The Western news. [volume], September 14, 1933, Page Page Two, Image 2

About The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current

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TANGLED WIVES
By Peggy Shane
Copyright by Peggy Shan«.
WND Service
SYNOPSIS
A pretty young woman finds herself
In a taxicab In New
arrange man who addresses her en
dearingly and speake of "an
shock." He leaves her for a moment,
and she drives on, for she fears him.
She stops at the Blltmore. wondering
who she Is. Her memory Is gone.
iTVom the evidence of her clothing and
wedding ring she concludes she is
married to a wealthy man. The name
less girl meets a young woman who
apeaks of her desire to go to Reno for
a divorce, If she can get the money.
The woman vanishes with the name
less girl's 1900. An elderly woman,
Mrs. Oscar Du Val, cordially greets
the nameless girl, addressing her
"Doris," wife of Mrs. Du Val's son,
Rocky. Rocky Is abroad, and Doris,
bewildered, Is taken to the home of
Mrs. Du Val and her sculptor husband,
Oscar. Doris falls In love with Rocky a
photograph, but cannot remember hav
ing married him. Discovering a trade
mark In her clothing, she visits a store,
and is astounded when a saleswoman
Insist* she hide from observation. She
returns to the Du Val'*, more mysti
fied than ever. Rocky returns, to dis
cover the deception. He demande to
know who she Is and why his wife
sent her to his home. She cannot tell
him. He assumes she Is some form of
gold digger. They agree, for the sake
of his parents, to pretend, for the
time being, they are husband and wife.
York with a
awful
as
CHAPTER IV—Continued
—~9~
She took up his picture and studied
It. Rocky was even handsomer than
his picture. His looks were not at
fault It was the everlasting mockery
In his eyes that she could not bear.
She paced up and down now, beat
ing her fist Into the palm of her hand.
"But can I blame him?" she muttered.
"Look what he must think I am."
Someone knocked on the door. Doris
eat down on the edge of her chair.
"Come In."
Mrs. Du Val entered and raised her
pudgy hands In protest.
"What. Ton are not in bed? Ah
Doris. Doris. I came to say good
night"
"I was just getting ready for bed."
She dived Into the bathroom. Mrs.
Du Val would not be satisfied until she
was under the covers. Well, she could
get undressed and get In bed, and
when the fussy little woman was gone
ishe could get up and put on her clothes
again.
She came out and began taking off
her clothes as quickly as possible. In
a few minutes she was In bed. Mrs.
Du Val was kissing her good-night
"I leave one little light for Rocky,"
she said tenderly. She closed the
door.
Doris bounced out of bed.
She switched on several lights, fever
ishly put on her stockings. She con
sidered the room wildly. It looked too
Intimate. She began to make np the
bed, tucking the covers in neatly at
the sides.
She gave a long sigh, straightened.
She would put on a little cotton sport
dress, low heeled shoes. At least
Rocky would see she wasn't trying to
look seductive. She crossed to the
closet to get them, and heard Rocky at
the door.-- : -
She stepped Into the closet.
He came In quietly. She listened.
Her heart was once more playing Its
familiar rat-tat-tat. At last he spoke.
"Aren't you being the least bit old
fashioned?"
She made no answer.
"For God's sake come out of that
closet. I won't bite you. You seem to
have caught your clothes In the door."
She was struggling to put on a long
lacy negligee, but It resisted her. That
was It, then. It was'-caught In the
door.
She opened It cautiously. „The lace
gave a small protesting murmur.
"You've ripped It, Baby."
She came out, trying to look digni
fied, "Please don't call me Baby."
"What shall I call you, then?"
The fact that she couldn't answer
his question irritated her. To have no
name had been a tragedy. Now It was
merely an annoyance. Being a false
wife was so much worse.
She fixed her eyes on him gravely.
She was surprised to see a slow flush
come Into his tanned cheeks. He
dropped his eyes. In spite of herself
Doris was mollified. She smiled a
. little.
"That's a nasty little smile," said
Rocky. "Have you been practicing It?"
All her fury came back.
