San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-14
Connie Is Overcome by
Terrible Misfortune
to Mickey.
CHAPTER vi

CHAP vi
Mickey's father sat in
Comics living room, his
head bowed in his hands.
You could hear his breath
groaning. After a long while,
he raised eyes ravaged with
suffering. connie, was
Mickey drunk"
eve all had one or two
drinks"
"Was he drunk"
ale was tired-dog- He fell
asleep. The car went Wild
Heavy steps humping about the
room, Mickey's father stopping at the
table, tbudding it with his fist. He
stopped above Connie as she lay worn
and hysterical on the couch. ''Tell me,
can you swear he wasn't drunk!'
Inarticulatc sobs: Mickey's father
patting her shoulder, his voice shak-
ing and husky: my son my son J"
This kept up. Mingling with the
hoarse masculine tones came plead
ing, half-sobbing treble: "Connic
darling, tell him you weren't drunk :.
OF course, you weren't My
poor girl-my poor child
In the little kitchen where they
listened with their elbows hunchcd
at the table. Sallie glared at Nora
Lee: "They won't stop till they drive
her mad Oh Lord-listen to that"
1t was Billie imploring shrilly: Don't
say you did, Connie! oh, l warned
you'll warned you y"
ENOUGH TO BEAR
eallie sprang to her feet, pulled
open the door and shouted at her
mother: For Gods sake, leave her
in peace! Hasn't she enough to bear:'
The two girls walked home in o
bitter silence, the suspense Of five
days wearing their nerves rough and
thin. Their faces tormented each
other with unspoken questions. Would
Mickey get better? Would he be a
hopeless cripple? Would his victim
recover, or would he die? Then would
the dear blond gladiator be wheeled
into court and made a defendant in
a murder trial? Would Connie and
Nora Lee be asked il they were drunk
and how much drinking had been
done? Someone would find out about
the wild hilarity. Someone would
learn that it was Richards car and
he had been too intoxicated to drive
il.
They no longer dared to breach
these questions aloud.
Now Sally flung herself in long,
angry strides. AZ ought to 90 and
stay with Connie. / suppose, OF
they'll drive her to suicide
She rubbed her hand with brutal
thoroughness across her eyes: Lord
if II isn't the limit! The warned
u.s. But who handed Mickey Grant
an automobile before he'd cut his
second teeth? Who loaded him with
money he'd never earned? Who
gave him the keys to the wine eel
lar, and let him stay out six night
out Of seven before be was 10? Billie
warned US. What a joke! AS though
she can't swallow her cocktails and
her soft stuff! Lord, what else did
they teach us but jazz and clothes and
show from the time we were in romp-
ers?
PLEASURES CREED.
did my mother ever take me out
on a starry night and try to plant
some love of beauty in my thoughts
Did she have any creed but pleas
ure? Not by a damn. Billie was
happy when / had as good a dress
as Betty Marks; when Con JOINED
the best sorority and Dad got raise
80 we could have a bigger car. We
could show off as well as our neigh
bors, so we were hunky-dory
"Oh quit, Sallit'"
Sallie shrugged. at won't matter
to you if / go. will it? AS long az
you're to be married as soon as this
blows over;"
"Of course. it won't matter! Coz
Nora Lee didn't Md that the plan
hrous,ht bcr n g1aSncsS of relief Rich.