The Coolidge examiner. [volume] (Coolidge, Ariz.) 1930-current, 1933-05-19
MEATH. with a plying smile, was
~ waiting in that room.

" oALALS III THAT LOOul.
A decent room. If treated decent
~ If TO its shabby but comfortable
furniture had been known the kind
ness. gallantry and courage that go
with love.
In the adjoining room, bedroom,
sick and tired of the strong turn
ings and unexpected pains of life, a
young and lovely girl who had sum-
moned reluctant death.
Sounds carried during the first of
the few short hours of New York's
uneasy sleep The invisible but not
grim figure turned towards the door
as the echolng footsteps stopped. A
latch key turned In the lock and
into the dark sitting room stumbled
young man who switched on the
light. He flung his overcoat over a
chair, looked about with a shudder
and went quietly to the mantel-piece
and stared at the photograph.
In low voice, unconscious OF
speaking loud. he gave his thoughts
full play. Yes. there you are. with
her. John Beacon and Natalie
Bond Parker, bridegroom and bride"
e.. Oh, my Cod"
The young man went on in dis
jolnted sentences. what a mess"
he said. "What a mess we've made
Whose fault, yours or mine, or a
combination OF both? Too much
money? The microbe OF the slack
ness of these times? Jazz, bad
liquor, the wreekage of moral fiber,
the lack Of discipline? AS we were
two years ago, as we are today An
orgy, a nightmare, the slump that's
brought us TO these sordid back
rooms. Support cut off by parents
who've been staggered. knocked
speechless and who must save them
selves. We parasites, left stranded
unemployable among unemployed,
clinging In this CHASTITY torrent to
handful Of straws, not on speaking
terms. And that's the worst of II.
Holding his breath. Death watched
young Beacon put his hand to his
hip.
He twisted his trembling mouth
into smile OF gallantry. Good
blood tells. Not in this ROOM" he
said When you come back In the
morning you shall be saved that
shock"
He went across to the bedroom,
opened the door and gasped
You said you were going to your
mothers place tonight"
81 know. I changed my mind"
'Why didn't you let me know?
You could have found me at the
club"
"Why should II You don't care.
And / shouldn't be here now II
you hadn't said this morning that
you didn't intend to come back.
never expected to see you anywhere
again."
She was lying on the bed in pa
jamas in that strangely tidy room.
He had noticed its tidlneSs. immedi-
ately, with strong sense of sur
prise. He now noticed that. with
apparent carelessness, she closed
her fingers over bottle on the table
AZ tho side nf tho had
Pushed by some irresistible force,
he gripped her wrist and wrenched
the thing away.
Death held his breath, and prayer
was again on his lips.
Natalie" cried young Beacon,
this is why you never expect
ed to see me anywhere again -
Give 1t back! l want II. Give
ii back, do you hear? All right,
then. Throw it out of the window. |
can get some more. I'm sick and
tired of living. All want is death.
Why not? You don't love me-
In the curious brief quletude of
the city's uneasy sleep, the bottle
had crashed in the street.
Young Beacon shut the window
and turned his face to the light. 1t
was white and stamped with pain.
In Imagination he saw that lovely
body cold and spirltless, the empty
casket which had once contained the
heart that he had won. In magma
ton he stood, as In the photograph,
awed by the words of the marriage
stirred to a great resolve to make
himself an ever worthy beacon to
the life whose hand he held In
Imagination he followed the road they
had taken after an ecstatic honey
moon in beautiful places OF France
He saw the rift, the break, the gap
ing ravine into which resolve had
slipped and felt the barb Of angry
words, the astounding and unex-
pected chaos following the financial
crash and the complete revolution of
his safe and efrortless life, and in the
grim truth of actually he saw that
handsome bridegroom, young John
Beacon. now a horror-stricken and
.ragic figure, out of the stucco of
false pride into which he had built
himself. white and humble per
son, with the trembling mouth Of a
boy.
You're going to live" he said,