at 311 Vermont Street.117 Mrs. Evans described them at Covington, possibly during this summer, as "really a happy family"; Lee seemed like a normal boy but "kept to himself" and seemed not "to want to be with any other children." 118 The separation continued after the two boys returned to boarding school, and in September Lee was enrolled in the Covington Elementary School.119 His record at Benbrook had been satisfactory he was present on 82 school days and absent on 15, and received all A's and B's 120--but he had not completed the work of the first grade, in which he was enrolled for a second time.121

Lee received no grades at the Covington School, from which he was withdrawn on January 23, 1947,122 because his parents, now reconciled, were moving to Fort Worth, where they lived at 1505 Eighth Avenue.123 Four days later, he enrolled in the Clayton Public School; he was still in the first grade, which he completed in May with B's in every subject except physical education and health, in which he received A's. 124 In the fall, he entered the second grade in the same school but, relations between his parents having deteriorated again, was withdrawn before any grades were recorded.125

After the move to Fort Worth, the Ekdahls continued to argue frequently; according to John, "they would have a fight about every other day and he would leave and come back." 126 That summer, Marguerite obtained what she regarded as proof that Ekdahl was having some sort of affair. According to her testimony, a neighbor told her that Ekdahl had been living on Eighth Avenue with another woman while she was in Covington.127 Then, at a time when Ekdahl was supposed to be out of town,128 she went with John and several of his friends to an apartment in Fort Worth; one of the boys posed as a telegram carrier, and when the door opened she pushed her way into the apartment and found Ekdahl in his shirt sleeves in the company of a woman in a negligee.129

Despite this apparent confirmation of her suspicions, Marguerite continued to live with Ekdahl until January 1948.130 In January, according to Ekdahl's allegations in the subsequent divorce proceedings, she "directed * * * [him] to leave the home immediately and never to return," which he did.131 Ekdahl filed suit for divorce in March.132 The complaint alleged that Marguerite constantly nagged Ekdahl and argued "with reference to money matters," accused him of infidelity, threw things at him, and finally ordered him out of the house; that these acts were unprovoked by Ekdahl's conduct toward her; that her acts endangered his already impaired health; and that her "excesses, harsh and cruel treatment and outrages" toward him made it impossible for them to live together.133 She denied all these allegations. 134 After a trial, at which John testified and, he thought, Lee was called to the stand but was excused without testifying,135 the jury found on special issues that Marguerite was "guilty of excesses, cruel treatment, or outrages" unprovoked by Ekdahl's conduct.

June 24, the court granted the divorce and approved an agreement between the parties disposing of their property between them and