Show 44 A R 0 kf 0 IL 0 HARRY PUGH MC CLURE vice installment lima Magu lre wile wife of 01 go lucky editor and mayor of cl covington is in ni ther other of lour four children hit by the depression tom who separates from his wife alte ary etta when he she refuses to give up ka be secretary cre tary job to join him in the walier neller town atter after his real estate job peters art out 01 0 CHAPTER shirley took a quick step forward then paused abruptly her knees trembling as jaird went on 1 I found a secondhand second hand clothing inan an who relieved me of my dress gait it and studs for thirty dollars but ive nothing else to sell joe and you TOU gotta be reasonable A hundred and nd fites all this hole is worth there e it t is on the table take it like S good boy and call it a deal not nol noll no cried joe violently two hundred dollar not a cent less ie but joe ono no can do ill pay you the rest so much a month all ali cash no credit t but joe have a heart jairis voice was hoarse you dont know what this means to me theres a OL I 1 love her better than ashes everything to me everything and im losing her because we cant get married you say theres a living in this place if a man can make good by sweating his heart out I 1 irell al maybe shed laugh in my face if I 1 asked her to move into a dump ise ble this but its my only chance for gods sake try to understand rin im losing the girl I 1 love and I 1 cant do anything about it two hundred dollars insisted joe and I 1 thought id found the way out muttered jaird with something that was almost a sob you have whispered the girl in the doorway to the rear room shirley at first he could only tare stare at her radiant eyes her tremulous lips 1 I sold your ring jaird for a hundred and twenty five here it is give joe his price and tell him to dear clear out she was in his arms they clung together it will be hard wor work and everybody will laugh at us he whispered do you mind 1 I dont mind anything when I 1 have you in my arms like this neither do 1 I 11 whispered shirley again his laugh rang out e exultantly x he added to the pile of bills on the counter P pack ack up your duds and beat it I 1 joe oe this place has changed hands they hung out a sign closed temporarily for repairs and visited the dollar store they had some working capital that precious sev enty five dollars above the cost of the place shirley selected pale yellow dishes and green glasses with a cut crystal effect and glittery new pots and pans that had green handles they bought yellow oilcloth by the yard for the table covers and window drapes shirley knew how to scallop them with the scissors jaird purchased paint and hammer and nails they were back at ten they hired an ancient negro with a moth eaten mule to cart off loads of rubbish they scoured the floors and jaird aird painted the walls an apple green while shirley did the chairs in n ivory they tacked up the yellow oilcloth drapes and stacked the new E g green e n g glasses asses and yellow dishes behind d th the e counter jaird solved the bedroom problem by turning the hose on it and leaving the sun and tir air to do the rest late in the afternoon they moved the furniture back inside and shirley made up the bed with crisp new sheets and a green crepe spread it look half bad said jaird aird with a throb of pride in his voice you arent weakening are you darling not no NOW mol exclaimed the girl in hi s arms again they clung together they were going to be married at last fiffer ter tour four years this was their wedding night shirleys shirleye Shir leys heart thud tied ced deliriously against her side jairis face blazed with fugitive color they locked up the place and walked down the street jairis coupe had gone the way of his dress studs but he had a marriage license in his pocket his hand tightened on her arm and they laughed above ove the tumult in their pulses of course it was nothing like their plans that quiet ceremony in the old methodist parsonage there were no bridesmaids no flower strewn aisles no music it was ve very ry still ill in the old fashioned parlor but the e windows were flung open to the garden the air was soft and sweet will with dusk the old ministers voice leery ry gentle and reverent 4 I 1 do pronounce you man and wife ife shirleys shirleye Shir leys hand closed convulsively to jairis he kissed s stooped and her the old ld mis ministers aisters wife wiped ner her eyes she always happy about out the ee couples who came unexpectedly to be married under her i but this boy and girl had cant it when they swore to cherish each ch other always in sickness or IL m health for better or worse till beath did them part they were to each others hearts those alee alec who out ot of a job bad abc been abou arou around nd running with a flashy dashy divorcee who becomes and interested in 14 lou iou knight the town drunks drunk died daughter her lather fathe lie he rescuing a crippled boy in a fire takes her to his mothers mother home shirley engaged to jaird who 1 Is also out ol of work and whose mother wants want him to 0 marry connie two it shone from their eyes 0 laura with lous aid was setting the table for dinner when shirley and jaird came ca me in their faces face S were a revelation they did not need to say anything youre mar married riedl and you tell me for a minute laura felt she bear it she had tried never to fail her children and yet shirley her beautiful sweet shirley had married without a word in someone alses house laura had riot not even been there or mike it as if they would have disapproved laura was glad terribly glad that shirley was married but it hurt that in the biggest hour of her life she had not come home to her mother and father had not even told them and then with a glance at her daughters radiant eyes laura swallowed her resentment you see said shirley when they had explained about the sandwich shop jairis Jair ds mother will be furious but she cant be angry at you mother because you knew nothing about a ut it no one is to blame but jaird and me and im afraid we C f dY dyouse youre oure married dont care a lot whether she ever forgives us or not at least thought laura none of her children had ever said quite that about her she went upstairs with shirley to pack her overnight bag her other things would be sent on in her trunk the next day laura managed to be very gay as she helped shirley collect her