San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-13

L
He raised his voice to bar inter
|,ption.
"You cannot tell anything about
|ly one. Romance survives where
blu least expect it. Would you look
br it in Eric Hall, for instance
You'd you suspect him of Romance
"Well, hardly" said one of the
E+teners. Not that calculating, cold
an-all indifference. Just to make
bur point, don't try TO prove that ne
rs known sentiment" !.
"More than most men," replied
lent. Il have notion to tell yoli
bout him. will tell you. Come
pser, Janet-all of you to hear the
unbelievable.
"About Judge Eric Hall who knows
ly power-fame They laughed.
"Yes, about him."
Fellow do you happen to know!'
l"He told me-"
"Did he expect you TO tell"
}"Heaven knows what man expects
.en he babbles."
tDinner was over; coffee was being
.yed in the big, canile-lit drawing
bm. The guests had madc little III
Inate groups: some one at the piano
the far end of the room touched
tlf strains between talk end laugh
The group in the deer window
ew closer to Kent, and made them
YES comfortable.
+ sBabble.' is what I said" went on
speaker, rolling a cigarette VIII
liberation. but that is the wrong
I'd. We were old friends: in fact,
Twas responsible for the whole
Ing, for / had talked about the
Der town in one Of the Middle
psteru states. Eric is the kind wis
says wants to know. so when he
ppened to be- in that mart of the
lite. he hired car and drove out
Sec for himself"
Five heard of that town, declared
hct eagerly. There is no other
it. is there"
ken. passed over the question.
kI'll tell it exactly US he told me.
sure I can. / could not forget
He had driven ten miles through
and wind with thunderstorm
inc up ahead of hini-purple storm
h green fringe on 1.-THE kind they
out there. He was whacking
,g when he caught sight of a sign,
the roadside. He storped anG
liked his car to read it. II said
embcr it cxactly-it said:
MOKING. DRINKING. PRue
NIFTY. FORBIDDEN AS YOU
SIS THROUGH TITS TOWN.
OU HAVE NO RIGHT TO POL
TE THE AIR. Nm
ST PEOPLE LIE, STEAL AND
Oh !! Truly ~ gasped Janet.
Jt was what Eric was looking
1.-The entrance to the town OF ia
les. There was blank-looklns
I'm OF houses marked at intervals
tall. white board signs-biack
,rs on a white ground. He drove
yly. It was SUNDAY and the still
was absolute. There was a
ding that might be a hotel-on ,he
nda were vacant chairs tilted
Inst the rail: a few shops. gray
IN closed doors: houses gray. too
with doors shut tight, curtain
lie to screen. The main street
or four blocks long. was no.
3ed. At far corner a man ap-
Eed. took look at the coming. car
steppcd out n sight. A woma;.
came out on her porch. slipped
and shut the door sharply. She
4 gray. too-clothcs and hair: the
Ant man had seemed gray
in-gray, like the duso that whirled:
He STONED the car again TO read
her sign, this one as large as
G front, full of preachments.. re
ling the words that ne had first
jOsT EOPLE ARN RAD. THEY
STEAL. AND DRINK.
Ia OUTSIDE PEOrLE OR IN
BUTTONS WANTED HERE.
$IE DANCE is OF THE
III. THE THEATERS ARE
EIL-BEGOTTEN.
nd again:
}OST PEOPLE ARE RAD.
tY LIE. STEAL AND DRINK
ms ne StOOu TesttfflS. Hc NuN WI
Is that men had appeared in the
Its ahead and behind him. They
h the houses-brown-grcy. closed
tight. They walked slowly. eyes
HE ground. but, as they passed
he had look from each. The
were alike: omirous-hate
ped out at him from under
)ly raised lids. Each face had
mouth, with sIasaes down from
orncrs. Each head that turned
lily had-menace-hostile prom
he storm was breaking flash
ghtning swept down the street ;
Ter crashed: for a moment the
ceascd-it hung alocf and the
was thick with the hrown-grav
he town-with deem silence. A
ID plain. sliift alone or the
b. would have been more friend
q said"
Fhere IS the Romance?' some one
us Kent stopped.
is at hand. It crossed the street
ont Of his car Just as the wind
tearing like railroad train. H.
fher face fc- IN instant before
3ught her. We'll, folks-1 can't