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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1924)
JO ELLEN 1 By ALEXANDER BLACK. copyright, 1924. . ’ " 1 • (Continued From Yntfrday.) Mrs. Simms, whose headache, It it Survived the pellets, had not Impaired her appetite, went about the after dinner work in a bustling muteness. Under observation she always worked •a If driven. Jo Ellen, with the dry ing-towel, followed the appointed sys tem, which involved knowing the place for every dish and utensil. To commit no error was to avoid thn chance of a rebuke that would make her feel like a aervant who had come In late. The need to commit no err. r - - vived the dinner functions. It stretched forward into the empty eve ning. It pressed upon Jo Ellen as of a laden yoke. She had an aching wish to go out, to go anywhere. But this was absurd for one who had just come in. The quiet of an evening should have been a solace to one who had experienced the scramble of a working day. This nulet was -re lng. full of eyes and ears. The crack ling of Simms' newspaper was thun derous. . . . Slmmrf she was sure of. Things he said outside of the rooms, in his office on a lower fiodV, In the foyer, once when he walked with her to the station, all gathered to an understanding that was the more of a support because he was content almply to let her feel his af fection. While he was there the oth ers were especially guarded. When he went away Jo Ellen found a different quality in Mrs. Sinuns' silence. It seemed to erect menacing tentacles. Jo Ellen could hear her breathe and give forth a rasping, ac cusatory sigh. Marty twisted in 1-is chair as if to detach himself from a thrall. The inanity of a question would Indicate that he could no long er resist an Impulse to be released. Any question served the purpose. Jo Ellen would be tempted to deny to herself that she was sulking or ac cepting any complicity in the excru ciating stupidity of the effect, fihe would start telling Marty about some thing that had happened, something not Involving debatable contacts. De spite his apparent eagerness for di version, his attention was imperfect. HI* eyes appeared to glaze. He had no real Interest in the things she brought up. He could kindle at some thing shocking in the news, but un less his father happened to be present he -betrayed signs of remembering his mother. On this night she thought that his eyes had a peculiar desperation. Per haps it was a fancy. She often chal lenged her own 1-Inlngs. She fre quently discovered that when she had completed a miserable picture of his thoughts he was thinking about noth ing at all. Suddenly he came out with— New York --Day by Day— X___* By o. o. McIntyre. On the Atlantic. Sept. 6-—Last night they gave the ship concert ♦he proceeds of which go to the aid of disabled seamen. The master of ceremonies was a British Lord Hel pus or something. A jolly old tin of fruit of the Lawrence D'Orsay mold. It was a tame affair with little talent. An American actress ducked out on the program. She seemed slightly squiffed at dnner and the en tertainment fell upon the broad ghoulders of a French movie star who did an Apache dance to the tune of “My Man." The usual gouges took place last night. At dinner the collection for the cafe orchestra wan taken up. An Knglsh dancer and a young girl from Texas took one-half of the din ing room each. It was sophistica tion against naivette. And naivette won for the „Texas girl's receipts were $30 higher. And this pleased Bill Hogg, who had bet on her. Later he was displeased when in stead of lifting my voice In ren dition of "The Star Spangled Banner" I whistled. This, I have learned is patriotically de trop. Live and learn. There was a noticeable stiffness among the British at American hu mor and vice versa at the concert. Each seemed to miss the point of the other’s wheezes. 