| Show I. I TODAY'S TODA YS Y'S SHORT STORY STORY r Fiction by Americas America's Greatest W Writers ltd by y Uw W. be X A Munier Ca eo ml OR GIVE ME DEATH DEA TH's By T. T Bell Two y lung ung men wore were seated at a n. table ln Int In Inthe the back room of at Johnny Becker's Beckers Taco In the tho Bronx One Peters was married and ho he had slipped slapped el out of at the tiro house houto hard by on the pretext of ot being In need of ot a a. small inexpensive ha hag of oC tobacco that does not bite tho tongue and of Dr which the last puff putt is as nourishing as ns the first He lie glanced frequently at his watch The other other Henry Henry Caulkins bachelor He lie was was there without pretext waiter walter glanced frequently at the tho When hen two women get together they talk ab about ut love loe and diaphanous gar gar- garments ments ment when two men linger they talk about bout matrimony and baseball The subject under discussion was matrimony I envy you Pete Henry Hem pulled a n. sigh Youve sot got a n. home and kids Life to you la Js one grand brand sweet vista Ista o of peace and plenty plent Look at nt me He flicked a n. grain of dust dUft from the 45 suit that clothed him even as the paper Imper to the wa walt wall I I wander from pillar to post seeking and never findIng finding find find- Ing Joys that the they they- tell teU me mc exist in this world I am a ship without ri a a rudder a bird without a u nest nest nest-a a soul Boul without a a. mate Peters looked him firmly In the eye Henry Benr he said sa sadly lr you make me sick Like a lot lut of or other people J I could mention you dont don't know when wn you oU arc alC well off oft Matrimony Is a IL beautiful thing thing not Ive I've been married five tho years this September and I lay Jay awake nights listening to the dead march murch There Is nothing left for mo now non but a n. cool quiet grave with a a. southern exposure For me no more the lowly aco ace will turn or 01 hu busy y ba 1 bar 1 tenders ply their evening trade If It I had married the first cousin to Venus do Milo 1 ant and my hearth were decorated with ros rosy bright eyed children of ot the first magnitude magnitude magnitude magni magni- tude from which fate selects senators presidents and prominent suffragettes all this would not compensate ato for theone the theone theone one thing I have forfeited forfeited my my independence independence inde inde- Independence Henry Hnry sneered Merely a word Pete without meaning I 1 am cloyed with independence It ls Is true that I ha have vo no lire Uro witnesses tom to tomy tomy m my comings s and goings R. R I doss do dor as I please case absolutely anti and none say my me mc nay nav I Yet yet the world sickens me for tor I 1 am amI I sui surfeited felted with freedom If I co could go from here hero tonight ht to a room five flat und und kiss a R. toothless red bab baby aby good ni night ht an and print a n. like o saluta saluta- salutation lion tion on the calm unruffled im brow of a n. short blond lady huh who had contracted before witnesses to to Jove honor and andI cherish me until she collected my life lite I Insurance money mone I should bo be tho the happiest happiest happiest hap hap- man that ever oyer surrounded a a. rye highball Peters finished the drink before him and rose stiffly BUrri from tho the table Henr Henry henry- Walked pu i o. o with him Going homo home Peters said bald ca casually as the they stood on the tho cure No not No not Just yet Henry said stif- stif Jin ing ft n yawn a WH Im Im going back inside and shoot a n. couple of games mes of Kelly KeUy 1001 ool Its It's too early to turn in Only 10 Lucky clog elos clog Peters glanced up at a half darkened window in the tho bl big apartment apartment apart apart- ment house across tho way You should worry wonT 1 Henry laughed All the same Pete Pele ho he slapped the theother theother other oilier man on th the shoulder what I said old toes o t I envy n you broke away and and and andI All right Peters Peters a away wa I I. I eny envy you ou so well we'll let It go at that Nourish your independence guard suard your liberty by t staying single He was iLS gone on and an the tho bach bach- bacht t olor tor turned back hack through the swinging I d doors or Peters darted across the street fumbled his latchkey and sl slowly wh mounted four flights of oC stairs stalls EQ opened a door loor Ills His wife in curl papers was reclining reclining ing in on a couch and rending reading something 1 from runt a n. yellow covered book Sho She glanced up as ho entered Is It Is this half haIr an hour hom she he ques- ques I I boned him Is Is what half halt an hour hour ho retorted I Thus he rattled the matrimonial I chains in the face faco of or his fellow convict lct I r am getting sick hick and tired tirell of or staying stayIng stay- stay I In Ing hero here alone night after night she sheI I complained while you consort with loose characters across tho the wa way I 1 saw you ou from the window g go into Beepers Becker's where I suppose youve you've been drinking and carousing for tho past two hours while I I-I I I have o waited up for you losIng los Ing my sleep and and and- Reading cheap novels Peters finIshed finished fin fin- Dont come any of ot that neglected neglected neglected neg neg- wife business on me Mabel for forIm forIm forIm Im I'm wise I am a kind indulgent husband hus hus- band and when there Is a R. slow Alow tropic breeze blowing from tram tho the south but let a storm cloud burst and Im I'm there thero with re repartee repartee repartee re- re partee retort and action 1 I You have havo mentioned this thing thing once once or twice before in my m presence and I 1 have corrected you But nut my stock lock of patience happens