"You're awful."
"D—n it all. Do you have to be the
prima donna every minute?"
"I? I? A prima donna!"
"I don't know what else you call It
to keep up this part of injured Inno
cence. You'd think from your attitude
that I was trying to palm myself off as
your husband to your family."
Doris sat herself down violently.
"You—you! You twist everything!
Didn't I say I was willing to tell your
parents? Weren't you the one who
wanted to keep this up? Another
thing, I won't have you In my room.
If you don't get out Immediately I'll
open the door and scream."
She watched him light a cigarette.
"Will you have one?"
'No.'
'"No, thanks,' Is the conventional
term, I believe."
"This situation Isn't entirely conven
tional. If you think you're going to
tpend the night here, you're mistaken."
"Oh ye as?"
"I meant It when I said I'd scream."
"You haven't screamed yet, Honey."
"And don't call me—"
%
"Honey? All right, but what do you
want to be called? Sugarfoot?"
"Look here, I can't sit here and chat
with you all evening."
" 'Frald you'll have to put up with
me for a little while."
"I won't."
She rose and began pacing back
The lacy train
and forth excitedly,
of her negligee swished after her like
an angry little snake.
"Look here, I can see all your charms
quite well when you're sitting quietly.
Y'ou don't have to display them like
that."
"I'd like to smash something over
your head !"
Rocky got out of his chair and faced
her. He put his hands on her shoul
ders. "You're a cutle all right, aren't
you ?"
"Stop it"
The. yellow and lavender draperies
of her gown were being crushed in bis
fingers. "I'm only a susceptible male,
after all, you know."
An electric current swept her, leav
ing her helpless and more angry than
ever. "Let go of me!"
"Nice perfume you use!"
"I don't use perfume.''
"What Is that lovely smell?"
"I don't know. Get away from me.
Talcum powder, I Imagine. Oh! This
Is too awful" What a fool she was
being !
She was confused, avoiding his eye.
He dropped his hands. "Oh well, I
thought you might kiss your husband
goodnight."
She looked at him hopefully. "Good
night?"
"Yes, I think the family have gone
to bed by now, and I can sneak Into
another room."
An absurd flush of gratitude swept
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She Snatched Her Lavender Kimono Lying Over the Foot of the Bed.
She Got Into It, Hardly Taking Her Eye« From Rocky'» Face.
her. He was being nice. And he had
meant to be all along. She had only
made an Idiot out of herself with all
her silly Imaginings.
She saw this to her annoyance in his
quiet smile as he left.
CHAPTER V
Doris had a heavy sense of guilt.
Now that she had found that she did
not belong there, where should she go?
She thought confusedly of Rocky—
Rocky as he was. Rocky as she had
Imagined him—of Mrs. Du Val and her
kindness of the past few weeks, of
Mrs. Du Val when she learned the .
truth. At Inst she slept.
When she woke, the sun was shining.
The birds were singing. The paper
flowers on the walla were gay and
friendly. Rocky's picture was still ar
ranged so that she could see It from
her bed. "He's too wonderful," she
thought,
ture, and
despises me."
Doris meditated. The situation be
tween Rocky and his wife seemed very
odd. Why was it that he did not want
to expose his false position to his fam
ily at once? Why was he not more
worried about the whereabouts of the
real Doris?
She opened her eyes. Rocky stood
at the foot of the bed. How long had
he been there? She went hot all over.
"Well?"
"My sweet, beautiful wife!"
She pulled the comforter up to her
chin. She tried to glare boldly back
|t him but the color flew to her cheeks.
"I don't think that's very funny."
"Funny? Gosh, It's no joke. I've
just been with Mother and listened for
one solid hour to the epic entitled:
Lucky Rocky's Beautiful Wife. My
sweet, beautiful wife." He sighed,
smiled with patient disillusionment.
"The old pose of wounded virtue, eh?
I suppose you're not accustomed to
having gentlemen callers In your
boudoir?
"No, I'm not."
"But a husband Is different!"