1 would like to see the British reaction to Bob Bench ley’s lecture: "With Gun and Camera Through the Alimentary Canal.” Tonight is the final night aboard ship. We embark at Cherbourg on tender for the train to Paris. Those who remain aboard will po on to Southhamton and London—a Jour ney several houns away. Trunks are being packed and farewells said. It is rare that an ocean voyage rtoee not bring about some rare and lasting friendships. And marriage en gagements are not Infrequent. Few can walk the decks without catching something of the romantic cadence and exotic beauty of the sea. Last night I talked to two old sea men who were clinging to a dark ened recess near the bow. Like all their kind they are shy. Men who prefer the calm sea and open sky usually are . Their life is pitched In a Blue wilderness of waste places. The melancholy swish of the sea is with them alwaj’S. To me there is some thing sad In their calm dignity. They appear more free of malice than any other body of men. Perhaps ths most interesting spot on the ship is barred to visitors. This Is ths wireless room. The most amusing passenger is one who has been dubbed the I^ady of the lorgnette as she uses it keeps every and her promenades are regal. The lorgnette, as she uses it keeps every. 1'ody at a distance. If she would toes 11 in the ocean and don a pair of specs she would, I ani sure, have a much better time. This afternoon we passed the Ma jestlc hound for New York. It was a mere dot on the horizon unless one used binoculars, but the sight of her gave a tinge of homesickness. After all. In a few houne, we Americans became foreigners—and that is never • pleasant thought. Many prisoners have left prison longing for their cell. After being cooped up In a stateroom for almost a week one begins to understand. It becomes a home of sorts, and you leave it just a bit regretfully. It will take a dny or eo to adjust myself to the larger freedom of a hotel room In Paris. Money Is being ehnnged Into francs and centimes and pounds and shll lings. Tomorrow night we dine In Paree. Houp la! goes another •ouple of frnnks. (Copyright. 1924.1 4 . "Have you ever seen anything more of-” Ami he stopped short. Ills mother looked up. Jo Ellen knew the name he had almost blun dered Into using. "Well." said his mother. "What's the idea?" Marty's face contorted. “You know who I mean—the—actor fellow.” The lie seemed to be nailed by Mrs. Simms. 'What do you think you're asking? The actor fellow. I think you're los ing your mind. What other kind do you think she meets?” "That ain’t so,” protested Marty. "She sees all kinds of people. Millions of them. You know the one 1 mean—” He was bent on getting past the lie. “That guy-’’ Jo Ellen made a writhing atteippt to help him. “You mean Canner ton?” “That’s the one!” “I haven’t seen him lately.” This was another lie, if the name were to be translated. Mrs. Simms was alert for the effect. But there was no very good handles for a crit icism. Jo Ellen slid Into an abyss of hyp ocritical misery. It was calamitous that ho should have happened to think of Stan. “I don’t see how these mounte banks live,” remarked Mrs. Simms. “You mean actors?” asked Marty, “The whole scandalous lot.” "Well,” Marty added vaguely, "they got to live.” "Have they? I don't see It. Any way, we don’t have to talk about them—or mix with them.” “Jo Ellen has to, if it's her busi ness.” “A dirty business.” Marty Jerked about in his chair. He took on the look of struggling under a seizure. The red fury in his face reached a crisis that was expressed at least in four words that were hys terically accented. “Always picking on her!” Mrs. Simms dropped her hands and stared. There was a new glint in her fixed, pinioning glance, an incredu lous and astonishing anger. “That’ll do for you,” she said “That’JI be all—all.” "You are!” shouted Marry. “Shut up!” His mother’s voice cracked. ”1 don’t want anything more out of you. You. What have you to say?” An unspoken resentment seemed to blaze up in her. "You! 