to 10 bo he very very low at the tho present moment and I am apt to sa say something you'll be sorry for tor for torye aye ye and am quite apt to throw something In your our way that may IDa break when it bounces off of your our bean to the floor I Mrs Irs Jason Peters Peter rose languidly and faced her spouse Each separate curl paper bristled and signals w were ro set warning mariners to keep close to shore shorn You poor cheap imitation of ot a n. hu human human hu- hu man man she hissed between clenched teeth which teeth which Is very good form torm in connubial connubial connubial con con- crises crises it if you so 50 much as dare I I Bay say dare dare to to lay one tenth of or your our little HUlA finger er on ono one cl hundredth eighteen I of i-i i my p person r oil I will m muss you up so I that your our own mother molher would pass you by hy at broad noonday unrecognized noonday unrecognized I may bo ho only a poor defenseless s woman at tho the merc mercy of ot a a. low contemptible contemptible con con- wretch but when I get through with you ou a o wagon wa oll will carry you away Tut Tut tut Peters Peter's raised a hand Have O done with the tho small talk Letus Let Letus us retire Ill Til retire when I get read ready She advanced on him Just lust now now sho she he picked up a plaster cast oC or Cupid I that a adorned what women call cnn a n. center center cen cen- ter table table r I have something some to 10 t say ay Tell it to Sweeny Peters was quietly quiet removing removing- his bh collar and tie tic Im going to turn In Ill Sweeny you ou situ she replied and Freedom shrieked when wizen Cupid smote Mr lr Peters on the thc cerebellum He groped blindly for a n. Louis LouiR the Fourteenth street clock and found it Mrs Peters Petera retorted with an imitation vase and the battle was on Mrs Peters hurled fought bit and clawed clawell Peters swore guar guarded hurled dragged Jed and defended I believe the natives of ot G Gettysburg were informed that a n. battle was about to be bo pulled off oft In their vicinity and anti were wore requested to step aside abide long enough to allow several hundred thousand thou- thou sand fellow cit citizens na to kill each other but the battle of ot Petersburg was ex ex- ex Excited neighbors neighbor gathered in the hallways and und appointed a secretary of oC war to forage for a cop Officer Monroe lounged d on the corner corner corner cor cor- ner ner conversing with tho the cI cigar ar store man mall who had Just lost his wife Ho He listened with Indulgence to the word borne borno him by br the tho messenger from the front lie He a assumed an entire entirely I Judicial attitude which Is illegal ax nt he did not belong ta to the executive department department depart depart- ment of ot law and anel order Man Inn and wife yo ye 0 say he smiled serenely Aw let Aw let em get it out of or their systems Who ho has a a. better right to wallop each e ch other Id I'd like to know Fendt it They'll TheU git tired of ot it before ye yc git It back The cowed messenger n or returned with his report but bul there was no one to rocel ro- ro cel celo o i it Tho The house was WM as silent and c deserted as a n. boiler boner factory on Sunda Sunday Let Lot us tiff return to Officer Monroe onroe who Is still conversing with tho the cigar store man Ho lIo is 18 describing a l new now thousand ten house he is erectIng erectIng erect erect- Ing on avenue a bou bought ht with six years years' savings from rom a u salary of or 30 30 a D. week An excited bareheaded waiter watter from Beckers Becker's place hurls himself him elt through h the swinging doors and da dashes breathlessly breathlessly breath breath- le lessly ly to the minion of ot tho the law Theres an nn awful scrap upstairs in th p poolroom ho he gasps Come quick l I Hur Hurry Firmly grasping his night stick the officer follows tho the waiter waltor through thedoor the thedoor thedoor I I He lle door marked Family Entrance I I leaps up upstairs two steps at a n. time and Just In time Henry Caulkins has pinned a fellowman fellow fellowman fellowman man to the wall Fall and rind h Is massa massaging his features in a n. workmanlike manner The officer tears Henry from his pleasure leasure 1 You fellows conic cone wid me he thun thun- I ders dels The Tho station house for yours 1 It was as only a a. friendly little argument argument ment t over ovel a n. game of or pool Becker says as they thoy pass him on tho the way out If It th that's ts t's friendly friend tho the officer says wisely tell teU me Johnny when theres there's going to be bc a fight here herc and amI Ill I'll bring bringa a coroner coronel with meHo nie me Ho passes out with his charges t tA A half hour later Intel up patched-up Jason I II Peters Petera stepped to tho the front window and looked out into the starry starly night His glance swept the lie sleeping borough of or lh the Bronx five le stories stones below w. w and lin lingered lingered lin- lin of or Becker's Beckers Beckers Becker's Beck Beck- on tho the lighted windows ers er's where through the open windows came faint sounds of oC clicking pool balls ball and the clatter of ot genial conversation atlon Lucky guys Peters said to him him- self ser I suppose old ld Henry I la is over oyer there thero with tho the boys bos pla playing ng 10 cents on the one ball perfectly miserable in his independence while I IA IA I- I A trembly feminine voice olce called caned from the tho bow bowels ls of or the thc flat with lath modern improvements Arent you yeti going to tobed tobed bed bell soon dear Clear You know youve you've got gotto gotto gotto to go o to work orle tomorrow Ill Til come when I get Jet ready babe Peters turned sadly from tho the win win- dow He sighed |
