“No, what you’re trying to do is concoct another phony story to cover your ass!”
“Martha Mae, this was not my fault. I got to the house at four o’clock, gave her the money, and was gone by five. Because of the blasted snow, I had to walk back to the station and wait all night for a train.”
“Liar! I checked with the stationmaster. He said the last train left Barrettsville at eleven o’clock and there wouldn’t be another until four in the morning.”
“I was there at six and there was no train, I swear.”
“Liar!”
This time she picked up a porcelain clock and threw it. The clock slammed into his shoulder, sprung apart, and dropped to the floor.
The fighting continued for almost two hours, and Martin had little choice but to repeat his story. After a while, Martha Mae’s words began to sound like nothing more than an annoying drone in his ear. He knew if he could stick it out, she’d eventually grow weary enough to fall asleep. After she polished off another drink and told him this was far from over, she finally gave in to her exhaustion.
Once she was sound asleep in the chair, he telephoned the office saying he was sick and told them he wouldn’t be coming in today. He then stretched out on the sofa to get some sleep. It would be a lot easier to reason with Martha Mae when she wasn’t drinking.
Just before noon, she dumped a bucket of water over his head. Sputtering, he jumped up, blinking in shock at the chill. She was standing there with the bucket in her hand and that same black-eyed anger in her face.
“I’m giving you a chance to tell the whole story. Are you ready to tell me the truth of what happened last night?”
“I told you the whole story,” he said, still groggy.
“And if I were to take the train to Barrettsville and have a talk with Eliza myself, she’d back you up?”
“You can ask her anything you want, but she’s a liar,” he said defensively. “She’s always been a liar. She threatened me, said if I didn’t give her more money she’d claim I raped her, but I didn’t touch her. I swear I didn’t.”
“Then why didn’t you get back to the train station until after eleven?”
He grimaced. “I know I stayed longer than I should have, but it was only because I was waiting for my boots to dry out. All I did was visit with the kids. She asked me to stay for supper, and I said no.”
“If you weren’t having anything to do with her, why’d she ask you to stay for supper?”
“I dunno. Maybe she was thinking we could be a family again, but it wasn’t because of anything I did.”
Her face scrunched into fury. “I don’t believe she threatened you.”
“Think what you want, but I’m telling the truth.”
“No, you’re not. You lie even when the truth is in your favor. You’re a born liar. A liar and a cheat. But this time, you’ve made a big mistake. Unlike your precious Eliza, I’m not about to sit and wait while you chase around and have your fun elsewhere. I’m tired of your lies.”
He groaned and dropped back down onto the wet sofa. Shaking his head he asked, “How long am I gonna have to listen to this?”
“Not long. I’m through, Martin. I’ve said all I’ve got to say. Get out. Your suitcase is by the door.”
“Whoa, hold on there. This is my house, and if anybody leaves it’s gonna be you.”
“Wrong. It was your house. Now it’s mine. You’re leaving, because if you don’t I’m gonna tell everything, including how you skim money off the men’s union dues and how you married poor little innocent me knowing you were still married to Eliza.”
“You think anybody’s gonna believe a woman like you?”
“They will if Brother Wolff and I are telling the same story.”
Martin lowered his face into hands, sat there for a few moments, then looked up at her with a weary expression. “After all I’ve done for you, you’d do that to me, Martha Mae?”
She nodded. “Absolutely. Because I know if I don’t do it to you, sooner or later you’ll do it to me, the same as you did it to Eliza.”
When Martin finally left the house, it was late afternoon. At first, he’d planned to get a room in town, give Martha Mae a few days to cool down, and then