Doris was a bit startled by his con
fident manner. She watched him
Handsomer than the pic
more desirable—but—he
stoop to flick a bit of ashes that had
dropped to the coverlet. Her foot un
der the quilts drew sharply away.
Rocky, still bending, looked up at
this movement. "So'timid." He shook
his head. "Doris pulled a subtle one
on me this time. For a minute I
thought you actually were afraid of
me.'
Doris eyed him disgustedly as he
sauntered across the room,
of you? Certainly not—but If you
were to get out, I might get op," she
said.
"Why, we're going to have a cozy
little breakfast here together." He
picked up a pretty slipper and began
slapping it in his palms.
'1 wouldn't want to be separated
from my wife at -breakfast Besides
Mother's having It sent up for us. It
seems that you're In too delicate a con
dition—"
Doris scowled but she felt her cheeks
growing red. "I'm feeling quite well."
"Yes, Mother's been telling me that
at such a time—" he discarded the
slipper—"what a fluent liar you turned
out to be."
Doris felt hot all over. "I didn't
make up that story. You did."
"No, Doris did. Fooled me. At
least I think so now."
"You mean the real Doris told you
she was going to have a baby?"
He nodded.
"And she's somewhere now having
It? And you don't even care enough
about her to look It up. You ought to
be with her this minute Instead of sit
ting here talking to me."
He smiled lazily. "But I'm so crazy
about you."
Doris bit her Up angrily.
He rose. "Here's breakfast. I'll
help you, Estelle." He took the table
from the maid and placed It at Doris'
bed.
Afraid
"I'd like to get up and get my bath
before breakfast," said Doris.
He answered with mock tendernes«,
one eye on Estelle. "Shall I help yon,
Beautiful?" His hand touched the cov
erlet.
Doris could hardly speak for a min
ute. Then she raised herself sudden
ly. The comforter fell from the lace
bodice of her gown. "You're behaving
like a boy of six.'
lavender kimono lying over the foot
of the bed. She got Into it, hardly tak
ing her eyes from Rocky's face.
The maid left the room as she faced
him.
She snatched her
"If you're embarrassed," he began,
grinning— i
"I'm not embarrassed.'
She sur
veyed him calmly. His grin became
lifeless, awkward. He reddened. "Isn't
this all rather unnecessary?" she asked
him.
He spoke slowly, the awkwardness
disappearing. "I was Just thinking It
would have been better I guess If Doris
hadn't sent me one as jpretty a« you.
1 had all sorts of thoughts looking at
yon a minute ago."
She smiled gently. Her hand rested
where the robe lapped over at her
throat. The other hand held (he soft
folds together on one hip. She half
wanted to add "But you know Doris
didn't send me to you." But there was
something vaguely pathetic about him
now. Poor fellow 1 He didn't know
why she was here any more than she
did herself.
"You know I could almost believe
whatever you might happen to tell me
about yourself right now." His lips
moved slowly Into a cynical expres
sion. "You women!"
Doris escaped Into the bathroom,
locked the door.
When she came out, she found the
breakfast table heavy with coffee,
oatmeal, grapefruit, pancakes, bacon
and sausages. In the center a bowl of
early roses lent a bridal touch. Rocky
was standing at the window, whistling.
Doris stood still, severity In her ex
pression. "It hasn't occurred 0» you, I
suppose, that I might like to be left
alone for a minute,
pinned back quaintly but becomingly.
Her face was carelessly dusted with
powder and, judging from the way she
held the robe closely about her, she
had very little on.
Her lift I r
W38
(TO BH CONTINUED.)
e
9
National Topics Interpreted
by William Bruckaft
Washington.—The farm aid program
with respect to wheat now has entered
its seend phase. It
Farm Aid is facing Its real test
at this time, just as
the cotton program
faced a real test when the fanners
were asked to plow under their grow
ing crop, which has succeeded Insofar
as gaining the support of the cotton
planters Is concerned. Secretary Wal
lace is asking the wheat growers to
reduce their acreage for next year's
crop, 15 per cent below their average
In recent years. It Is jpow distinctly
up to them, therefore. If they want to
go on through with the allotment plan
for which there has been much agita
tion In congress during the last six or
eight years. Contracts are being sent
around for the farmers to sign and
agree to go through with the plan to
boost the price of wheat by controlling
the production.
