Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-03-26
By KATHLEEN NORRIS

W IHEN the Browns were
w first married they were
W really poor. Harry
Brown made $3.50 a week, and
was glad enough to get it. That
was in 1880. Maybelle Brown
managed thrifty in three small
rooms, and when little June was
born she did everything for the
baby, too. She went to a hos
pital ward to save money, she
washed didies and dishes and
went without pretty clothes. Be-
fore she had been married two
years Harry had lost his job and
little Peter had added himself
to the family.
Maybelle Brown never lost heart.
They moved in with her father and
mother, and she managed to keep
the doubled household so comfort
able that when better times came
they hated to part, and the Browns
stayed on. Maybelle'S father died,
leaving her mother the house, and
there they all still are living. There
is plenty of money now; Harry works
from eight to four every day for
twice as much money as he ever
made before, and besides that he
is often kept until seven or eight
o'clock at night for overtime work.
The trouble is, this money has ex-
banded Harry's ideas to such an
extent that he has lost interest in
his home. Often, if he is kept late,
he goes to a night-club with some of
his associates, and dimes there, sit
ting for hours over the table, laugh
ing and talking. Girls go to these
places and strike up acquaintance
with the men. On two separate oc-
casions Harry hasn't troubled to
notify Maybelle that he isn't coming
home to dinner, but has gone on
from the restaurant to dance with
these girls. He has never been very
late in returning.
Harry always apologies, she
says He says lie was tired, hun
cry, he just didn't think. You have
your nice little dinner all ready he
says, and I'm afraid III make you
mad if l say I'd rather stay down.
town. When l ask him WHY he'd
rather stay downtown than come
home to the children, whom he real
ly adores, he answers that oh. you
get kind of demoralized, and the
other fellows are doing it, and it
just seems the easiest way.
Gets So Frightened.
81 get so frightened sometimes.
afraid that will lose him. Is this
the beginning of a more serious sep
aration? Perhaps l ought to say that
my mother is quite different from
most mothers-in-law. She is strong,
quiet, amusing. wonderful with the
children, who think there is no one
like Gam Harry really loves her
They work crossword puzzles, agree
politically, follow radio serials to-
gether and, when she was i'll five
years ago, no son could have been
more frightened than Harry was.
When Harry doesn't show up for
dinner she usually isn't aware of it,
for she is on the hospital kitchen
staff and is over there from four
until about nine every night. If she
does suspect it she doesn't make any
comment. But to be alone with the
children, watching the clock, putting
dishes back in the oven, wondering
whether to start dinner or to wait,
seems to break me down. All the
time, in my mind, am arguing with
Harry, and that isn't healthy for
anyone. On the other hand. l don't
want to be nagger, or a shrew, or
suspicious, or spying, and l can't
seem to see what is the sensible
course. But you must have had this
problem before, and perhaps you
can help me-"