Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-02
One of Lucien Cary's Best Stories

III tne Dack seat Win ANITA camp. he
put his feet up on the folding chair
in front of him. That eased them a
lot And the wind created by the
cars swift passage cooled him. But
anita Camp kept up q constant stream
Of remarks which he had to listen to.
1t didn't occur to her, apparently.
that a man must rest some time.
iT>HEY dined on the veranda OF the
roadhouse overlooking the river.
The food stimulated Henry. His
headache lessened. He began to sit
up. Life was again approaching the
endurable when he heard the sound
of instruments. He turned TO Anita
Camp. DO they dance here" he
asked.
do they. They've got the best jazz
band in the state"
The band struck UP a roaring one
step. Jack and Gertrude arose.
Come" said Anita 10 Henry. And
Henry went
isn't it fendishly hot?" he asked
when they sat down again. He hoped.
without making a direct request, to
turn the conversation toward ces-
sation of activities. ct feels TO me
as if there were a thunderstorm COM
ing up"
II think it's going to rain" Hardin
said.
They all went out on the lawn and
looked at the clouds. They were
rolling up rather darkly
1T certainly is going to rain" said
Henry. IT'S going TO rain hard
The band started again.
Come on and dance" cried Anita.
1T won't rain for long time yet.
We can get home in forty minutes.
We can beat that storm
They danced. They danced until
Henry told himself he could never
dance again. They danced until
Henrys feet were no longer feet. but
merely two excruciating pains at the
end OF his legs. 1t was II o'clock
before Anita was willing to quit.
Then the thunder came and they all
rushed for the car.
You drive" said Anita to Henry,
land whoop it up. too"
Il can: drive a car" said Henry.
What" said Anita.
| Fact" said Henry. Everybody in
Midvale drove a car; he couldn't very
well explain that everybody didn't in
New York.
Never mind" said Anita Camp;
get in. I'll drive"
. Henry sat down beside Anita Camp.
The big car lunged down into the
road. They were off. Behind them
rolled the thunder.
They hit thirty miles an hour in the
first hundred yards. They hit forty.
They hit fifty. And still the speed
ometer climbed. 1t seemed to Henry
that they were hurting through the
+ air without touching the road. A nut
or a thank you-ma' am would send
them all crashing down the bluff.
rolling over and over, into the river.
, Henry shrank into the cushions. He
: wondered IL there would be any SEN
/ sation at all, any pain; or if he would
] suddenly be swallowed up in the
/ blackness, never to emerge. He shut
his eyes. 1t wouldn't be SO bad if
$ he didn't see it.
to step on twelve cylinders"
! Henry opened his eyes. The speed
/ ometer showed seventy miles.
= Henry shut his eyes again.
Anita turned casually to Henry.
isn't this great?' she asked. "Oh.
/ call this living"
She showed some lever on the
e wheel two inches. Henry wondered
n il she were trying to go faster.
j Gee" Anita Camp began again.
0 Henry shut his eyes. He might as
well If she were going to talk TO
y him instead of watching the road.
y Anita chatted on. There was a
e rushing in Henry's ears. He opened
e his eyes. Ahead doomed pair of
e brilliant headlights. They were
going to meet head on. There
= wasn't room to pass. This was the
t end. And then they were past
s Somehow they were past-by an inch.
on. on they rushed while Anita
Camp chatted to Henry. They
: pulled up in Wabash avenue at
Twenty minutes OIL IL. Inc Dig car
moved swiftly up the Camps drive.
I'm hungry" said Anita Camp.
. Lets raid the ice box
I'm with you" said Jack Hardin.
. Henry considered. He wanted to
/. be alone. He wanted to get down
out of that car on his feet and
walk and be alone. He had never
/ expected to walk again. But he did.
When the rest started for the but
ler's pantry Henry slipped upstairs
to his room. The storm was just be-
,, ginning But Henry got into his
raincoat. He ran down the stairs.
The rest were out of sight. Henry
. opened the front door and weA out.
He walked toward town, toward the
railway station. 1t was raining
pitchforks now, but Henry walked
: doggedly on. He walked to the
telegraph office in the railway
station. He wrote:
Mary Bell.
So west sth Street, New York:
: Will you marry me next week?
Il HENRY MILLS
Heseave his address as the Wabash
y Hotel. Then he went back to the
. Camps to bed.