San Angelo

Back in my home town of San Angelo I found that things had changed. When I went to the department store to buy some clothes they did not have any -- but the clerk hinted that he could find some under the counter. Prices were still restricted, one of the good things that Congress had done during thie war, but a black market had grown up. You could not buy a new car but if you had the money one would show up at a location out of town. This made me angry but the management of the Standard Times would not let me write about it. The word is Greed. People seemed adjusted to this situation, but returning veterans were not. I joined the American Legion and we began to protest. This went on for a while but after price restrictions were lifted the market adjusted. Meanwhile I wore part of my Army uniform and drove a second hand car. During this time I noticed a female reporter who was covering City Hall. Her name was Marie and she was competent and confident. She was quite independent and did not want anything to do with me. I was not interested in marriage until I met Marie. I had made the rounds of my old girl friends, and one of them was the only granddaughter of a rich oil man who was worth millions of dollars. I took her to the park and had sex with her. She was compliant but not exciting and I gave her up. A year later she married a ranch boy and her grandfather gave them a ranch, a herd of cattle and a pickup truck. Even so I did not regret not having married her. That may explain why I am so poor. But Marie continued to interest me and after three years she agreed to marry me. She was ahead of her time, an independent woman who was seeking to make her way in a world which men had dominated for so long.