Evening star., 1941-10-12
II Short Story Complete in This Issue

vA/tHEN you know that your husband
w has again gone walking down the
w road to spend his after-work hours
with younger, far prettier woman, it does
something terrible to you. Under everything
else there's the dull aching surprise. 1t can
happen to other wives - you read about such
things. But it can't be happening to you.
Not to me, Anna thought. Not to Jim.
But standing there under the pepper tree,
she could almost see Jim's dark face lifted
as he reached the Herrod place. She could
see, with her mind, Mrs. Herrod in her patio
calling out something gay and amusing.
Mrs. Herrod would have on shorts and
halter, probably, with her beautiful legs bare.
Maybe Jim shouldn't be blamed Perhaps any
man would be glad - would even feel en-
titled - to escape to something not worn and
about, Anna asked herself contemptuously,
except that egg prices are down, that the
fruit crop will hardly cover the taxes or that
Mary Lou wants to take business course?
Maybe I'd 60 off and forget too, if could.
Only she knew she wouldn't.
The valley lay in twilight, and the voices
of the Mexican pickers called back and forth
under the low trees. Plums, sweet and mellow
with maturity, sent up fragrance like heady
wine. The Mexicans, babies and ALL crept
around on the ground gathering the fallen
fruit. After while they would stop, and
family after family would 60 down to the
little creek where Jim let them build their
fires each autumn. There they would cook
and sing and stretch their tired bodies and
tember, when the Mexicans came. But not
this year. Nothing, since the San Francisco
woman had come, was the same.
Anna tore herself away from watching the
lonely road There was supper to get. But first
she went down to the chicken houses to see
if they were locked. Twice in the last few
weeks Jim had forgotten to lock up. She saw
he had not piled the empty burlap feed bags
for the man to pick up in the morning. Each
old bag was worth ten cents. If they weren't
ready, though, the feed man would drive
straight off. She went to work.
When she had finished the dusty job, she
went back to the bungalow and washed and
then back to the kitchen to make biscuits.
All the time she kept seeing Jim's dark head.
still damp from his shower, turned from her.
1t made her remember that the electric pump
must have the current turned on or there
wouldn't be enough water to carry them
through the night and morning. She went
down the shaky basement steps and turned
on the switch.
! HE resounding beat of the mechanism,
which could be heard in the kitchen. made
low, laundering accompaniment to her
thoughts of jim and Mrs. Herrod. What did
they talk about when they were together?
Mrs. Herrod might be talking of San Francis
co. IT'S such relief to be here in the valley
where it's quiet" Anna had heard her say
that "Of course l adore my fiat on Tele-
graph Hill, but it's nice to slip away when
want to-"
Jim's thin strong body would be taut with
listening. With longing also? Anna tried
not to think She tried to fasten her mind on
Mary Lou. Mary Lou should be home by this
time. Surely Jim would come back before
supper! Setting the table, Anna asked herself
what she could say to Mary Lou if her father
were not there when she returned. He drove
to the Association to see if the crop prices
were fixed -- He's gone to San Francisco"
But Mary Lou would notice that their old
car was still in the garage.
When Jim had been in San Francisco last