Under the Scrutiny of the Community

Dolly, the woman I was telling about yesterday, all of a sudden decided maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a little closeness with Marvin after all. Particularly since Lee Lee was recognized for being very pretty and Dolly could make no such claim. But it was too late. Marvin was happy where he was and since Dolly would not grant a divorce the wayward couple continued to live with one another in an unmarried state. This caused a lot of friction in the community. I was at the town hall meeting when the subject of Marvin and Lee Lee living together in sin came up. One old woman, I forget her name, stood up and wanted action. She said she remembered a story that was read to them in high school about a woman who had a red letter put on her forehead because of her activity out of wedlock. This woman wanted the sheriff and his deputies to hold Lee Lee down and tattoo a big red "F" on her forehead. Somebody spoke up and said they remembered the story and the letter was an "A" but the old woman making the demands was confident it was an "F" and even if it wasn't it ought to be. Of course, nothing ever came of this woman's demands and Marvin and Lee Lee lived together for over twenty years. In about year seventeen of their togetherness Lee Lee got sick, some kind of cancer.
Tomorrow: A Sad Day