Accompanying this development In
onr strictly nationalistic program,
however, la another of international
character. I refer to the agreements
recently reached at London whereby
a step has been taken to deal with
the wheat problem by concert of na
tions. It can have far more Influence
than can our program at home If It
succeeds, but Washington observers
seem to have their fingers crossed un
til they see some movements abroad
Indicative of complete sincerity on the
part of some of the nations that have
signed the London agreement
The conference at London placed
Faces Test
several significant elements Into writ
ten form. A general understanding
was worked out—and signed—that:
The major wheat Importing and ex
porting countries of the world face
the facts of the world wheat problem
and agree on a program of action to
seek to correct them.
The exporting nations agree to con
trol exports and to adjust production
so as to help eliminate the excessive
carryovers of wheat
The wheat Importing countries
agree to cease further efforts to ex
pand production within their own
countries and agree to a policy of
gradually removing tariffs and trade
barriers as world wheat prices rise.
The countries participating In the
conference will establish a joint com
mittee to watch the working out of
the plan In Its various steps. This
committee will meet from time to time
and will be responsible for seeing that
additional steps are properly taken.
So we have an agreement among all
of the nations on a start, and we have
our own program well under way. The
International understanding Is long on
promises, and to my way of thinking
will be a long while In fulfillment Our
own program, whatever Its merit be, Is
proceeding along quite different and
quite definite lines and If the theory be
right Is dependent for Its success upon
those who grow the wheat and not
upon whims of international politi
cians and Jealousies between nations.
• • •
There are so many "ifs" In the In
ternational agreement which, after all,
hinges upon what
Many "Ifs the nations them
selves do. If all
of the signatory na
tions perform and try to adjust pro
duction downward, such as the United
States has started to do. and remove
tariffs and quotas and other trade bar
riers, then It Is considered as possible
that something may come of the con
ference understanding. But those
whom I mentioned as having their fin
gers crossed are asking whether, for
instance* Australia, or the Argentine
or Canada, will enforce production
control And, If they don't then what?
Also, what about the situation If Italy,
which now has a tariff of $1.07 (gold)
on Imported wheat, doesn't cut off some
of that amount? Statesmen may sit In
a conference and fix things up In a
big way, and later their governments
have a way of forgetting just what the
agreements were, or else find loopholes
In them.
I had a letter from one of my read
ers In central Kansas, asking whether
I thought the London agreement would
have any effect on the wheat situation
this year. My reply was that It would
have none and could have none, and
I might have added the further thought
of my own that It probably never will
have much effect, because It Is unlike
ly there will be the necessary conces
sions by all concerned. If all of the
participating nations entered Into an
International arrangement wholeheart
edly, wheat production and wheat
prices could be stabilized. There re
mains, however, that ever recurring
in Pact
'If."
To get back to the domestic plan:
Secretary Wallace's decision to cut the
acreage 15 per -cent next year brings
up several questions. Fifteen per cent
of what, for example? Let me quote
George Farrell, of the agricultural ad
justment administration, so there can
be a definite statement:
"In many western counties, where
drought has prevailed during the last
:hree years, three-year averages ,are
not representative of farmers' pro««
tlon. These counties have favored us
ing county average yields and individu
al farmers' acreages as the basis for
farm allotments. Other growers, how
ever. whose yields are higher than the
and who are able to attest
c
average
their production, feel that the county
average plan discriminates against
them.
"To meet this situation, we have pre
sented to wheat growers a combina
tion plan which Is expected to insure
determination of fair allotments to all
farmers. .
"The combination plan provides
that In each county, where the com
bination plan is used, the total pro
duction of farmers who submit authen
tic records with their applications for
allotments, will be subtracted from the
total production of the county as
shown on the official figures In the de
partment of agriculture. Allotments
for farmers who do not have proved
records will be calculated on the basis
of the average yield for the county,
less the proved production."
