The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-12

A FTER a procession OF SuCh
IA meaningless days, punctuated
only by trays and pills and visits
from a tall, melancholy doctor with
a gentle voice, and white-coated in
ternes who poked and prodded
Michael and asked him questions,
he was able TO sit up. The dark
girl Cher name was Sally Moon, it
seemed) came otter now. And
there was an Englishman named
Downrigg who made them move
Michael from the ward to private
room. Michael couldn't quite under
stand why it mattered or why Mr.
Downrigg cared. but there it was
He was singularly apathetic about
the whole business. The nurse said
he was a good patient. That meant
he let every one Else do as he OF
she pleased, and kept silent.
one day Downrigg came and they
had a long talk Michael, dressed
for the first time in his street
clothes, was sitting in comfortable
chair out in the pavilion.
Downrigg talked a lot about the
estate (what estate? Michael wanted
to ask but didn't bother and said
there was a good deal Of money tied
up, although not, of course, as much
as one would like. Death duties and
so on. he had said portentiously.
And Michael had wondered again
idly what it was all about.
You'll be sailing, I suppose, as
soon as you are are we'll" Downrigg
had said. And after you're mar
ried."
After he was married. The phrase,
for an instant. stirred some mem
orv in Michael, but it passed. 1t
had been like a breeze passing over
a wheat field, bending the stalks
only for a moment. After he was
married-well, men married every
DAY
This Sally-gir was solicitouS. She
kissed HIM when she came and
went. 1t wasn't unpleasant He
ought to remember more about her,
though. And couldn't.
Downrigg went on. He was leav-
ing for England on the morrow, he
said. They could find him in Lon
don. He left Michael his card. On
this side, he said the affairs were
@f XITl,ftI1YaoA q
rest in Wall Street He wrote the
address down. Michael could draw
on them.
That's nice" Michael said, look
ing down at his oddly thin, oddly
helpless hands. Once they had been
brown.
IT was easier after that because
L he was stronger. Only there was
a sort of cloudineSS at the back Of
his brain-not wholly disagr2eable
but rather worrying. If that cloudi'
mes would lift, Michael felt, he coulc
remember a great deal. He didn'
tell the doctors this. He had nevel
been i'll in his life before and, fol
all he knew, this dizziness, his fee,'
ing of not being quite sure of one
self might be a part Of GONZALES
cence.
He satisfied Sally by being gen
tie and subdued and entirely tract
able. He no longer frowned anC
urged delay when she spoke of thei
coming marriage, but let her haY'
things her way.
There was something tamilia
about the streets through which
Sally and her father presently drov
him. They expected him to snil
in recognition, and so he did, be
cause he didn't like TO disappoin
them. They had been so kind. Ant
when they drew up at a shabb,
house under pin oak trees out OF
a country road he left fash o
something that was almost Xix
pain. A young Negro boy came ou
and shook his hand and said h
was glad to see him back.
Michael was very polite all through
this. When he went inside he founc
that, sure enough. the room witt
the narrow bed and the oaken chest
of drawers meant something to him
He had slept in this room-long ago
He went to the bureau almost az
a Sleepwalker might have gone, ano
opened a top drawer and looked
into it. There were only few neat
folded handkerchiefs and some worr
gloves. What was it he had eX-
pected to find?
Sally cooed over him after he
came out on to the veranda once