Indianapolis Times, Volume 48, Number 56, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 May 1936 — Page 35

MAY 15, 1936

Today’* Short Story A LETTER FROM AUNTIE By Dorothy Barnsley

Bob ANDREWS felt so loaded down beneath his burden of worries that he wondered vaguely why everybody he passed on the street did not turn to look at him with sympathetic curiosity. He felt as though the weight of his depression must show in every line of his face. It didn’t, really. He wad young and strong. His suit was neatly pressed ,and his shirt was immaculate, thanks to Julie. He looked no different from hundreds of other strong, good-looking young men. He looked at his watch. Fivethirty. He would arrive home at 6 o'clock, because that was the time at which Julie expected him. Julie did not yet know that he had lost his job more than a week ago; that he had been spending his days looking for work, and occasionally in sheer desperation just killing time until it was the hour to go home again. The same day that he lost his Job he had written a letter to Julie’s Aunt Harriet. It was the last straw. He was expecting a reply daily. * # M HE had told Aunt Harriet exactly what to write to Julie. And, if he was any judge of character, Aunt Harriet would find a grim pleasure in fulfilling his request. Waiting for that letter was somehow like, waiting for a death sentence. Every night that it didn’t come was Just one more night in the rather shabby paradise which belonged to himself and Julie. When it finally came, it would mean the beginning of the end of their married life. ' Rob began to stride forward briskly now. It was almost 6. He began to think how incredible it was that, their life together should have to end like this. It had begun so gallantly. Julie was a country girl. Bob met her when he was on a vacation. He was city born and bred, and hitherto had always spent his brief holidays at the seashore. It was really his first country vacation. a HE was in the village postoffice when he first saw Julie. She drove past with her aunt in a rather antiquated Ford. Julie was doing the driving. Her tanned arms bare, and her golden hair an unruly frame about one of the prettiest faces Bob had ever seen. Julie was smiling. The aunt sat very stiff and straight. The garrulous postmaster volunteered, “That’s Miss Harriet Ellis and her niece. A regular crank, the old lady. They say she’s got loads of money but she never touches it. Hasn't been to her bank in years, except to make deposits. She, runs a model poultry farm over the hill there. Makes a good income. out of it, too. The girl is her dead brother’s child. Miss Harriet took her when she was a baby. Beautiful, isn’t she?” It wasn’t hard to get to know Julie, since she was on friendly terms with just about everybody in the village. They fell deply in iove. When Bob returned to the city at the end of two weeks Julie was his wife, and she went with him in spite of the violent opposition of her Aunt Harriet. Aunt Harriet, who disapproved of everybody, disapproved of Bob Andrews. When she heard the insignificant size of his ■salary she demanded: * * * "VTOUNG man, you don't expect J to support my niece on that, do you?” Rob had replied that was exactly what he intended to do. The old lady said cruelly. "You won’t get a penny out of me. if that's what you’re counting on!” Red-faced, Bob retorted that he wouldn’t take a penny from her, nor would he allow Julie to take it, not even if they were starving! He told Julie, “She’s jealous, that’s what it is. She’s had you since you were a baby, and she’s jealous because I’m taking you away from her.” Julie had cried a little, but she went with him. Bob was forced now to remember his brave words to Aunt Harriet. Because, a little more than a week ago circumstances had forced him to write to the old lady who had apparently forgotten their existence. The letter was’ brief and to the point,. “I am doing something I told you I w'ould never do But I am not appealing for myself. It s for Julie. I’d still rather starve than take any of your money, but I am just beginning to realize that Julie can t starve. You can laugh, if you like, because you have won out. It has all happened Just as horribly as you predicted. I’d do anything in the world for Julie, but I can’t support her!” m m m HE told her that he had lost htlob. and (hat Julie was ill, and needed things he could not possibly provide for her.

