The times-news., 1938-06-16


rl.e., new Jobs, new girls.
HEI EN-fell in loye-hard
once.
Yesterday: Reverses come to
the Murray home; Joe loses ms
lob. there is talk of closing the
lace mill, and the Murray hopes
fade away.
CHAPTER XIV
Joe was grim these days ano
Terry was silent. Her bland ga
iety was impotent against tins
Joe went out each day when Ter
nv departed for work, and II ne
had nothing definite to attempt,
he walked with her to the street
ear. He would have sat beside
her in silence all the way to the
mill if the carefare were not an
extravaganza. He was waiting
for her when she alighted from
the car at night, and they walked
home together. When they arriv'
ed home he went furiously to
work, either tightening or entire,
ly relieving every task. He did
not stay to do the work alone be-
cause he did not spend minute
alone there all the day.
He walked, walked, all the day
He went to the employment Of
flee of the plants, where the mo
Men Wanted" signs were waiting,
leering at him. He lay in waiting
for bosses he knew and accosted
them cheerily, uttering a set
formula and hearing set reply.
He ranged mean streets down
town, cycling people at work
hungrily, resentfully, hatefully.
You know the things that Joe
did; possibly you have done them
yourself.
If you have, and were mean
time living on the county of a
woman. a small gay needful per-
son whom yeu set out to rescue
and help ana have only dragged
into prRation and dread, if you
have exhausted her vocabulary
of encouragement until you WING
ed at the familiar words, always
beholding your incompetence to
cope with life, the hollowness of
her original estimate of you &. &.
Then perhaps you know what Joe
thought, as well sadid. | could
not begin to tell you his thoughts
unless you had some closer ink
ling than vague words.
His mind was in the grip of a
slow and morbid fever which
showed only in the quiet grim
ness of his eyes. Terry looked at
him and was frightened more at
his eyes than all the menace of
their plight. This was something
she could not cope with either,
could not beguile him out of; not
all her witehery could prevail
against that grim stolidity.
Darling" she cried, "elOse
your eyes. Kiss me 3. Now pre-
tend"
pretend what?"
"Oh, pretend we're just mar
ried aud you love me and we're
rich and going to have a house
and little car and q garden in
the back ="
= The grinness cracked a little.
an back Of what? The carp,
"No, in back of: the house! Well
have something else in the back
Of the ear, Guess"
: "TooS?" ss..-s.-
q! mo, no -. Babies" Pr. .
3 He serutinized her swiftly, but
she shook her head, smiling mo
darling. / said, pretending. Some
great day - there'll be Terry
and a Joe, and then another Joep
But there was no charm fol
him in the illusion. A shadow haC
passed over so swiftly and broker
the spell. He smiled for her, bu'
his eyes told the truth. And sht
was afraid, for this was a Joe
whom she could not handle.
Once when Joe was walking OF
the street a small but shiny anC
brand new roadster drew up a.
the curb just ahead and the driver
got out to run into a house. He
recognized Joe and waited. Ii was
Tommy Withers, a bit older, SURE
OF himself, prosperous looking
jaunty even in Joe Murray's sight
after avoiding him SO long. 1t wa:
his big moment.
"HOw do you like the new gon.
dOla, JOe?"
Joe looked at him a moment
then looked at the car. mice
Where did you get it?"
Withers was waiting for the
question. Just bought it,"
Him." said Joe.
Lined up a JOB at the new
brosdcasting station plant OF
Marshall street. Maintenance
WI A. SNSaNs Sdiuc Olu wage
scale. You picked the wrone
trade, fellow"
You're nelectrician?"
Always was"
Huh! Lucky break; not the
trade" said Joe. "Glad some
bOdy's getting it."
Thanks And before. goins
inside Withers added, 1How's the
,missus?"
"Good" said Joe, and walked
on.
A small incident, but signifi
cant. Small incidents make bis
thoughts, if not always righi
thoughts. Withers, whom Joe haC
once beaten ignominiously, wait
ing jauntily to show off befor,
Joe, to patronize him. To patron
ize Joe Murl,ay. ,Joe o,.imlv