Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-09-05
"Good Cad, sir, what mani" asked

| peration rising. 1--WE left him behind.
That driver. That Miller. Our fares"
All previous discussion of the mat
| ter-of Miller's dismissal and Halls
possession of the fares-had flown past
Johns ears, it turned out. And as
Kerrigan explained it, among eager
obs and abs of understanding, Hal
became aware that he had undertaken
responsibility Of sort here. Where,
forty-eight hours ago, he hadn't given
Continental whether any of them
got anywhere or not, he was now be-
ing trusted to land them all in Los
Angeles safe, soon, and at no further
expense. 1t gave him an odd feeling
near the pit Of his stomach-not to
be defined at all-before he forgot 1t.
Dusk came early because of the
shredded-cotton comforter of cloud low
under the sky; and when they turned
south at Coldwater for the Indiana
border there was warm rain-smell-
ing breeze. 1t was dark when they got
to Fort Wayne, and while they were
at supper there was splatter of rain
flew at the window.
1t was agreed to push on a little
farther, giving the weather of night
chance to make up its mind. And
promptly it made up its mind to
drench water down upon the world.
A pair of brilliant headlights moved
toward them through the dark rain:
truck and trailer, enormous, with
wide toplights and line of little
green crystals along Its side. Hal
eased the accelerator farther, bending
forward to keep track Of the roads
edge. Then, made startling as physical
assault for all it's quiet, Cracks whis-
per sounded behind him: "Stop it
brakes: easy!" There was nothing to
see-nothing; but Hal gave the brake
pedal intermittent touches, cursing the
groundless authority in that whisper
as he did it. The headlights Numbered
past, and there in the rain-streaked
glare close ahead, figure in gleam-
ing poncho rode bicycle. Hal swung
aside for him, feeling confused emp
tiness hold his chest for an instant,
telling himself he was finished with
that uneasy premonition that sense
of portent. He partly turned his head
to ask Crack, "How the deuce did you
see him?" Crack didn't answer at
once; after little, his whisper came,
browsing again In shy satisfaction:
Il Just sorta-saw him."
It was near ten o'clock when they
came to Huntington and they would
have been ready to spend the night
there even If, at the first corner, they
had not seen white sign proclaim
Tourists" on the lawn Of an old
house. The cheerful, untidy young
woman told Kerrigan in loud surprise
that she had two double rooms and
three singles and failed to keep en-
tirely calm before the coincidence that
these accommodations would fit them.
With the luggage down and In, Hal
managed to divert her mind to
thoughts of where the nearest garage
was-one where he might find me-
chanic and grease gun.
"I'll be right back" Hal said to Ker-
rigan. See that everybody gets set
tied and book an early call-fve-
thirty, say"
But he wasn't right back. The elderly
night-man at the garage found every
thing pretty dry and was delighted to
have some one to talk to. Hal got
away in just under an hour. The rain
had stopped; the air was refreshed,
good, almost COOL and the waning
moon rode silent over the last hurried
shreds of cloud. Hal found himself
possessed of juvenile eagerness to
get back to the house-an eagerness
out of all proportion to the chances
of Barry's being up, out Of proportion
to the Importance of any slight scene
of challenge and adroitness that might
be between them If she were.
He tried the door and found it
locked. A dim figure came toward
the net-curtained window, and Hal had
to put down a quick resurgence Of
excitement. The door swung timidly
open and the untidy young womans
stage whisper scraped round it's edge:
"They're all in bed. / waited up for
you. I'll just lock up and show you
WueIe YOUR IOOH Is. was IellluS
Daddy how lucky it was you all could
just fit, some of you married and all.
Daddy's great one for talking. You'll
see him in the morning. He likes
strangers. Oh no, but you're going so
early, aren't you, you won't see him."
And so on halfway up the stairs, where
she suddenly interrupted herself to
hiss harsh "Shhhhh" at Hal.
There was low light over the land
ing. Eyebrows raised, head nodding
she stabbed her finger several times
at the first door. Good night" she
whispered loudly, like conspirator.
Hal wished he weren't so wide
awake; he'd be sorry in the morning
He opened the door gently, hoping
Kerrigan was too deeply asleep to be
disturbed. But the light from the
street lamp, striking upward on the
white ceiling, revealed broad and
unoccupied double bed against the
wall Good, thought Hal: I'll read. He
pressed the door shut with less care,
shot the bolt under his hand, and
lf.rIt at,