The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-15
CHAPTER XIV


 Joe stood there, looking at her, looking at them all, rocking slightly his breathing deep. After a moment he spoke. The point is this," he said. And get it. I'm a pretty good guy when they're with me. When they're against me, I'm made that way and like it. I'm tough tonight and I'm telling you; the next time I'm tough won't be telling you. But anybody father, mother grandparents or pope-that names my wife out of turn, will know it without being told! That's all Don't forget"
 He wheeled and marched out of the room, and he was white of face.
 Immediately after that Joe walked, walked, walked. There was a hard, hard, undigested thought inside him. It was bewilder- ing, it hurt. He had no right to feel the hurt. He could be sore, perhaps, but not hurt. He was both.
 Another of Theresas liesw
 What all did that mean? That he had been tricked? Well, was that news? She had almost plain ly told him she would, if neces- sary. He went into it with open eyes. He had no kick coming.
 Still, it had the power to hurt.
 Joe walked, walked, and in his own way came to rationalize the values involved. He was that kind of man. He was impulsive when he saw thing clearly, and he was willing to work it out when he did not. The only thing cloud- ing this, it seemed, was his own conceit. He was kidding himself. Only sap does that. He knew where he stood. If she lied to him, it was for reasons already well known to him. She needed him, wanted him-and she got him.
 In the face of that simple formula Joes hurt and Joe's anger both wilt ed and slowly ceased to be. He could not resent her need. It was not in him. His real deep resentment was for wanton lies, wanton malice, such az had first sent him forth tonight. For moment his original grievance had been almost forgotten. It was, simply, that Tommy Withers had talked. In mere neighborhood &C., quaintance he had encountered Ter rvs father on the street and that hollow spiteful old fool had laughed cynically and allowed certain insin- nations which Withers was gleeful to repeat. In the phrase of the neighborhood, he had talked"
 Talk? Joe snorted. Talk was cheap. You could push around and make trouble for people who talked, but most of the trouble was words and no more was hurt in the end.
 What had stung, for a little while, was that knifelike thought: another of Theresa's lies!
 But the hurt was soon gone with the anger. This Joe Murray was a peculiar man, with hard ness in him and womanly soft ness together. Thought flowed in him long and deep, like a river that rolls and races furiously down to the final dark peace of the sea. There was no anger in him at the end of his long walk. If he had been tricked, then he melted at the thought of Terrys need of him. She had wanted him that badly. He had been willing before; he could be the rop,a oooiy, Notbi,,r bod cl,opoaJ
 So he told himself, turning home ward. But life always changes, going on, even as a charlatan fooling you before your very eyes. Joe was gen. tie with Terry when he came in: he told her what he had heard today and what he had done tonight, leav- ing out only what he had learned tonight. He need not tell her that. He was glad to be with her and not alone.
 But in the reaches of the night there came a loneliness that he could not fathom, that was new and unaccountable and cold, like a wind from the north with the tidings of winter.
 It was almost a premonition.
 
 One day Joe came home in mood of expansive, reckless gaiety He tossed the lunch box on the kitchen table. You can put that up in moth balls and start supporting your family, babe. I'm one of the leisure classes. Make it, one of the leisure masses"
 Terry was home ahead of him and already busy; she turned quickly from the lamb chops sig zling juicily on the stove. You mean the job? Laid off?"
 'They gave me my time this morning" Beneath the gaiety was certain secret beWilderment which the recklessness sought to hides. T took my time and tod them to put their job up the near est chimney. could get a job. I could get a better job before the whistle blew again. There don't seem to be any jobs. I went look ing, but the whistle will blow without me tomorrow.
 She kissed him. If there Was any ulSIIeSS III LeT IL ulu not show; she kissed him. Poor dar- ling. Give him time! You've worked every day since we got married. You'll find job"
 Yeah? And I'll find somebody already working at it. Baby, they're slipping one up on us. The automobile contracts have run out at the plant; that's why the lay off. They say therell be no re- newal. Most of the plant will be