
to look for ugly things that might
fasten themselves onto me if even
50 m u b as looked at them. At
school never talked with the other
girls about - nasty things II al
ways got out. wouldn't read nasty
books like = some of them did II
didn't want nasty things to fasten
~Then Aunt Pam told me all
about VII t nasty world it is.
People getting married and not low
ing each other any more. Even her
and Jimmie. And I'd always thought
they were both so beautiful. And
about girls marrying nasty old men
for money. And it was the only way
nice girls could get money if they
were poor-and everybody thought
it was . nice way to get money.
She told me D a d u m had kept
things from me. M a d e me think
he'd deceived me about everything
and had brought me to Palm Beach
to get money for US that way. Oh,
/ was just all to pieces, and I've
been all to pieces ever since. She
didn't mean it, I know. She meant
to help me. B u t, think Of being
married to that old vermin Of .
man. Old and ugly, and beastly.
She told me to take him-to keen
my Dadums from starving. You see
why l fell in love with Jimmie.
don't you?" she began weeping
anew.
Eyes, dear, l see al too clearly"
His throat was 50 dry that the
words rasped harshly.
II know Aunt Pam doesn't care.
She Is good q told me she was 30
bored with him she half wanted to
die. 1t isn't her that worries me.
It's Dadums. He's so we'll, you
know what / told you about our
plantation - and how Aunt PANS
father got = man who would have
paid fabulous money for it and
what he did"
Eyes, DEAR"
Don't think I tell everybody
about that" she went on, 81 don't.
But - you didn't get to meet him
and-Im so proud Of him. So vain
Of him. l wanted you to know what
kind Of = father I have. A md it
seems to me that one thing tells
everything about him.
1T does"
II could tell you . thousand
things. All through our lives"
'That one is enough"
"Well-I'm-so afraid he'll be
upset about-about my loving Jim
ME. Oh, I do love him, Jack. I love
him 50 much that it's eating me up
in here" She drew herself out Of
his arms and beat her breast with
. small clenched fist. II didn't want
to love him. Or any other m a n,
But" She stopped, her throat
working, and with . stony face An
ished, 9but my Dadums."
It seemed to Jack that every
drop Of his blood was pounding
against the walls Of his skull. The
sea went red. The muscles Of his
arms ached. He had known all
along, Of course, but to have her
put it into words - to witness her
suffering was, he felt, more than
man should be called on to endw9.
His years Of slavery, monotony.
filth, starvation with every bone
and muscle crying out in agony,
the loss even Of hope as time went
on. had been child's troubles as
compared with this.
There must be a way, though, he
reflected grimly. If could get him
in 4 card game, and let him catch
me cheating-he would blurt it out
it would form IN obvious reason
for my killing him.
(ro Be Coatiaued)
. 1889, b. KicS Features Syndicate, lac