The net result of this all Is that
farmers can claim their benefit pay
ments on the basis of
actual production on
their individual
farms for the last
three, four and five years, If they are
able to supply records showing what
that production was. This can be
done even if the county committee
decides to use average county yields
and the average acreages of growers
as the basis upon which the 15 per
cent reduction is to be calculated.
This arrangement applies only to
the 1934 crop. There may be more or
less than the 15 per cent reduction
ordêred iq the fall of 1934 which will
affect the 1935 crop.
Benefit
Payments
On the basis of a theoretically com
plete sign-up of the farmers and a
15 per cent reduction, there would be
approximately 9,600,000 acres now In
wheat that would not be planted for
harvest next summer. On the same
theoretical base of average produc
tion, the reduction In wheat grown
would be about 124,000,000 bushels.
With wheat prices about where
they are now, the income from the
current wheat crop Is calculated at
about $325,000,000, which Is some
thing of a gain over the 1932 return
on wheat, which has been figured at
$177,000,000. But If the wheat reduc
tion program goes over, the farmers
this full will receive something In ad
dition to the prices for this year's
crop. They are due to receive cash
from the processing tax. The Depart
ment of Agriculture has figured the
tax will yield something like $120,
000,000, and so the total return this
year may be as large as $450,000,000.
• • •
Some weeks ago, I reported In these
columns that the patronage dam had
broken and that plum picking for
office holders was going on full speed
ahead. That was true. It has gone
out full speed ahead, but If one may
judge from the enormous amount of
grumbling, the patronage flood has
not gone In that direction that old line
Democrats, or many of them, would
like to have It go. Indeed, President
Roosevelt's appointments have not
been ple a s i n g to the bulk of hia loyal
supporters.
I can report now that things have
come to such a pass that between 26
and 30—no one will say just how many
—senators have signed a petition
asking Mr. Roosevelt to be a little
more regular about his appointments.
It Is not certain that the petition, one
of these round robin affairs, ever was
sent to the White House, nor Is it cer
tain It ever will go to the President
If it has not been given to him yet.
Nevertheless, It Is significant It
shows the feeling.
* • *
The truth about the matter Is that
some old line Democrats, men whose
word has been Dem
Old Liners ocratic law for years,
are growing nervous
over the potentiali
ties In the Roosevelt course. Deep
down in their souls, they fear that Mr.
Roosevelt Is engaged In building np
a "Roosevelt party" as distinguished
from the Democratic party. They
point out that he has played ball with
the Norrls-LaFollette- Johnson wing of
the Republicans, that he has named
such men as Secretary Woodln, to the
treasury, after Mr. Woodln has spent
years In the Republican fold, and
Secretary Ickes to the Department of
the Interior, after Mr. Ickes had at
tained absolutely no prominence at
all In any partisan way except as a
Progressive Republican, and that he
has disregarded party recommenda
tions In dozens of cases only to pick
men and women who might Just as
easily be called Republicans as Demo
crats.
Worried
• • •
The depression conditions hit the
tee cream business last year, but the
consumption of butter and evaporated
milk moved higher according to final
figures for 1932 that have just been
complied by the Department of Agri
culture. It was quite natural, the ex
perts told me, that there should have
been a falling off of Ice cream, be
cause a good many thousands of peo
ple just did not have the money to
buy It If they had money, they
Jxmght the usual amount of butter and
eVaporated milk, along with the regu
lar supply of milk, but Ice cream was
in the luxury class. At least that Is
the explanation given for the decline
In the manufacture of Ice cream from
208,239,000 gallons In 1931 to 160,
138,000 gallons In 1932.
O. XltS, Wsstsrn N*wspap*r Ualoa
Howe About:
The Arctic Circle
Communism
Farmers in Russia
By ED HOWE
T HAVE lately been wondering If T
t am a less Intelligent, efficient and>
moral man because of my long con
tact with reformera In 193Ü a man
named Robert Marshall went to tha
town of Wiseman, north of the Arctic
Ircle, and remained more than a year.
ecently he has written a book about
his experiences while there. The In
habitants number 127 ; 76 whites. 44
Eskimos, 6 Indians, and 1 light mulat
to. Forty-five of the whites are na
tive born, and 32 foreign born; Ger
mans, English, Scandinavians, etc.: a
fair cross section of the people of the
United States. Living so far from
what Is commonly called civilization,
and being snowed In six montlfi of
the year, one would think they lived
like savages.
