Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-19

bOns the mys FANNIE HURST
terious veil of
silence. But the prairie has no secrets;
it is like an open hand, palm upward.
Across the great upturned palm OF
Illinois, dusk fell sadly over miles and
miles of close bitten prairie lands and
runty cornfields that met the gray,
horizon with the fluid, easy joinder
of river meeting the sea. a last
tinge of sunset, pink behind rcgi.
ment of black -stemmed trees, cooled and
died. An arrow-sbaped flock of swal-
lows flew low and southwurd. Along
side an isolated watering station the
Interstate Accommodation slowed,
shrieked on its rails, stopped.
Miss Lola Lalady protruded shin.
ing head out of coach window and
full Of restless glancings and hard as
sunlight on bayonets.
Listen, Al, to the stiffness out
there, will you! Ugh, it's so thick you
can cut it..
Her companion on the red plush seat
beside her unwound his long, agile limbs
and leaned across her slim figure and
out into the moody evening and the
plains sweeping away to the horizon.
'Looka them birds, will you, Lo-
scooting south like an arrow shot out
Of bow. Gee"
He followed their course, his eyes
level beneath level brows.
''If this is the great Middle West,
Al. that you been labelling Gods couD-
try all along the circuit. give me
ninety nine year lease on Satan Island
or Bronx boulevard every time, Gee,
riding five hours straight and not even
an anthill to muss the scenery! Don't
shove. AL. Don't .shove"
He withdrew his heavy head and
shoulders and slumped back to his posi-
tion. feet perched on his dress suit case
and knees high.
The peculiar quiescencc of rapid mo-
tion suddenly arrested descended over
the coach, voices monotonous as the
droning of bees rose languidly. The
song of the rails sprang out suddenly :
paper rattling, leather handbags that
squeaked in the opening and closing, the
every mysterious creakings of wood
work. the engine coughing Mt even in
tervals. Miss Laladay'S brilliant head
loled back against the red plush inert.
She famed her moist little face with a
lacy fribble of handkerchief. d.
"Whew. Gods country he calls
this!"
"Sav, little kid like you that's
never been west of Trenton don't know
enough about the map to find her own
home town if il s got pin stuck through
it. Wait till you been doing coast to
coast long as ! have. If you think this
is u tank circuit we're playing. wait
till we get on the wrong side OF Kansas
City," -.
"Say, they don't come no dinkicr than
the last four We played.
lie leaned to her and placed a large
muscular hand over hers. In the
shadow of his ovcrpowering shoulders
her own slenderuess was wispish.
You're all wrong, Lo. There's
little tanks in this part Of the coun..
try, with flower beds set out around
the station and Main street paved.
and white frame houses set inside of
white picket fences, and shady streets
with trees meeting right over them and
well. | tell you there's tanks out
here that makes Forty second street
look like bad dream"
She crumpled up against the win
dow sill, her chin cupped in her palm.
Like the dump we played in last
night, ch? Where the white frames
was all shacks and the hotel up over
the grocery store makes the Briggs
House in Newark look like the Ritz"
"Higginsville is rotten dump, Lo.
You don't find it on any Of the ynude-
vile circuits, but leave it to cZtra7a
ganza every time not to overlook
dump. But take tonight stand,
though there just amt prcttier little
town on the map thap Adalai, Lo.
She squinted her little face into an
amazing grimacc.
"Adalai !" ods
"Yeh! I kI9S9w young follow, Ben
Ceilings, started there an crrand boy
in box factory aud now Owls half
the town: two box factories of his own,
the opera house, half of Main street.
and nearly every cottage on the hill.
Say, Id brush the Broadway linz of
my coat tomorrow to settle down III
pretty little tank like that, I've told
you often enough my feelings on the
small town stuff, Lo.'
"Adala. Lordy, I says TO Lee
when I read it on the route list, |
says, What is tina, Lee: another tauk
or new breakfast food:' -
ITS a great little town, 10. l
been there three times and lived once
for two weeks right with Ben Ceilings
in his own swell mouse. He'd gimr.e
his shirt if I asked him. that's whet be
thinks of me. Only met him ou Il
train once, too. Hes seen some of
my wood carvings and he'd gimme a
Job right in one of his box factories
doing the high class handwork any day
in the week I wanted. That's the kind
of friends We are, ~
She pressed her finger tips TO her
lips. then blew at them lightly as if
she would watt him n rose petal
Rave on, Al, Rave on!''
He leaned TO her with an entire hat
tening of tone. You're the only thing
in the world that l eau rave about, Lo I;
you and your tantalizing ways. Ever
since ran away from an orphan asy.
lum in Utica 10 join Il show, I've had a
picture of little girl like you hung
on my heart. | cant see this or any