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He did not tell her how appalling It had really been. How he had had to take two cuts in his already inadequate salary, and how Julie had striven frantically to make ends meet. He did not tell her of his shock when he suddenly realized that Julie was losing weight, and felt tired all the time. The doctor had not, told Julie the truth, but he told Bob. “She’s suffering from malnutrition. She’s been literally starving herself to death.” It aawned upon him all at once what Julie was doing. She had said months ago that they must economize. He had realized just how she was economizing! She had been quietly going without things so that he might have more. She had been sacrificing herself. The doctor said sternly. “No human being’s constitution can stand this sort of thing—least of all a woman's. Your wife has got to have rest, and fresh air, and good nourishing food. Here, I’ll draw up a diet for her.” n m n the paper ciufched in his ’ hand Bob walked out of the doctor’s office, dazed. He would take care of her somehow, of course. Then, a few days later he lost his job, and despair descended upon him. He told Aunt Harriet. “Julie mustn’t know that I have written you. She mustn’t even know that I have lost my job. Couldn’t you invite her to come and stay with you for a while? She’d think it was just for a visit, but once she was under your roof you could find ways of keeping her there. When I’m lucky enough to land a job—a good job—l’ll come and claim her. Until then I promise you I’ll stay out- of the picture. I’ll never try to support Julie on a starvation wage again!” It was the only thing he could do. and he had done it. So he waited for the letter which would take her away from him. Hoped for it for Julie’s sake, and dreaded it for his own. It was 6 o’clock now. and he climbed the three dingy flights of stairs to their apartment. u n h A S soon as Julie opened the door he knew that it had happened. Her blue eyes were very bright. She said excitedly: “Bob, there’s a letter from auntie. After all this long time, she’s written t,o me. Guess what she says!” There was a. hard lump in Bob’s throat. “I couldn’t guess, darling. Is it something good?” “Good?” Julie exulted. "It’s marvelous! Listen—l’ll read it to you. Oh—this letter is just typical of auntie!” Julie read: ‘‘l’m just beginning to understand, Julie, that I have been a fool for a good many years. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with, and I’ve never had any fun out of it. I am about to turn over anew page in my life’s book. You will be surprised to know that I am sailing for Europe next week. At my time of life, I find myself seized with the wanderlust! I want to visit all the places I have read about before I get too old to appreciate them. “There’s only one drawback. There’s nobody to take care of the farm. It has been my pride for a long time, and I refuse to leave the place in the hands of strangers. Julie, my dear, couldn’t you and Bob forget our past differences and manage the farm for me while I am away? The income derived from it' would, of course, be yours, and I may say that it is a very satisfactory one. You can tell that stubborn young man of yours that I am not giving you anything for nothing. There’ll be plenty of hard work in it for him, in spite of the fact that I have a capable man here to assist him. But if Bob has the right stuff in him, I think he can make good. If he does—and you like it—well, maybe I’ll like traveling so much that I won’t want to settle down again, and I’ll give you the place as a belated wedding gifct.” H H u TJOB laughed suddenly. His dazed mind was trying to conjure up a different picture of Aunt Harriet. An Aunt Harriet who was keen enough to read between the lines of his stiff letter. An Aunt Harriet who had emerged from behind the shell of her grimness, at last, and found that she was a human being. A woman capable of a perfectly grand gesture. He thought that he was going to like this new Aunt Harriet. As he bent to kiss Julie. Bob said happily: “When do we pack?” THE END. (Coprrljjht. 133*. hr Chtcaso Trifcun#N. V. News Syndicate. Inc.)

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

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FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—

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WASHINGTON TUBBS II

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ALLEY OOP

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BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD MEN

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The new clew only increased Tarzan’s bafflement. The tuft of leopard’s hair clutched tightly In the hand of the dead warrior, added to the claw marks on the throat, Indicated that Nyamweai had fought in vain against one of the fierce spotted cats of the jungle.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIME3

Tsrzan knew that such a battle was impossible within the confines of the strongly palisaded village. But, at that moment, the ape-man sniffed the air through dilated nostrils and caught the vague scent of a leopard! This thing could not be—yet it was I

With Major Hoople

OUT OUR WAY

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COME ON, MEN, EASY'S IN TROUBLE. THERE UVOU BET. 1 Y HEY. SONNY,YOU HOP IN A CAR, ANo\ AtMT A MINUTE 70 DEPUTIZE THE / HERE'S A 6UN GIT BEHIND THEM OESPERAD(3eS / taxi driver., joe. we neep evbsv mam j suo, shoot ip vou see 'em trving to git

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Now Orando, who had been strangely missing from the throng, burst through the crowd and behPld the horrible scene. “Nyamwegi!" he cried. “Nyamwegi. who was my best friend, is dead!" Then he saw Tarzan. nose near the ground, crawling slowly on hands and knees.

—By Edgar Rice Burroughs

"What do you do, O Muzimo?’’ he gasped. "I go to seek the thing that killed Nyamwe'gi!" the ape-man answered grimly. Panic seised the warrior Orando, whose valor was a by-word of tbw tribe. "No. no!" he pleaded; "the thing that killed him will kill you, too!"

COMIC PAGI

—By Williams

—By Blosser

—By Crane

—By Hamlin

—By Martin