'hat good are you? Sittl-- tere telling me-” Jo Ellen’s hand made an involun tary gesture of protest. Mrs. Simms did not miss the sign. "And I’ll have nothing from you either. Miss Smarty. Not a word." “I haven’t said a word,” Jo Ellen flung out. “Keep it up. I don’t want any words. We had no trouble in this house until you hu“ 1 in.” “She's my wife!” screamed Marty. “Yes'” Mrs. Simms struck the ta ble with her veined fist. “Yes: Fool! What did you marry for? Marry! Good God!” Jo Ellen walked out of the room. The two others, glaring lmpotently at each other, and Marty stammering for more words, gave her a sickening apprehension of the deeper trouble. She was separating mother and son. At the window, her face close to the glass, she peered into the oool darkness and shivered. There was the black beauty of the stars, and across the shoulders of neighboring towers she could see the lamp of Lib erty. XIIF The note from Stan Lamar was not on her desk when she reached the of fice in the morning. It came into Aaron's hands in one of the intervals before noon, and thus found its way. Would she, when she came back from lunch, stop in at room £06 on the fifth floor. This was the sum of it. with an “S. L." to finish. After lunch. There must be a special mean ing in this. But special meanings were negligible a^ the moment. So was the firm name on office 506. Enough that it was 506, and some thing not like anything else was to happen. At the click of the door he came out of the inner office. They were alone. She listened Indifferently to the ex planation. His friend Massinger and the partner had gone into the west. The place would be closed until the end of the month. He had the key. She regarded with more interest his knowing why Eberly would be away until after four. Their meeting was subject to no observation such as must be possible in a restaurant, for example. The need to be unobserved was made plain later on. Everything was made plain later on . . . not by any blunt recital of detail. The bearings of this and that came as part of a slanting revelation that had a kind of phantasmal wonder, im plying a huge, daring readjustment of the world. There was a leather-covered sofa upon which they sat presently. On the wall opposite was a wide picture of a terrace, with white-draped fig ures and a profusion of flowers. Per haps the round thing at the back was a turret of a castle. No particular meaning attached Itself to the pic ture. It was simply the object that hung where it became a part of any thinking that happened on the other side of the room. At one moment it was strangely clear. At others, it swam grotesquely, or receded into an opalescent haie through which red lightnings flickered. He was holding her hand while he spoke about his approaching journey. The touch appeared to loosen the tightness of everything. A tingle in her face was reminiscent of the liquor at Amy Tannings . . . and of the dance. These sensations seemed to envelop her. Although his shoulder was agninst her, he was not so near, so real as something within her that quivered like a thread of flame, an exquisitely confusing fiery whisper. She knew what he was going to say. She did not know how he was going to say It. nor how she would feel when she had actually heard It. She was letting the words come She wanted to know how she would feel when she heard the ultimate call. She wanted to listen, shamelessly; to let the flood of all that was outside ■ush into the prison of herself. She had been able to Imagine a great variety of things about him. When «he tried to imagine thing# about her <elf she had no aureness To herself file seemed to be fearfully obscure, j n kind of quaking tangle, not to b« understood: full of desperate wishes that quarreled with one another. As for feeling depraved, that belong*' with what she was doing. She re. railed moments on the roof when she had felt that only some crime could make her feel comfortable. ... 