Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-02-05
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
Bell Syndicate-WNU Features

TINE story of Helen van
Dyne is a most unusual
l. one. Like all the rest of
US she has carefully made her
own troubles; built herself the
cross she has to carry. But in
her case it wasn't the ignorance,
stupidity or mere laziness that
some of us can claim as an eX-
cuse; Helen deliberately broke
the law, and now she has to
pay for it.
Eighteen years ago she was
a beautiful woman of %, mar
ried to the wrong man. There
wasn't any question of his being the
wrong man; he did not provide for
her, he drank, he annoyed and hu-
INFLATED her with what seemed ac-
tual pleasure, and he openly said he
didn't like her. She had been mar
ried three years when she met the
man who, under happier circum-:
stances, would have been the ideal
husband for her.
Dick had everything. Charm, gen.
tleness, manner, intelligence, sue
cess He had been a young naval
officer in the last war, but had after
ward resumed law studies and was
judge in a remarkably short time.
Helen suffered all. the agonies of
frustrated love for while, and then
she and Dick left town, established
themselves in western state and
prospered They now have a boy of
l6 and a girl two years younger.
When an occasional old friend en-
countered her, Helen always said
that she had divorced Harry and
married Dick, but as a matter of
fact there was no marriage. When
she asked for it, Harry fatty re-
fused to consent to divorce, and
as Helen had already left him and
gone to place herself under Dicks
protection, she couldn't with any
dignity insist upon it.
Happy Home and Children.
Dick and Helen have a lovely
home, friends, a prominent position
in the small town where they live.
The children 60 to high school and
are preparing for college. Richard
Junior happens to be a proud and
dignified boy; he has literary ambi-
tons and likes to refer to his an
cestry, his good blood, his Ameri-
canism. Pamela is frail, fine, SEN
sitive and both are devoted passion
ately to their parents.
Last February Dick quite sudden
ly rejoined the navy, and was sent
overseas. Helen had little time to
argue the situation with him before
he left, but she did beg him to help
her get divorce from Harry, and
Legitimate her present position. Dick,
newly made lieutenant command
er, would not hear of 1t. 1t might
break into scandal that would in
jure his career. Rumors would
reach their own town and, above
all, it would hurt the children. The
only thing to do was to go on las
they were, until some day Harry
died, when they could quietly be
married.
Helen has not heard from Dick
since early in September. He is
missing, perhaps dead, and if he
doesn't come back her affairs will
be hopelessly complicated. For
there is a rich old grandmother, as
proud as Richard Junior, who is
presently going to leave good deal
of money to Dicks children. But
Helen is still Harry'S wife under the
law. Should Harry turn up he could
wreck their lives. Helen knows it
and sgonizes over it.
II have not had one moments
peace of mind for MONTHS" she
writes. 1--WE had drifted along COM
fortably for so long without ever
suspecting that anything would
bring up this old trouble; no man