The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-03

Yesterday: Helen is killed
and Joe nearly goes mad ne
leaves Sparksburg, becomes a
vand~rer again, writes home
he'll be IN albuquerque next.
CHAPTER "
Toe drifted, alone, and ne was
indifferent 20 where hewas, but
Won must not think he was Iourn-
fuI or morbid. That wasn't IN
him. 4 stranger meeting hIm had
no cause 20 guess that something
had gone out of him, for his cauS-
tie. hardbo.Ied, friendly way was
unchanbed. He never went look ,
ing for sympathy. He made I
friends easily and hebrew women
10 him without trying. All went
we'll between Joe and other peo- |
pie until they came 10 cross the |
linethat led beyond acquaintance,
and the men turned confidential
and the women clinging and ten
der. Then he became suddenly
erratiC, and If there happened To !
be liquor in him. crazy and a
little cruel. When that happened
he blew the town Immediately.
Most times ne did not wait till il
happened.
And if you think that's exccp-
tional in Joe Murray, Just look
around you at all the people you
know and mark those who either
rule themselves rigidly, or if they
let themselves go occasionally. de-
yelop moods and erratic ways that
their friends cannot understand
no matter how they sympathize
and try. Good people. fine people. |
kind people but lonely. Lonely ,
in the midst Of friends, which is !
more inSidiOus than being lonely /
among strangers, because it's
more hopeless. LOnesOmeness is ,
tteacherous. and they must watch !
themselves rigidly all the time |
they are alive.
LOnesOmeneSS is deep, dark, far /
from sight, down where the roots !.
Of being grow. And when those
roots are SuHdered from the other J
roots that they have grown to- !
gether with, they are torn and /
they bleed and they are slow to
heal. Joe Murray could not have |
told you clearly, but that was
what was wrong. When another ,
came close 10 him and those roots
in their. darkness were ever so !
lightly touched, il was a blind .
ing. pain that shot clear To the
surface where il caused torment
and inexplicable behavior. And
after that happened, Joe flew. He
was happy among strangers, and
be was hard and difficult with
women. He preferred being happy .
and hard, so he drifted, always
onward.
Then one day ne turned up at :
home And with their own pccu-
liar tact the Mnrays asked Moth /
ing whatever about Helen, and T,
about her ne had never word !
to- say.
tie was soon at home among
chem. He was older, quicker,
surer., little aweSomely himself
in u house where he once had
bxen merely part OF the things al !
ways undeIfoOt, but in a day it
was much Os il he had never gone
away, He came and he went
casually, and heb resumed old ac-
quaintapcps in the .neighborhood,
and inside the week he found
hishseh job in The sheet metal
shop of a big manufacturing plant
on the South Side of town. 1t
was a place where they made au-
tohobile bodies mostly. In large
volume Rc was. first class
mechanic or full pay, and Mrs.
Murray got after him and saw to
IL that he opened savings ac-
count to Keep aside some Of the
very good money he was earning
in no time.
Joe made no objections. He
was Indifferent. but not lazy or
unfriendly or unappreciatiye. He
had turned out mighty fine
young man, everyone soon
thought: pleasant company,
good Garner, healthy aud sensible
and steady enough in his habits
for any reasonable Young woman.
You see? IL was happening al
ready! Even If you we've a iii
Interested party you would. being
human. very soon come TO the
point Of thinking that way about
ary young man 50 disposed and
so, 1tualed,. and the girls i'm the
nelshb0rhOOd were neither disin-
teteSted nor pretending To- be.
They lay IN waiting for him, idle
art very friendly on the surface
and tIetceiy competitive beneath
the surface. And they were griey
ously disappointed, one and all
was Interesting 20 see how he
TOOK them. accepting their flat.
terry aud attentions as if they were
nothing cut Of the ordinary. Vel
not wi tn OYermecning comnla.
cencf or amy other manner OF
eonceit. lie seemed unaware, no
moro, no less.
II was something that had
worked out by itself inside of
NM Tho . roots of his. down
deep had fairly healed, but they
fad ais" SiEunk and hardened
aud they no LONGER CROPPED in the
darkness, seeking. He was lit
tie untouthabe. Any time he
spent With women was preferably
spent with those fartheSf from the
neIghborhood and his home, wom-
en- from whom il wa convene mt
20 escape.
he had To leave way ont for
Aat. There weGe moments, Ger
tam reeurrent moments, when he