Martha and I shared a large front bedroom with twin beds directly across the hall from the master bedroom, our parents' room. Our room overlooked the street and the front entrance to our house so that we could see the comings and goings of everyone. We always knew when mother came home as she would jump out of the car at the front door and come in alone while Eric drove to the rear and put the car in the garage. Campbell would be seated in his big red wing chair listening to the radio. He did not always wait up for her, but would go up to bed in his twin bed alone, but not before he had done his nightly check up. He would make sure the fireplace screen was in place, then go into the kitchen and check all the burners on the gas stove, tightening them to be sure they were all off. Then he would lock the two back doors on the Sun Room and back door and lock all the lower windows. It was one of Eric's tasks to bank the furnace with coal in the winter and to make sure the basement door was locked to the outside, also the windows. The garage, too, was Eric's responsibility - to be carefully locked after the car was put away. All that to prevent burglary as there were many "break ins" in Sauganash during those "hard times".
Many times Eric would stay up late down in the basement working on models on the workbench down there and listening to the radio. More than once, I saw mother slip downstairs, and I knew that she was going down the basement to see him. If she met Campbell she would hastily say, "Oh - I have to get something off the line!" (Clothesline in basement). Martha and I were in our early teens and keenly aware of every look, every nuance in the behavior of mother towards Eric. And, of his behavior towards her! And, they were oh so careful! They kept a low profile and tread VERY lightly through these early thirties years in the Tudor house, doing nothing that would jeopardize their situation as the recipients of the "Goose that laid the Golden Egg." Campbell, who was providing them with a life of luxury amid all the woes of the outside world - suffering the worst depression in history.
Martha and I knew very little of the "facts of life" at 13 and 15. We were not as precocious as the teenagers of today. The adults in our lives were the ultimate authority. So, we did not confront mother, or heaven forbid, Eric! And, we could not tell father! I had seen him weep at the sound of bagpipes, and when he heard of the death of Aunt Helen's husband, and the thought of hurting him by telling him of the obvious duplicity that was happening right in our home was beyond the pale! But we knew, Martha and I, and we had stopped talking about it in our twin beds at bedtime - the knowledge became something unspoken between us that we just lived with.
Gerta Hopf knew too, and she had been a witness to Campbell's suffering when he came back from the war, blind. She could do nothing and she was a kind, good soul! Florence, dear Florence, was utterly devoted to Campbell! She only spoke to Eric when she had to and avoided all contact or conversation with him. I believe she hated and feared Eric because of his racism and Klan interests. My dear, funny, young uncle Eugene Beck served as cover for them, mother and Eric! Whenever mother was asked, "What did you do downtown?" The answer was, "Oh I went down with "Eug" or "Eug and I" are going up to the cabin for a few days - I'm thinking of buying it!" And of course Eric accompanied them - as the driver of course!
On the evening of February 13th, 1934, Martha and I were sitting at the dining room table making Valentines for the Valentine box in school the next day. Irv and Helen were watching us, and we were happily teasing each other about who would be getting the valentines. Mother came and sat down with us, and after a few moments said, "I have a surprise for you all!" And followed with, "You are all going to have a new brother or sister this summer - maybe in July!"
I was in the 8th grade, due to graduate in June, later to start high school in September, and attending the same private high school that Martha attended, North Park Academy on the northwest side of Chicago. Aunt Gertrude had to make my graduation dress as mother was in the final weeks of her pregnancy by then. The graduation was held in the lovely Community House in Sauganash. We did a scene from Little Women in which I played Beth. It went very well, and I saw mother in the front row wearing a wrap around light housedress because she was in the final stage of her pregnancy and would give birth at any time. I saw Florence sitting way in the back at the far left trying to be invisible because she didn't want to be seen next to the "white ladies". This was 1934, and sadly, "par for the course" back then! Just ten days later, mother was rushed to Swedish Covenant hospital, and on July 6th, gave birth to a baby boy!
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