On the contrary, their average In all
respects Is higher than ours.
One white and two native women
profess to be religious, but the rest of
the inhabitants pay less than usual at
tention to the subject, and there la no
disturbance about It When there 1»
an occasional case of poverty or dis
tress (both very rare) It l* promptly
and generously relieved, although
there are no welfare workers In the
town. Nor is there any stealing, and
violence Is unknown, except a tradition
that a crazy man once killed a native;
sentiment la strongly opposed to quar
reling. There are no newspapers, pol
iticians, pastors, policemen. Judges,
lawyers, doctors, teachers, movie
plays, or welfare workers of any kind.
Mr. Marshall gave forty-five of the
adults, and most of the children, the
cotomonly accepted Intelligence test,
4
g
and found that 46 per cent ranked
above our average. Times are always
hard, and nature harsh, but the peo
ple manage to get along comfortably
and decently. Some are well-to-do,
some middle class, and some poor, but
there Is no rioting about It, all being
given the same opportunity.
This history seems to Indicate that
the troubles of the average civilized
community are largely artificial, and
Introduced by the reformers ; also, that
those of us In civilization. In trying
to get rid of our troubles, become less
intelligent, less effective, and less
moral.
A
I believe one bugaboo with which
men have long frightened themselves
may be safely given up. I refer to
Communism. Men will continue to be
mean. Idle, foolish, but the worst of
them have lost respect for the conten
tion of Karl Marx that the best solu
tion of the human problem la for all
men to pool their work and earnings,
and, at the end of the week, divide
equally.
Everybody knows and admits now
that Individualism-capitalism (every
man handling his home, his Job, his
family, to his own taste) Is the best
way because It Is the human way; we
have at last admitted some men will
not work, and that the Industrious will
not divide with them.
I think we may also dismiss the old
fear of general rioting, burning andi
murder. Men are still mean enough
to do thrae things, but are discovering
there Is no common sense In burning
such, houses and food supplies as we
have ; that It Is easier to possess them
through election booths or judges;
that Instead of killing Industrious
men. It Is better and easier to let
them accumulate more that may be
stolen.
• * •
The friendliest critic of the Rus
sians, Walter Duranty, says the Rus
sian town people and soldiers have
plenty of food, but that millions of
farmers are dying because of malnu
trition: which means disease caused
by lack of food. In the United States
town people have never been that
rough with farmers; we have made
fools of them, but always allowed them
enough to eat.
• • «
I have known men a long time, and
had occasion to remark many cases
of extreme shiftlessness, but believe
men are more shiftless now than ever
before. A man of forty-five (and who
confesses he Is healthy), In writing to
me for help, says: "I have no one to
appeal to now except my sister Ruth,
but she has been sick three years, and'
unable to do anything for me." I have
observed also that more men than us
ual are lately "working" the women.
Note any woman who has achieved
considerable prosperity as a result of
the new freedom, and you will find
a lot of men hanging to her skirts;
one successful actress confesses she
Is supporting seven families.
*
A tramp said the other day he Is
nearly always roughly rebuffed or In
sulted If he asks for work, but that
anyone will give him a dime or a
quarter, with a kind word, when he
says he Is hungry.
Balzac says every man of sixteen or
seventeen falls In love with a woman
much older, and has trouble if he
marries her.
• * •
The allied nations agreed It was a
good Idea to compel Germany to pay
the cost of the World war, and occu
pied the country with soldiers to see
that the Germans did It
But there was one serious weakness
in the plan: Germany couldn't do It,
the allies^ withdrew their troops,
after spending a good deal of money
foolishly.
e. 1131, Bell Syndicat*. — WNU 9*rvlc*.
so