The Provider by Evelyn Marshall

Author:Evelyn Marshall
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780984899906
Publisher: BookBaby

19

Whenever Dolly scampered downstairs and visited, she plopped down into a kitchen chair and ran a stream of talk about everything that came into her sphere: the neighbors, favorite radio quiz shows, movie star gossip, purchases in the department stores, and Lester. She would burst out on the high notes of the scale and run with the first thing that came into her head. And these days, her head was filled with news about the romance between the English Prince of Wales and the American divorcee Mrs. Wallis Simpson.

“If he has to give up his throne to marry her, he won’t do it.”

Rosa said, “You’re so sure?”

“If he did, eventually the money would run out and then what would he do? What does a penniless ex-king do? They can’t live on love. The love will fly out the window. I know what I’m talking about, believe me, Rosie.”

Dolly’s voice changed. “Lester had lots of money our first seven years.” Rosa stared at her and then looked down, embarrassed because she suspected that Dolly was going to tell her things that were not her business, and afterward Dolly would regret having said them. Rosa set down a basket of clean laundry and began folding the clothes into neat piles.

“Lester and a partner owned a chicken hatchery. And as soon as we were married, Lester took money out of the business to buy a house.” Her face lit up again. “He told me, ‘Dolly, you have a good time and furnish the house however you want.’ He just handed me the checkbook. Wasn’t that grand?”

“Why sure, Dollutchka. His money is your money and your money is his. That’s the way it should be.”

“Oh, Rosie, I had such a good time. I even purchased a baby grand piano.”

“Who plays?”

“Nobody. But it looked gorgeous.”

“So what happened?”

“Everything was going perfectly. The boys came. And you should have seen that house. But then the Depression hit us and we lost everything: the business, the house—it broke my heart to give up that piano.”

Rosa saw Dolly’s face drop, and she did not recognize her.

“Dollutchka, your Lester has a steady job. That’s more than Sanya has.”

“Yes, he has that.” She muttered, “His sister gave it to him. His rich sister.”

“His rich sister?”

“Lester had a family to support. I told him, ‘Go to your sister. She’ll get you a job in her husband’s steel plant.’ And she did, just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

Rosa stretched her eyes wide. “His steel plant?”

“Ah, Rosie, now there’s a success story for you.”

“He owns a steel plant?”

“Emile Bonner—her husband. What a man! He came to the United States when he was seventeen years old. Taught himself English. Lester already knew English—but a lot of good it did him. Emile Bonner worked his way through college in three years. He didn’t have a dime. Lived on oranges and peanut butter. That tells you something about being a go-getter, about having drive.” She rolled her eyes toward Lester upstairs. “Either a person has it, or he doesn’t.

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