frilly little pink negligee and a demure white nightgown from her hope chest but laura was not really gay it wrenched her heart when shirley closed the door on her girlhood forever and came down the stairs to jaird but laura did not betray it mike was waiting with his new son inlaw in law and he kissed shirley and told her she had never done a smarter days work and warned jaird to expect him to drop in often for a free handout and sent them off with a chuckle only laura knew that mikes lips were quivering only she was there when he turned to her with blurred eyes the moon had risen when shirley and jaird came back to joes place it silvered the oak leaves jaird snapped on the lights inside they gleamed on shining walls and new china china and glittering green glass but in in the back room the he t moon cast light enough it the way I 1 promised jaird said but I 1 love you shirley and ill IH work myself to death to make up to you for everything you ought to have and haven it what I 1 whispered the girl ive the man I 1 love ive his name and his love and his respect the right to make him a home and bear his children T the he right to live for him and for them what more can any woman want darling lils his lips found hers 1 I love you I 1 love e you I 1 whispered S shirley who had been unable to say the things that mattered back home laura maguire wiped her eyes and carefully put away avay the miniature of great grand grandmother other ashe it had served its purpose CHAPTER alee alec maguire did not come ho home me to dinner the night shirley married t telephone le phone laura he did r not jot even found herself wishing t that hat her son y y w v vy arst T rr T fr X y v v f diw byc wv X bm 6 afy V My w v M wv y avi yf X y so po far mays the bankers banker daughter kathleen who against her will Is be coming interested to in ritchie graham who Is also a newspaperman and aldi aids her father in angering the banker the latter causes cause the paper to lose its it advertising ver shirley pawns her ring to buy a hamburger stand jaird also comes to buy it it 0 alee alec was not too old tor for a session with the hair brush it seemed to laura that on top of everything else lou was just too much of au all days in the year to be saddled with the girl and such a tongue tied nervous little creature laura had talked herself hoarse trying to relieve the childs dreadful timidity but lou still trembled when laura spoke and her eyes watched the door for alee alec kathleen was dining out she might have helped lou had seemed less afraid of her than of the others she shrank every time mike addressed her he had even less success than laura with the poor little thing tom looked tired and depressed he scarcely spoke at all mike had had another run in with banker mays over an editorial in the morning clarion mike detailed the episode with gusto he thought it highly entertaining but it worried laura mike laughed when he ha discovered that kathleena Kath leens engagement was with eugene mays son laura also failed to find that amusing altogether dinner at the maguire house was not a happy occasion that night laura was glad when they rose from the table mike had a council meeting he was gone wren when laura finished in the kitchen tom looking drawn and white went up to his room and closed the door his haggard face haunted laura but it had not invited confidences he wanted to be alone she was his his mother and she ached with his pain but she could do nothing another woman had his happiness in her keeping laura with lou trailing after her like a shy dejected shadow sat down in a big wicker chair on the veranda and leaned her head wearily back for once lauras natural buoyancy deserted her she had a wild desire to indulge in a few well salted tears a luxury she rarely allowed herself shirley was married a bride this night in a hamburger joint the brides mother always weeps laura felt in the humor to do a lot of that only there was lou huddled in the porch swing small dejected pitiful laura felt like swearing she let down even for a minute and be just a plain discouraged human she knew lou would most likely faint with fright if her hostess put on a sob act its a lovely evening it murmured laura trying for the hundredth time to thaw the irksome ice between herself and her guest yes whispered lou at least with shirley gone 1 I inflict you with the couch murmured laura thinking with a pang that shirley would never again share kathleena Kath leens virginal bed lous small hands clenched im going tomorrow she said huskily laura glanced at her quickly the girls eyes met hers they were very unhappy and very apologetic lous big blue eyes alee alec have brought me here she said and I 1 have come I 1 knew hate having me laura flushed 1 I dont hate having you lou its just that ive been a little at a loss fitting you in 1 I know lou said why I 1 have come I 1 dont belong here ive never had anything or been anywhere im poor white trash and you youre lovely and so kind but I 1 ill go away tomorrow where will you go my chil child chilap dp asked laura very gently lou looked away 1 I dont know laura reached over and laid her hand on the girls knee but lou shrank away I 1 stay here till I 1 can work vork something out for you said laura 1 I would never forgive in myself if I 1 let you go otherwise and neither would alee alec hes ashamed of me lou burst out in a smothered voice he took me to the airdrome on a bet but he like me hes just sorry for me and kind like you laura drew a breath of relief so there was nothing between alee alec and the girl except his instinct to befriend a friendless creature laura remembered how all his life alee alec had brought in crippled sparrows and dogs with broken legs and insisted on repairing thern them 1 I cant believe alee alec is ashamed of you lou she said it matter that you are poor so are we but alecs so wonder wonderful full 1 breathed the girl with a little sob 0 hes just as tar far above me as those stars up there and always will be she got blindly to her feet and slipped into the house laura heard her going up the stairs heard the bedroom door close behind her and knew lou was crying in that mute heartbreaking way she had of 01 course she was as in love with alet alee laura sighed and he come near her all day laura wondered where he was she supposed he was helping myra boone massacre massac rf time as usual TO BE |