6
-TOE CAROLINA HUES SATURDAY, NOV. 27, 1871
love Me, Love My Wife
By GEORGE B. RUSS
Chad whistled while he
worked and the other em
ployaes exchanged glances with
one another behind his back.
The telephone call from
Mrs. Effie Fiazier had changed
Chad's complete outlook on
his work day. Between taking
the October inventory and
bringing up Christmas mer
chandise, Chad had been in a
tailspin until he had talked
with Effie. The excitement of
hearing from an old friend was
the basis for his exuberance.
All the things they had meant
to each other in the past had
not yet dawned upon him.
Making appointments had be
come a way of life with him;
so, telling Effie that he would
see her on Saturday was just
another appointment he had
made. Every day someone here
in the store wanted him on
hand after the 5:30 closing
hour. Being stockroom man
here at Beanion
Clothiers for Men kept his
overtime pay at a peak. Punch
ing in again at 7:00 and work
ing several hours was money
in the bank toward making his
life's dream a reality. Working
here at the store wasn't the
worst kind of job for him or
anyone for that matter but he
wanted something a little
better, something of his own.
His dreams of self-employment
and granny Lizzie's candy
making recipe was kept under
lock and key in his brain and
inside a small leather box in
the bottom of the dresser
draw where his shirts were
neatly packed.
Yes, siree, Effie Freeland
was an old flame - Effie
Frazier was the name of a
woman whom he had promised
meet her home out on
aamhain Chad
wondered where Samhain
Boulevard was located here in
Hayestown as he made ready
to leave the Store. Gladys had
gone to Friendly City to visit
her aunt Charity and wouldn't
be home until tomorrow. She
would take care of aunt Chari
ty's needs: write letters, col
lect the monthly rents from
the farm out on Glenhaven and
the three room shot-gun houses
up and down Maplewood Ave
nue. Gladys never mentioned
the fact that was overly nice
to her old aunt because some
day she would inherit a goodly
portion of her aged, ailing
aunt Charity's worldly goods.
And he never made any ob
jections to Gladys' trips to
Friendly City; he loved and
trusted his sweet, little wife.
However, hie own mother had
intimated that he was a fool to
allow his young, pretty wife to
spend overnight time out of
town. Until he had just cause
to mistrust her, these overnight
stays would continue. If
Gladys had her fingers in his
eyes, he would string *long
a "lappy dog" until he
made the discovery of her un
faithfulness.
Janet had left a note say
ing she had taken Ronald with
her to a movie: Deanna Dur
bin in Mad About Music - with
Herbert Marshall. His children
Seagram's
7 Crown.
It fits right into
• your world.
t 1 J
SUG*AM giSTIUW CO. M.y.C BICMQCD WHISK* 86 PROOF 6 «, GRAIN HtUTRAI SPIRITS.
were his pride and joy. Janet
was twenty two and a junior
at State College - a Sociology
major; Ronald was 17 and a
senior at Hayestown High.
Spending a great deal of
time alone was nothing new to
Chad, therefore, he was not
disappointed that his family
had left the nest. He would
get out the blueprint of his
dream and let the rest of the
world go by. Strangely enough,
he did not sit for hours work
ing with his drtfam plans. In
stead, he went down stairs and
searched among a pile of scrap
books until he found the one
with a photograph pasted to its
faded, crumbling, pink page.
The picture was taken on a
summer's evening in front of
Hayestown First Baptist
Church. Effie was wearing a
blue dress with white polka
dots the size of a guinea hen's
egg, she was laughing and her
brown eyes were closed against
the sunlight. Effie was beauti
ful - not pretty. Hers was
soul-beauty, however, she had
lovely, shapely legs, and tiny
feet. Effie was a native of
Salisbury, a middle sized, wes
tern town below Asheville.
There was something about
the girls in this locale that
attracted him more than girls
in other sections of North
Carolina. Perhaps it was their
independence, their self as
surance. Whatever the quality,
he was more at ease with them.
Gladys was a native of western
Carolina. However, hers and
Effie's paths had never crossed.
Gladys belonged to the social
club set. Work was Effie's re
ligion. She loved making
money. How he became ac
quainted had always struck him
as being uniquely corny. He
was out of a job and had
given up knocking on any more
doors for this particular day.
As he walked down the street
patting his pockets for a
crushed cigarette pack, an at
tractive young woman crossed
the street carrying a basket of
snowy linens. Readily he saw
that she had an overload and
ran to her rescue; "you're
trying to carry too much." He
said reaching for the wicker
laundry basket.
"A lazy man's load. I didn't
want to make two trips.
Thanks a lot. Maybe, I can do
something for you sometime in
the future."
