I did. It was too implausible not to be fact; moreover, it dovetailed with O.J.
Bermans description of the Holly hed first entered in California: "You dontknow whether shes a hillbilly or an Okie or what." Berman couldnt be blamed fornot guessing that she was a child-wife from Tulip, Texas.
"Plain broke our hearts when she ran off like she dohe horse doctorrepeated. "She had no cause. All the housework was done by her daughters.
Lulamae could just take it easy: fuss in front of mirrors and wash her hair. Our owncows, our own garden, chis, pigs: son, that woman got positively fat. While herbrrowed into a giant. Which is a sight different from how they e to us.
Twas Nellie, my oldest girl, twas Nellie brought em into the house. She e to meone m, and said: Papa, I got two wild yunguns locked i. I caughtem outside stealing milk and turkey eggs. That was Lulamae and Fred. Well, younever saw a more pitiful something. Ribs stig out everywhere, legs so puny theyt hardly stand, teeth wobbling so bad they t chew mush. Story was: theirmother died of the TB, and their papa dohe same -- and all the churren, a wholeraft of em, they bee off to live with different mean people. Now Lulamae andher brother, them two been living with some mean, no-t people a hundred mileseast of Tulip. She had good cause to run off from that house. She didnt have o leave miwas her home." He leaned his elbows on the ter and, pressinghis closed eyes with his fiips, sighed. "She plumped out to be a real prettywoman. Lively, too. Talky as a jaybird. With something smart to say on everysubject: better than the radio. First thing you know, Im out pig flowers. I tamedher a crow and taught it to say her name. I showed her how to play the guitar. Justto look at her made the tears spring to my eyes. The night I proposed, I cried like ababy. She said: What you want to cry for, Doc? Course well be married. Ive neverbeen married before. Well, I had to laugh, hug and squeeze her: never beenmarried before!" He chuckled, chewed on his toothpick a moment. "Dont tell me thatwoman wasnt happy!" he said, challengingly. "We all doted on her. She didnt haveto lift a finger, cept to eat a piece of pie. Cept to b her hair and send away forall the magazines. We mustve had a hunnerd dollars worth of magazines e intothat house. Ask me, thats what do. Looking at show-off pictures. Readingdreams. Thats what started her walking down the road. Every day shed walk a littlefurther: a mile, and e home. Two miles, and e home. One day she just kepton." He put his hands over his eyes again; his breathing made a ragged hecrow I give her went wild and flew away. All summer you could hear him. In theyard. In the garden. In the woods. All summer that damned bird was calling:Lulamae, Lulamae."
He stayed hunched over and silent, as though listening to the long-ago summersound. I carried our checks to the cashier. While I aying, he joined me. We lefttogether and walked over to Park Ave was a cool, blowy evening; swankyawnings flapped in the breeze. The quietness between us tinued until I said: "Butwhat about her brother? He didnt leave?"
"No, sir," he said, clearing his throat. "Fred was with us right till they took him inthe Army. A fine boy. Fih horses. He didnt know what got into Lulamae, howe she left her brother and husband and churren. After he was in the Army,though, Fred started hearing from her. The other day he wrote me her address. So Ie to get her. I know hes sorry