The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-08-10

Marcia went home to the ghastly shell
OF her apartment and the perturbed
Cora who was to be q part Of the pill
grimage.
mo, I didn't eat out" she told Cora
Grossly, "and I don't want to eat in,
either. We've got to start at dawn
n that means packing until past
midnight"
you been crying" asked the anxious
Cora.
mol" snapped Marcia and dug her
knuckles into her eyes and retired in
to what had once been her bedroom,
but o resembled the wreck Of the
Hesperus.
Retired? The word is used relatively.
Marcia didn't retire, she had her cloth
ing to pack and she'd meant it when
she told Cora that she would be on the
Job until past twelve. First Of all she
took off her dress-she'd have to keep
it fresh for traveling-and put on in its
place a smock. It vas a smock that
she'd used once when she was stenciling
closet shelves and it still bore the COL
orful marks Of her labor. Over her hair
she tied one of Cora's ~cheesecloth dus-
ters-she must keep her wave in place
A&A VA&VA4 ~ 4O0 w "N40s
Packing Is q hard job. Bending,
ing up exercises? After she had pack
ed her spare shoes in their partitioned
travelling case, Marcia discovered that
her feet hurt, 20 she kicked off her
slender heeled pumps and salvaged a
scuffed pair Of castoff bathing Slip
pers from the waste basket.
She packed underwear next. Some
OF 1t was new, bridal. Marcia's eyes
swan with tears as she folded it and
her heart was filled with ashes. She
packed hats and stockings and blouses.
She came to the pinkish red dress with
Its organdy collar-Karl had kissed
her in that dress-and her eyes spilled
over and two small rivuletS cut vertical
1y down her face. The face wasn't
clean-the rivulets became grayish
streaks.
Cora, standing in the doorway of her
room, created a diversion by saying
Min if I run down to the corner, Miss
Marshy, for a ball O. twine?"
Marcia gulped out, go ahead" and
stuffed tissue paper into the sleeves
OF the red dress. Those sleeves, with
her arms in them, had almost dared
cling around Karl's neck. She thrust
the dress viciously into a half filled
trunk and collapsed against it in a limp
heap.
I'm getting to be a regular water
fall" she sobbed, IT do nothing nova
days but cry and blow my nose and
cry n blow my nose 49,"
How long she sat beside the trunk
sobbing Marcia couldn't have said.
She only knew that she knelt there,
Niobe fashion, until there came a bang
ing at the outer door Of the apartment.
Hang Cora" she wept, as she strug-
gled to her feet, nov she's forgotten
her key 49,"
Dusty, her head bound in a towel,
her nose red, she went to the door. Her
feet made a shuffling noise in the old
bathing slippers. Her hand fumbled
with the knob, the door swung open,
and on the threshold was Karl Logan,
hat in hand.
For n incredible, spaceless moment
they stood staring at each other and
then with a little inarticulate throaty
sound Karl had dropped his hat on
the floor of the hall and had stepped
inside and had snatched her up in his
arms.
"Going away, my eye!" he grated.
you're staying here -. Thank fortune
I went back to the office and found
your crazy note 80. Say, what have
you been doing to yourself. You look
like nobody's business! O, Marcia, dear
est . When will you marry me?"
They settled it on the sheet shrouded
sofa with Marcia's head on Karl's
shoulder and q beatific Cora making
coffee In the kitchen.
But, why" questioned Marcia, why
did you persist in acting as If you real
" didn't care? Why were you forever
letting me DOWN."
Karl Logan laughed boyishly and
ruffled what was left Of Marcia's wave
(she'd removed the buster long since)
and spoke.
"You were always s darn neat!"
he told her. Let down, you say?" That
was the trouble. There was never any
let down about you. You were always
perfect, so perfect that you filled m
with q thousand inhibitions. Believe
It or not, Marcia-all this propaganda
about curriers' at the breakfast table
and hmonos to the contrary-a fellow
likes q vile who's occasionally not g.
stylist. And he likes to feel that he
wouldn't be breaking one Of the ten
commandments If he slipped up on q
shave or had a hole in the toe OF a
sock"
Marcia, wriggling her feet in the
shabby bathing shoes, started guilty,
Tor there wa a vacant feeling around
one Of her own toes! She kicked off
the slipper and placidly surveyed the
no longer intact stocking that clothed
her foot. And then Karl kissed her
again-and again . 4. and as her cher
ished idols crumbled about her she
crept closer into his arms.
WASH OUT
...e -