'r (To H«* Continued Tomorrow.) j THE NEBBS ' OH, PROMISE ME. Directed for The Omaha Bee by ~ol Hew BERTAVNLV. MELpWu NEEDsrr^x >ELV AND I UOPC //tell ME - IVE BEEN :s NOU A EOT or . V DRINKING »T for _ DON'T WASTE t fl OVER 50 NEAPS :VEQV OQOP IS_' f AND NEVER WAD / WOUQ On NOUR) IA o(w \sj / N UFE ! \Vw . UFE^X wo ■/TWAvJKS \ TWANGS'. M\Q. WEBB \ /1 SEC NOU AG Aim SOOM — C UGOOO-BWE,WOQATvO-<;vaJ«LL \ ' kVOU WAWG A PAL Or WATER 1 > Onj TW' PACKET r&KiCL-VU. \ BE COMiw aw ABOUT Q’-BO AM-/ V AMD MM MOT WAVE 'TVME 1/ VT “TO DROP IM --— \\Z ! YOU A'KIT Got APIECE OF Pit OR*Slice OKI -WAT FIKIE CINNAMON CAWE YOU BAKE ? G^K\E &, UlJKlK AMO I LL.TAKE YOU TO " PITCHER \^WOiY YEVLT VJEEK 0 >"• rtk. (/GO ON HOME AND ASK VOUR ( FOR SOMETHING To epct » \ VOU NEVER SPENT A. NliCKEL on A ) Girl in NOUR UFEf—TOUVE COMCEDy THE LAST BTT OF FOOD OUT OF K\C/ with PROtAISES'**. , 3 VC-O-O- FRONT now ONT/'^K, I 'Mfk I n I _LJS y*!7 V) (Copyright, 1M4, br ThtBeUSyndlcoto, Ire ) ]_x: 2^—HjM. ——■ --- ' Barney Google and Spark Plug BARNEY EVIDENTLY OBJECTS. Dr,wn for The °£*ba„ B1' by Billy De3eck SPARK PU) 6 «s Trctski m in Twe ^5.oco MEMPHIS Classic Tomorrow * 1.30 PM. TiiousAtsos o*7 DOUAPS tuA(Seit*D OM outgo Mg PRFVJAIllwrf ODDS S 7 OM SPARK PlUfr BARAJE7 CiocXjl* <SiVE* OUT- VATfME»JT re tOCAt AJtIUSPAPEB PASAJ That *415 Worse Cawhot ee t>csw 7)tt J>AT OP Tie Roce . KttT 1||| 3Roujn EVES • • m J |l i PAPA WON’T LET rill Hu1 ANveoov J D'VnJRft Voo / ToOA'i -• BA5Y j , Must make I'A/j Aa so- to Ciiiii«il!ii!}l|| if NCAu SOME OiME \ Else is Pound RJ& 1|; On TWe Door — V! MEBSE I Shouldn't X BE SO RITI-# AN- j LET TVlE OEmUIMEM / |N - - I DON'T / hue for'em To Twine/ I H A -y / WE El _ [(Will '* '«• ««. hawt <jct ma c*Tecnow 0 IA* T* *** Mo‘f ye MoS» AAPSAMS i* oat W*©‘ e« wAet - AU V1AMT» To See fo A*A« s*cr V40U) VO' AkMMAL I! I <SlWIW* To STACK. \ OP 10N6 SlOK A' \ Wl TVieTSm - Copyright. Ifl4. by King Fwwiwi Vdit«N Inc £n»t Bntaa* ng»w p—r*»4 RP IMP IMP I IP FATWFP R.*).«.r.d see jiggs and maggie in full Drawn for The Omaha Bee by McManu* DlXlllVjlllVi Ur r r\ 1 nCil\ U. S. Patent Office PAGE OF COLORS IN THE SUNDAY BEE (Copyright 1924) i\)lCC*b.C>LD TOP VOU DON'T I LL j HMOLETOURWIFE RlCHT JJ.7RV TNLK TO HER WiOOT THE \f ]\ '' HA.PPt D/V'Ets CONE Ej-Y KiO j c,1T HER AvLONC« ajs toull OUT SOFTENk HE-FL HEAR-V ton\c,ht tTHEfi feHC'LL ORKtST DfcJHt'TV! i TOUR EVERx V/lEaM • * _, MACOE DARUN' OO >OU '--—. HENEMeCP THE OAT'S WENT (_ I Ut>ED TO MEET TOU ON the ESRlDCE NEAR THE OLD OAW MILL AN t'O MOLD TOO**. HANO AN lOOO LOOK up INTO MT FTEA AN CALL , ME "BAPS'!'' L- —) jlll/t_2 MS HOW \'0 CALL. AT TOUR HOOBE } En/ERT MtC,HT A»s Tm<.c TOO PER A TROLLEt R\OE HOW JEALOUb ALL THE ftOTB WVJ2- OP ME Ars REMEMBER THE MTCiHT » PfiOPO^ } ^ TO TOO *» j-} V 1 BOO r-dii r°°v^ v SATOAHNT - TOO cot ne ih a,Fine F\* t CAH'T C'T Hw Vs/tFe TO “STOP —CRXIHO - \ 0**24 mv Imt*v Fiatu«* Scwv*c* In Great Britain rights reserved 9-5 JERRY ON THE JOB let joy be unconfined Dr,wn for,Tb?1°”?.ba Bee Hoban The Sou* Note By Briggs That was THr ,t s a <3r***° ENTER - SOUR NOTE MOST R«JK| | even GAMB OSCAR had- gosh _ y. jm i e / u ' OSCAR You OVXJG eae Two Bucks Ki»nD of PAT^y^u owe Me SICHT AKjt) ARoTTervJ , uuiDDY < You/ouje • me Ten Game at and BesiDESjTMAT we wiki "That \ The Pinner ANt CADDY Ff £S t~y\ Then’i 'winShe site Bet op Ftve Sucks from you * ,OSCAR anD the syndicate OWbS Me FiFTeeM ABIE THE AGENT Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Hershtield That'* Something Else Again. 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