"Maybe so. Right now, I
need a job. Do you know any
one who needs
"Jobs for men are hard to
come by. in case I hear about
something how can I get in
touch with you?"
"I live with the Hogans on
Jones St-eet."
"You're joking!"
"Do you live near the
Hogans?"
"Across the street."
"I've never seen you there."
"I spend a lot of time with
my sister-in-law. My brother is
serving time. I stop by every
evening when I come from
work 'n spend right much time
with her. I have seen you going
back 'n forth. I thought you
were stuck up."
"Me!"
"No joke. You're always by
younelf."
"But I am a stranger here.
I don't know the folk around
here."
"Where you're fromr*
"Capitol City - I finished
high school in '3O. Came over
here to make some dough to
get back in school."
"You're smart."
"I'm not sure about that."
Then suddenly he asked, "Do
you smoke?"
"No. But I'll give you a
nickle. You can get some loose
cigarettes at Green's Grocery
Store across from Hayestown
Drug Store." Effie pushed her
hand into her apron pocket
and came up with a coin.
Chad found the grocery
store about five blocks from
where he had obtained the
nickle from Effie. And when
Effie came home later in the
evening. He was seated on her
doorsteps waiting for the very
nice lady.
Effie admitted that she was
glad to see him, "but I had
no dreams I'd ever see you
again."
Effie's blunt frankness often
shocked Chad but he even
tually learned to appreciate
this characteristic. And as the
weeks passed he became more
and more dependent upon
Effie, and as time passed they
became more romantically
enamored. Finally, out of
necessity, he took up residence
with Effie. He did what he
could to share the expenses but
times were hard and paying
jobs were luxuries that only
few men could boast of.
Effie was a sweet, lovable
girl friend and generous with
her cash. His very need was
supplied and he was grateful
to his benefactress.
During the summer of
1933, he found a job as vege
table cook assistant. Preparing
vegetables for a cafeteria like
P and H. was no small chore.
Bushels of turnip greens, Kale,
Collards; potatoes, rutabagas,
bushels of fresh string beans,
egg plants, crates of cabbage
for cole-slaw. The hours were
long and the pay exigious.
Chad worked hard and with
in a single year, his wages were
increased from SB.OO to
twelve. At least, he was in the
money. He moved out from
Effie and took up residence
with and aged couple; Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Brewington. His
moving out from Effie was not
the result of any moral scrup
les. Her brother was coming
home and Effie hadn't wanted
her brother to discover that his
sister and boy friend were
sharing the single bedroom
apartment with his wife.
Bishop Freeland >.as a
"Chicken House thief" but he
abhorred unmairieds shacking
up. So, he put his sister out
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for sinful carrying on in the
room with "Missey gale," his
pet name for his wife, j Beu
lah.
Chad avoided the family
embroilment the way one
avoids the plague. However his
admiration for Effie became
more entrenched.
Chad was leaving church
one Sunday afternoon when
his former landlady called to
him, "Mr. Hodges', I'd like to
speak with you if you have
the time." The honied voice of
the fat lady announced him but
he turned around and met the
good sister half way.
"I guess you'll be getting
married soon."
"Mam!"
"You don't fool me with
your sneaky innocence."
"1 plan to go back to
school in the Fall, Mrs. Ho
gan.
"Well! You're going to run
out on Miss Effie now that she
has gone to the trouble to get
a divorce."
"Divorce!"
"She hasi't told you about
her husband? I always thought
she was the sly one. Of all
the under handed schemes. I
have told Mr. Hogan more
times than a dozen that Effie
Freeland is no good for you.
But she has you by your nose.
It's no business of mine but
why do you hang around that
woman. God is my secret
judge, I can't see why some of
the nice church girls don't
attract you. I was telling Mr.
Hogan no longer than this
mornig that you and Gladys
Briscoe would make an ideal
couple."
Chad wanted this sharp
tongued, old biddy to be on
her way. "Gladys Briscoe,"
Chad stammered.
"Take my advice and find
yourself a girl friend."
Chad Hodges resented Cora
Hogan and her advice. He had
no intention of courting any
giggling church girls. However,
the name, Gladys Briscoe did
appeal to him. There was a
classy sound to it.
Effie left for the beach in
August with the Bradleys, the
white people whom she
worked for. Her admonishment
for him to behave himself was
unnecessary. He wanted only
Effie's love and kisses. So he
spent his after work hours
writing letters to friends and
relations •• at Hayestown
Movie Theater - and, the Wed
nesday night prayer meetings.
Gladys Briscoe was among
those in attendance and on
several occasions he walked
with her home.
When Effie returned, the
words was out that he was en
gaged to marry Gladys Briscoe.
Too many of us waste too
much time on petty matters.
111 l
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