The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-09-01
CHAPTER XXI

AS the days melted into weeks
Boots realization of what she
had done, the seriousness of. the
step she had taken that August
morning almost overwhelmed her.
She would have died rather than
admit that her marriage to Russ
had been a mistake; but there it
was. Nature, for her own pur-
poses, had thrown. a veil of CLAM
our ever this particular young
man. Moonlit nights, scent of
roses in the hedges, the spell of
physical nearnesS had blinded heS
to his imperfections. Now, quite
suddenly, she saw him with clear
eyes. He was a fine physical
specimen, he was sunbrowned, he
had excellent teeth and an agree
able smile. Beyond that, beyond
the lovemaking which had already
begun to pail a little there was
simply nothing: no bond between
them. They spoke different Ian
guages. -.-
She was not the first girl to
come alive to this difference aft
er marriage. But she was young
and the lesson was a bitter one.
Her stole acceptance of the sltua-
ton spoke volumes for her grow
ing maturity. Although she cele-
brated her 10Th birthday early
in September she was years older
or felt tin experience and
wisdom. When she passed young
girls on the street she glanced at
them curiously.
"Was l really that stupid and
unseeing last year," she often
said TO herself.
After that black afternoon
when she had received from her
parents a strapped and neatly adj
dressed trunk and a brief, cold
note advising her that her father
did not wish to hear from her
AGAIN she had had no further
word from Larchneck. She seldom
went over to New York now. She
had no money to spend and Gior-
ia, discovering that Boots had a
real talent for homework. was
leaving more and more for her
to do in the shabby flat.
When questioned about their
plans Russ usually mumbled some
thing vague about starting for
Florida little later. Boots had
learned now that the car which
he had driven about the village
that summer was not really his.
1t had been taken back bv the
company because of defaulted
payments. How they were to get
to Florida she had no least idea
but for long time she trusted in
Russ to keep his word, against
her better judgment and indeed
her common sense.
The one thing she refused to
do was to go to her parents for
help. Russ had "a little job" now
and then. Once he was requisi-
toned as a helper on a bakery
wagon, working for the firm Lou
drove for, and Boots cheeks
famed scarlet as she heard the
news. 1t seemed perfectly rea-
sonable to all the family-to
Gloria, Lou. and to Russ himself
that he should do this sort of
work. To Boots, in her pride and
her love, it was a cruel blow.
Russ as a lifeguard had been a
romantic enough figure, invested
with all the glamour of the out
of-doors, windswept bleak sea and
yellow sand. Russ as a bakery
truck helper-she shuddered at
the thought. But sha had put
her hand to the plough now;
there was no turning back.
Sometimes, in the dead of night,
she thought of hG mother and
her tears fell thick and fast. She
never let Russ see her cry. 1t
made him angry. He hated. he
said, SIGNALLING women" But
usually he was kind, in thor
oughly unimaginative way. To
this girl who had been babied and
petted all her life the experience
of living as a member of this
household was devastating and
maturing one. The old life, seen
from this vantage, seemed now
unbelievably soft and easy. What
had she done with her time, her
money? Why, even her old
scanty allowance now seemed
prodigal.
We've got to get out of this
place. "We've simply got to-" she
murmured one warm morning in
late September. She was alone,
in the flat. Gloria had left the