Evening star., 1935-07-25
INSTALLMENT XXI.
AUL, elated at the striking OF
- his bonds, amazed at his easy
victory over odds that had

7
Il seemed overwhelming, was ex-
citedly buoyant.
II knew you'd come through, jess,
oil kid" he exulted. II knew you
weren't the kind to let a pal down.
I'll make it up to you-somehow, if I
get chance"
Jessie drove methodically, eyes
riveted on the roadway in front of
them "Its-all right, Paul." she said,
almost indifferently.
He studied her. A certain cold de-
| liberateneSS about her caught his
senses.
Don't feel like that, Jess" he urged
It'll all be -up-nothing to regret
I'm not worth it
She shook her head. Suddenly she
began to speak-slowly, distinctly.
Her voice was low, husky. pauses be-
tween her words. lending emphasis:
You said I didn't love you. But
you see it only from the creative side.
Love-also destroys. Tonight-it de-
| stroys-"
Paul turned quickly toward her. a
premonition sweeping through him.
| But she was speaking again
You see the railing on the next
curve. There's a cliff there; below
are the railroad tracks-200 feet. The
railing is old won't have to hit it
hard. You can jump-any time up to
the last few feet"
She did not even look at him. After
the first startled pulsation through his
brain. he forced himself to sit back in
the seat; to laugh boisterously; to
make light of her words. But even as
he spoke, cold chill traced his spine.
The car was moving slowly. the curve
200 yards distant. He knew what lay
beyond. A 12-foot embankment and
a steep slope down to the tracks. No
one could go over that and live-but-
poppycock!
Jess" he exclaimed, this is the
twentieth century! People don't do
things like that nowadays. unless
they're plastered. or something. If
you've got to have your little joke,
/ let's pick out place where it's not so
/ cockeyed steep"
, He laughed again, and fumbled in
his pocket for a cigarette. Jessie did
not reply. She merely drove on, erect
in the seat. arms resting over the
wheel The headlights picked up
| the curve ahead distinctly, the white
railing cleaning, enhancing the black
pit beyond.
| Paul did not light the cigarette.
| Instead he turned again to the white
faced, grim-lipped girl behind the
wheel.
"JeSSe!" he exhorted sharply. Come
out Of it, You know you're not goin'
to pull of any fool stunt like that!"
He again attempted to joke. "Whad-
daya mean-tryin' to take me for a
ride"
| He looked back at the road. The
railing loomed larger. 1t drew his
eyes like a magnet. Three rails, eight
J posts visible around the contour of
/ the curve. He tore his eyes away
from the spectacle with an effort and
| looked at Jessie. Say! Did she
really mean to do it?
"Jessl" His voice had a frantic
edge in it now and he hardly knew
what he said. His mind raced far
| ahead. You can't bluff me, Jess"
he told her. You ought to know
that" He settled back in the
seat and braced a foot against the
dash. What if the curve was but
a Scant so yards distant. She was
only kidding-just trying to be melo-
dramatic. Not chance! Unthinka-
BILE, because of its sheer unreality.
Jessies voice startled him.
Jump, Paul." she commanded,
crispiy. For Inas sake. I'm giving
it the gum"
He stared ahead. The first of the
posts we're almost upon them. He
heard the idling motor come to life,
racing as she slipped the clutch mo-
mentarily, then felt the big car leap
ahead like wild thing. To leap out;
to grasp the wheel; to cut of the
ignition or set the hand brake did
not occur to him. He was stunned,
hypnotized, inarticulate, obsessed with
his refusal to admit that the girls
warning had been genuine.
PAUL" she screamed. Jump"
At the last moment he threw him
self on the wheel, but it was too
late. There was a rending crash and
the car slowed violently sideways
in its recoil from the solid post it
had struck. then catapulted itself upon
the railing For what seemed an
eternity to the two in the seat it
hung in the air, and Paul felt Jessie's
hands at his face as they were
crushed against the windshield.
PAUL" he heard her whisper,
clearly. Hold me-Paul-!"
He felt the cars downward plunge,
with it, swift rush of air, then
sickening detonation, like an ex-
plosion, twisting the cars steel sides
like paper Jessie was torn from
his arms as he was lifted by some
mighty force-a binding pain in his
head-blackness-oblivion-!
X X X
Two o'clock, 2:10, 2:15. Ina could
not keep her eyes off the tiny
watch on her wrist The circle of
laughing faces around the supper
table, her guests, seemed fantastic,
distorted, their gay conversation an
unintelligible tumble The mounting
Inconsistencies of her position, hu-
initiating, inexcusable, assailed her
like a scourge. This, with her bitter
disappointment, her incoherent at
tempts to analyze Paul's breach of
faith and, undeniably, certain grow
ing anxiety at his continued absence,
robbed her pretense of any semblance
of validity. Compelled to persist in
it, however, she did her best to smile,
to preside eraciously over the gayety. |
to conceal the hysteria that lurked in |
the back of her brain.
The Others were superbly indiffer-
ent, understanding, sympathizing, but |
far too courteous to comment or to |
put their condolences into words. In
stead, they kept a fire of riotouS non