Evening star., 1929-06-30
"And again:
MOST PEOPLE ARE BAD. THEY LIE,
STEAL, AND DRINK.

"As he stood reading, he was conscious that
men had appeared in the streets ahead of and
behind him. They fitted the houses-brown-
gray, closed. shut tight. They walked slowly.
eyes on the ground, but, he passed them
he had look from each. The looks were
alike: ominous-hate snapped out at him from
under briefly raised lids. Each face had set
mouth with slashes down from its corners.
Each head that turned slightly had-menace--
hostile promises
.The storm was breaking: flash Of lightning
swept down the street; thunder crashed for q
the calm was thick with the brown-gray Of
the town-with deep silence. desert plain,
q skin alone on the ocean. would have been
more friendly, he said.'
WXXTHERE Is the Romance?" some one asked.
as Kent stopped.
"It's at hand. It crossed the street In front
OF his car just as the wind came tearing like
q railroad train. He saw her face for an in
slant before it caught her. Well. folks-I
can't tell you how Eric spoke of her face. He
forgot that he had ever seen a courtroom or .
law Office, or had known indifference or ambi-
tion He said to mel can see him as he
raped the table and forgot he was speaking
The face of that girl, Kent! And-can you
believe 1t of Eric?-he went on: DO you remem-
ber Raphael's peasant girl? The one with
parted lips and queer, asking eyes? She was
exactly like her. The wind took her sun
bonnet away. She had two long braids OF
hair. She stopped and stared at me, her
long, brown gray skirt twisting about her little
nat shoes. Then she ran on, clutching her
braids, and near door slammed after her. =
THE wind was on then: the few trees bent
before it.
THE rain was close There was no pro-
lection and, acting on impulse, he drove the
car back Of the huge sign. 1t was shield from
the wind and q slight protection against the
slanting rain.
Eric said it had been years since he had
seen western storm, where 1t lets loose and
whoops 'er up. He was half blinded with the
lightning: and he could hear the smash Of
small buildings: the rafting scurry Of debris
blown by the wind. His own shelter shivered.
creaked. It was braced strongly from the back.
but he, thought 1t more than likely that it
would go. Across the street he heard one 60
down with a splitting thud.
But as he waited, he was conscious, he
said only OF the girl who was somewhere in
that strange town. I'd like to have had you
You people who think you know Eric-watch
him as he told me this. There was not drop
OF blood in his body to judge from the colos
Of his face; his fingers twitched. He talked
because he had to talk to some one, guess
He was not self sufficient just then"
"Hm-m." said some one. "I don't get him
in that role, and still do, too. in way:
the force in him could be applied as well to
an-er-nfatuation IS 70 anything else.
suppose it was an nfatuation, eh Kent? They
are strange things, but they wear on"
"Go on" said Janet.
'sHe said that he sat there In the car whil
the wind bent his board protection and th'
rain came In sheets He was wet through from
the spray where it struck the outer edge o
the car. He sat and watched pictures Of tina
girls face: they came through the rain cam
into the lightning: came everywhere. He wa
half conscious, he said. absorbed in the ne'
thing.
0OUT Of that state of mind-he told 10
about that; it seemed to puzzle him q
it does US now-he was startled by a new gal
Of wind. close splitting Of boards, the shrie
OF wood parting from wood at his elbow; an
then the whole great shield tottered, swaye
resisted swayed again. and came down Ov'
him. He ducked his head. moment lat
he discovered that In falling, the sign ha