Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-02-13
Recompense
By FLORENCE KERIcAN
@ Mcclure Newspaper syndicats.
WNU Service.

Inc jar brought throb of pain to
her cheek, and her fingers tenderly
sought an angry bruise there Imme-
diately a new flow Of bitterness surged
through her slim body.
None of the neighbors would blame
her for leaving him. They'd talk, of
course. But neighbors always talked
anyway. She could get her old lob
back. Mrs. Blackstone'd said she'd
never had girl like herself that
could cook and everything and was
| that willing. Him and his twenty a
week Couldn't she make fifteen her
self, with board besides?
The bus had climbed a height out
/ side the city and all the jeweled lights
were spread out below them. Street
lights were cold; home lights were
warm, warm as love itself. In her
front parlor she had a lamp with a
rose-colored shade. 1t had taken her
a year to pay for it, but when the
lamp was lit and the shade was I'D,
you could look in from the sidewalk
and see a rosy glow and a polished
table top and the arm of an easy
chair-just like some rich mans
| house.
Home! And that's how Mike treated
it! And her!
Her cheek throbbed. The jolting of
the bus hurt it. The bus that was
carrying her farther and farther away
| from the city with its warmth and
security.
Sure she'd promised to stay with
Mike in sickness and in health, and he
had been sick the morn-and good
enough for him, too! Coming home
and making a beast of himself as he
had, after drinking up the weeks
money!
And what do We think We'll be
Twin on the week?" she had demanded.
You drinkin' it up, We dirthy. guzzlin'
pig, We! Ye lazy ould omadhaun, We !"
Just like lady she had said It, an
not Insulting at all And he had up
| and struck her.
R0saeen twisted as far around In
her seat as she could, and peered back
through the darkness. There was a
tug of her heart-strings toward the
city. handful of lights In the dis
| lance.
Nobody would blame her for leaving
MIN. Foolish to stay with him-that's
| what she'd been. Foolish to marry
him at all The bigness of him, the
strength of his shoulders as he drove
his truck, the laugh of him, and the
| high-handed way he'd made love to
her. That's what had got her all be-
moidhered. When she'd seen him take
drink or two with Pop and Nom
| she'd thought what friendly felly he
was, and she'd never thought of him
drinkin' up the weeks money-rent and
light and heat and the pair of shoes
| she needed and the new shirt he need
ed himself, all gone down his big red
quiet! And she'd never thought his
| strength would be turned against her
self!
"A man who'd strike woman, and
that's the TRUTH" Pop always said, sis
no man at ALL"
The bus stopped and Rosaleen
alighted, the heavy suitcase dragging
down one shoulder The street light
made little white circle on the pave
ment, and the dead leaves skipped
along after the bus. Everywhere was
| peace and calm. She followed the mar
row pavement, walking unevenly be-
| cause of the suitcase.
The house was dark and empty. She
let herself in and snapped on the
! light, and looked about her at the
dear, familiar things. Then she made
her way to the kitchen, leaving the
front parlor dark.
Suddenly she stiffened The front
door opened and heavy footsteps came
through the front parlor. She turned
In the act of laying slice of ham In
the skillet A broad figure filled the
doorway. He was unshaven and heavy
eyed, and his blue shirt was smeared
with black grease, but In his square,
blunt-nailed hand he held large pink
rose.
II got We this, Ros'een," holding 1t
out awkwardly.
The slice of ham sputtered into the
pan. Rosaleen took the rose and put
1t in water silently and set 1t on the
table. 1t looked pretty against ne
blue oil cloth cover.
Ham smells good, Ros'een. l didn't
eat no lunch"
She looked at him and his eyes
shifted to the rose.
"Feller sellin' these on the street.
ALWAYS remind me o'you-name-and
colors like your cheeks"
She had a right to leave him.
Everybody said that. But they didn I
know. How could she leave him ana
him needin' her the way he did, him so
helpless like? And him so good to her'
buyin' her roses an goin' without MS
lunch to do 1t?
.1 thought ye'd maybe be feelin
poorly" she told him. $50 stopper
into Mons this after, and brought We
hack one o. her apple pies an me
suitcase most draggin' the arms out
me as IT was, what with the roast an
the potaties an all. Thought IL Wou'u
on good TO yer supper Ye like them
nod