Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-07-25
CHAPTER II-Continued

Sunny" he said, show that Lar
sen thought I was with the chippy,
wasn't it?"
"How do you know she's chippy?"
said Hal in spontaneous irritation.
"She looks it, doesn't she?" said
Crack, his lazy amiability undismayed.
mo" said Hal, promptly hoping to
confirm that she didn't.
There was another pause-apparent-
ly serene for Crack but oddly irksome
for HAL A truck passing in the street
shot out violent backfire opposite
them; Hal started all through his body,
and glanced at the man again. Crack
was in complete, indolent repose still,
bis quiet look barely stirred by hint
of sly mischief-as if he had caused
that sudden explosion to confirm some
lnzy guess about Hal.
He stepped confidentially to Halls
side of the door and said in a low
tone: "See that big bird standin' at
the back there? He's dick. A detec-
tive"
Hal raised his eyebrows perfunctor.
lily before he said, "How d'you know
that?"
Il thought he was" Crack said, "and
then l saw his badge"
Him." said Hal.
Crack smiled and except for vague,
dfowsy speculation in his eyes, his
smile was youthful, halfway candid,
rim los
you, is hep he said, cooking his head
very little.
IF he were, he shouldn't have much
trouble finding me; and I'd be an ass
to tell you anyway, wouldn't II"
Cracks smile sobered just shadow
After while he said, "Think she's
going to Hollywood" 1t happened to
be precisely what Hal was moodily
wondering, and he was startled into a
shrewder look at Crack.
Wouldn't be surprised" he said. and.
wished he hadn't been trapped even
into that much interest.
shes got good figure" said Crack
speculatively. II like sorta broad Shout
ders and nice clean-cut ankles on a
babe, don't you?"
Hadn't thought" Hal murmured
straight ahead of him, angry and lit
tie ashamed that this shy-mannered
stranger should mention the very
things he looked for first in any girl.
Hal snapped his cigarette into the
gutter and went inside to sit on his
suitcase again. The girl hadn't altered
her position of solemn, en-garde wait
ing. But the terrier stretched luxuri-
ously-leaning way forward with his
hind legs straight out and his chin
stretched up The stretch broke into a
friendly grin and wagging of the
locked tail when he met Halls eyes.
Hal smiled, winked, and held out his
hand. The dog came stepping forward
to the end of his lead and put cold
nose against Halls fingers The girls
head turned quickly; Hal saw that her
solemn eyes were large and Of deep,
acknowledged blue-also that they
were alive with the beginnings of de-
fensive hostility; at once she pulled
the dog back and looked away.
You can go to the devil, Hal said to
himself-you and your broad shoulders
and your slim ankles; / hope Martin
Crack makes you and makes you like it.
A little after eleven, some luggage
two veteran sutcases, a cardboard hat
COX already losing the rim of it's lid
and a dress-box tied up with two kinds
of string-arrived from the Grand Cen
trail 1t was the work of but fifteen
minutes more for Larsen to find Jake
Miller in the garage behind the office
and start him loading. Miller's car was
large Packard sedan of another dec
ade with paint stained and lusterless
as the garage floor, a diagonal of adj
hesive tape across the dull windshield,
and all the nickel-work the color of old
and unloved pewter.
Miller's futile hand unfoded an i'm
mense trunk rack on the back, took
out a tarpaulin and began spreading
1t with care over two oil puddles on
the garage floor. On this he stacked
the luggage with what seemed acct
dental neatness and dashed the tar
paulin around it with clothesline.
Added to everything else, thought
Hal, he'll go sound asleep at the wheel
and run us into somebody's house.
"How many passengers have you
got?" Hal asked when the luggage was
up.
Seven" said Miller.
"Six besides yourself, 'ey?' said Hal
thinking, Oh good Cd!
Seven" Miller repeated. Got in
rsntton. Got seat stands on a box