Show THE FICTION CORNER MESSAGE FOR THELMA by ROBERT ARTHUR note said that he would TOMS come com e at 11 II tor for his things by 10 30 0 anne had packed all of his personal belongings into the three pig pigskin sk bags and the wardrobe trunk which w aich she dragged empty into the foyer of the apartment and tilled filled there ther tom was never punctual lie he m might ight come halt half an hour early or halt half an hour late and she wanted to have everything ready in time so that she ehe could be out when he came she did n not ot linger over the packing or allow herself to feel anything even when s the he put the tha set of cull links and studs which had been her wedding gift to him and the silver mounted military brushes she cha had given him on their first fir stand and uy only anniversary into the last bag I 1 wonder it if anyone else in now new york uses military brushes she caught herself thinking I 1 never knew any other man who did A brief mental picture came to her of tom before the mirror making a determined effort with the tha brushes to force his sandy hair to s toy stay in place then as quickly as it had come she banished it surgical operations uld be neat and clean E even ven 1 it it was something you were cutting out 0 of your heart you linger over it only when the three bags were standing beside the tha trunk in their scuffed sturdiness strangely reminding her of tom did she have time to feel the emptiness within her As if in emptying the closet and bureau of his things she had taken something from inside herself and packed it too to escape the curious numbness which gripped her she turned swiftly and went tor for her hat and coat in getting them from the closet betide tide the tha front door she ehe saw the large pad which hung there where thelma the maid could not help seeing it both on arriving and leaving thelma was a good worker but forgetful thelma please defrost refrigerator said last thursdays note reminding her that this was saturday and thelma would do no marketing tor for the weekend unless told but thelma might be gone one before anne returned and anne hesitated then do everything just as always she he boid told herself it if you let go now it H just hurt worse and longer she slipped into her coat forced herself her to put on her hat with care then she took up the tha pencil that was tied to the pad by a red string and tried to think what she would need tomatoes lettuce oranges bread milk coffee the she thought soup maybe I 1 dont know I 1 dont care what I 1 eat her lingers fingers were curiously stiff es as she wrote carefully in neat capitals NEEDED she underscored the word drew a line after it then had just begun to write down the items hems she wanted thelma to buy when she heard the elevator begin its humming rise swift panic assailed her it was early but it might be tom he find her here to see him again age not knowing even now what it was that had gone wrong would be ba more than she sha could face her carefully maintained self possession probably would go in a flo flood od of tears and with it the last remnant of her pride all that she had left would be stripped from her she dropped the pencil leaving the note for thelma barely begun ran out the door and down the tire fire stairs before the elevator could reach her floor it top stop after all nut but the fear of being caught there by tortis toms arrival stayed with her until she sha was waa outside and hurrying across to washington square only when she reached the small park did she slow her pace she found a bench in the tha cool sunshine and sat down then watching the placid pigeons the scree screeching screechy chi ng children on skates the mothers pushing carriages and the c old id men playing checkers she tried to keep her th thoughts turned from what was happening but it w possible why the question persi persisted I 1 in asking itself what went wrong wiy it work out shed known it be easy A sports writer tom often had to lege and trying to be a reporter and tom spending more and more ot of his time with her until anne with her own need lor for him so EO strong had bad in her disappointment and inability to guess what was wrong between them provoked that scene which could not be made up so now he was taking away it his Is things anne anna looked fit at her wrist watch wat ch in the turmoil of her thoughts thought 3 rn more ore than an hour had bad passed she rose and thankfully started back toward the apartment tom certainly would have come and gone by now I 1 anyway it was over she could start rebuilding her we ule somehow at least she was thinking as sh she put her key into the door she had kept her emotions in control then the she opened the door and oil all thought fled he ha had not let left ills trunk and bags were wera still there and he be was standing beside them anne tom said bald as woodenly she closed the door behind her holding to the knob tor for support annel anne lie he took a stop step toward her ills hla voice was rough with urgency she Q va mp ali eai sf B dt A swift panic assailed her as she heard the elevator begin its buru ming rise lie find her here she left the message ines sage unfinished and hurriedly fled be away for several days sometimes even tor for weeks and the time when he was gone was just a series of 0 empty days and nights in which she missed him so much the sense ot of his absence was almost a physical ache but shed known how it would be and knowing had accepted the job of making their marriage work she had never fretted or wept when tom had to be away shed kissed him goodby lightly and welcomed him back in the same spirit she clung to him when he left or fussed over him when he returned men hated bated that she had never let him guess the tha horrible loneliness that stayed with her when he was away on arf an assignment sign ment lest it make him feel guilty for leaving her alone so much and shed kept her job writing store copy not because she liked or needed it but because it helped fill the days of waiting when he was away but she let the job come between her and the home she was trying to make for him with the help of thelma and much forethought she had kept it running so smoothly the mechanics ot of housekeeping never had obtruded upon the time they did have together r and yet she still could not analyze it why torn tom gradually had become dissatisfied and restless had taken to making excuses tor for sta staying ying away even when he be was not on an assignment sign ment then had come the blonde girl marlon marion something fresh out of col tried to turn tried to open the door to flee but his hands caught her anne weve been tool fools or at least I 1 have I 1 need you I 1 know it I 1 never stopped knowing it it it was wag lust just that you seem to need roe me need you tom in sur ur prise she ceased her blind efforts to release herself to look up at him to in astonishment but I 1 do ive always needed you the times time w when hen you were away and then without warning the tears isme came it was wag the first time she ever had let him see cee her cry men hated weepy women but when the tears were bere over something cold and dead inside her had bad been washed away she dried her eyes on toms tom handkerchief and am held her lips up tor for his kiss and she knew then somehow what he meant she had bad made their marriage a thing light and gay and it had been too light too gay with her casual goodbye and her bright welcomes she had hid her emotions too well that men hate emotion had been her guiding principle but a good marriage has depths A woman must feel needed but so must a man too in avoiding 1 one extreme she had bad gone to another tom tried in awkward sentences sentence to explain tried to tell her about the blonde marlon marion whose need for his help and advice had bad almost made him think that he be but he have to explain she understood r all he said and more only when he finished was she beail dered it if you let me ma know though tom said then his square nicely ugly features twisted in a grin that was tight with the knowledge of how bow close their escape had been it il you put it where I 1 miss lt it but she was able to still the question on her lips before it was spoken for she saw the direction of his look and followed it to see sea the message for the thelma lma which she had begun directing her to buy tomatoes and other items but had not stayed to finish and what the abruptly broken off message said bald now instead was NEEDED TOM |