Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-09-17
BY KATHLEEN NORRIS
THE problem of Leona Mat
son is unusual. That is, it


son is unusual. That is, it
i is unusual to find a happy
successful professional woman,
wife and mother, with so seri-
Gus a burden of conjunction and
remorse to carry.
This is part of her letter:
"At 20, and until I was 26, was
fortunate enough to be a secretary
to an elderly Hollywood writer. My
employer wrote scenarios, radio
scripts and magazine sketches and
acted occasionally in her own plays.
Although never in the least famous,
she was extremely prosperous. It
was part of my job to deposit her
checks in the bank. Sometimes one
day would bring in several checks
of different sizes.
Zone morning a large check came
in. Annie, to call her that, had told
me it would be for $4,000 but it was
for more than twice that much.
Without calling her attention to it,
I placed it face down for her to en-
dorse in blank. She did not turn it
over and I deposited it in my ac-
count, transferring to hers only the
$4,000 she had expected.
my mother died when l was
eight. My father, gambler and adj
venturer, brought me up. I always
had resented the advantages other
girls had and always had felt my
self underprivileged.
"This is no excuse for what
did, but the fact is that did it.
told myself that was only Dor
rowing the money, that Annie
would have let me have it if l
had asked her for it.
81 know now that she really would
have loaned it, but was young and
bitter then and demoralized by talk
of trips, pearls, salaries, Injuries en-
joyed by girls no older than myself.
| A few months after my theft, to call
it that, I left Annie to her regret,
and went east to study for my own
work.
Success and Happiness.
at was three years later and /
was close to 80 when success came.
With it came love and happy mar
riage. For two years Tony and l
had a Boston studio and then we
came back to Hollywood. We were
Joined a few years later by two Won
derful children. We work separately
and together. Mine is happy story,
except for this haunting thought of
what l did 10 years ago.
Annie is still here, but old and
impoverished now. She resents my
having left her and when | went to
see her, in a home, she was still hurt
and unfriendly. know she could
use the money that is rightfully
hers, but I cannot face-1 cannot
even consider - telling the truth.
facing Tony's horror and disillusion-
ment and Annie's anger, even if no
one else in the world ever knew. 1t
occurred to me that if had my old
account books could pretend that
l had discovered an old error, but
they are long destroyed. Do you
know of any way in which l can
safely make this old wrong right?"
To this terrible question there is
no easy answer. The law would say
that Leona must face the result of
her crime, for theft is a serious crime.
Many a good but weak man is spend
ing long years in prison for mo-
ment's weakness less grave than
this.
Renew Her Friendship.
But since l am not the law, l am
going to recommend an easier way
My advice to Leona would be that
she re-establsh the old friendship
with the woman she calls Annie
Wear down her resentment and cold
ness with affectionate visits and lit
tie presents. Annie is old. lonely,
defeated and dependent, remember