Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-08-08
CHAPTER II-continued

That faint visit of ominousness was
finished now, with every one awake,
crampedly stretching and resettling.
Or was 1t finished? Had it simply re-
turned to it's hiding to wait again? A
silly, thought. What could there be
ominous in this shabby car, except the
way Miller drove?
The flat strap Of concrete curved,
dipped and ran on into Pennsylvania
and found the steel cities. Mrs. Pull
sipher gave the impression of knowing
1t was conspiracy-entered into by
her husband, among others-that kept
them from reaching Harrisburg while
the visibility was good. John half
heartedly. tried to get her to admit
that the bridge lights, contained in
glass stars, were beautiful; but she
wouldn't. Her voice. as she asked
Kerrigan what river this was, rang
grim in familiarity with martyrdom.
And her ooh" awhen he told her it
was. the Susquehanna, implied she
might tomorrow find out it had been
the 7Tiber or the Yang-tze, and she
robbed of the glamor.
Something was at work clearing the
moody sluggishness from Halls head.
A drifting sense of loneliness, of mel
ancholy that had seemed to belong with
the broad river slowly mourning the
sunset, ran away out of his spirit. He
was, after all, human being-with
faculties conapactly contained in fit
and useful body, and with rights to
his own character. He was on his
way to California, to. a job, and to
the confusion of his father.
Sullenness was nonsense, wasteful
nonsense; premonition was nonsense
What could happen that he didn't want
to have happen? Why make a whole
fertile week blank by wanting nothing
to happen, by ignoring his power to
make things happen? His father had
said Hal didn't know people, among
other things-among almost all other
things; well, he would arrive on the
coast knowing at least seven and ready
to dare the Old Man to believe any
two of them.
He thought wildly of the Trafford
girl behind him---her eyes, though he
couldn't see them now, still solemnly
absorbed in their own defensive CONT
hence. Far, far worse luck there could
have been than this of catching car
that carried anyone so well favored, so
challenging in looks as well as in man.
q of of fbo abO1
lenge-undesigned, perhaps, but still
challenge. Prouder manners than that
had been altered, and with less in
centive. Look out you blue-and-gold
vixen; it makes me mad to be made
mad, and l shall keep books on you
from now on.
But Kerrigan first-for himself, for
the character disguised under that
scholarly remotenss of his brown eyes:
and for the Trafford girls proprietor
ship in him, her air almost of imply
ing that they knew each other already.
Careful, Ireland; first thing you know
you'll be, glad you've come.
kinda thought we'd put up at Har-
risburg tonight" said Miller sleepily,
his eyes sightless on the dim headlight
beams that revealed curves barely in
time. Z sSrf
Harrisburg? said Mrs. Pulsipher in
quick suspicion; and Crack, shyly
knowing, said: 1--WE went through Har-
risburg a half hour ago, bud"
Miller chuckled as if at something
clever and turned to Kerrigan, his I'M
shaven face sleepily pleased in the
light from the dashboard. us that
right?" he said. 1897
YES" said Kerrigan.
Miller chuckled. That's good one"
he said, and Hal shouted a sharp
"Hey" at him as, the, white posts of a
curve came filing swiftly at the front
end Miller returned his look to the
road and pulled the wheel hard, but
without apparent concern.
It'll be another place up the road"
he said. kinda like to see garridge
likes the looks of. Get m'valves fixed"
He looked aside again, grinning;
Kerrigan took the stubbly chin in his
hand and turned it frontward. "Look
where you're going, like a dear old
party" he muttered. "I'll find you a
factory, If you'll only watch where
you're going"
Thanks" said Hal with laugh.