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

look continued past Hal in the direc-
ton Of Mrs. Pulsipher.
"Mrs. Ella Pulsipher," she said, less
severely: "and that's John Pulsipher,
my husband"
You're from Iowa, man," said Ker-
rigan.
EYES," said Mrs. Pulsipher, inter-
ested beyond distrust now. Burbank.
How did you guess?"
Los Angeles Is the capital of Iowa.
man," said Kerrigan solemnly, ''and l
was told this crate-this car was go
ing there" Hal thought, the mans
probably nut. Kerrigan went on: II
vote for you for chaperon of this emf
grafton, Mrs. P. VIII you get us the
names of the other ladies?"
There was a moment of silence and
then very soft, careful, family for
eign voice behind Hal said, II am Sister
Anastasia." 1t was surprisingly beau
tiful to hear her say "Ahna-stahzia."
Hal looked up at the duplicate rear
vision-mirror to see if the Trafford
girls expression was as soft and gen.
tie as that name, but he could see only
her clear, possessed profile and the
brief flow of golden hair under the
protective rim of her blue hat.
Go ahead, look like that: somebody's
going to speak to you now.
But her barely pursed lips parted in
slight smile when Mrs. Pulsipher
said, "And your name, young lady?"
"Trafford," said the girl, in tone
nearer huskiness than you expected:
BARRY Trafford." "Barry?" said MRS.
Pulsipher. "That sounds like mans
name" Il KNOW" said the girl quiet
ly; my father liked it,
"And did well to- said Kerrigan in
grave courtliness, "if you'll allow me"
Hal saw her head turn, saw her blue
eyes large and solemn but not hostile
as she said, "Thank you" Even with
out looking in the mirror, he was
conscious Of her-both in 1t and be-
hind him. Relax, you, d-n it, relax:
I won't speak to you.
Martin Crack announced himself
then, with lazy sort Of modesty
neither amiable nor otherwise, and
Kerrigan looked at Hal.
"Henry Ireland" said Hal, trying
to match the humorlessness of the
brown, sedate eyes, even as he won,
dered If he really saw deep in them
flicker of something youthful and
eager.
Mrs. Pulsipher tumbled quick words
at him from behind: "Any relation
to that Frederick Ireland, that banker,
that Ireland who's president of that
big bank here?" Hal turned his head
as far as he could without moving his
body. ooh, yes" he said. eldest and
favorite son."
Gaunt John Pulsipher, racked by some
surprising and hampered eagerness,
began to stammer quick, unconvincing
laughter in his throat, until be snapped
his lean fingers; then he said, "He-he-
he-he amt got but the one son."
"That would still leave me eldest"
said Hal drily.
Pulsipher's earnestness slowly faded;
he blushed, tried to smile, dropped his
eyes, and murmured, II thought you
was foolin'."
Hal glanced into the mirror and a
slight, wry satisfaction stirred his lips:
the Trafford girls eyes-not meeting
his-were angry as when she had
pulled her dog back from him, angrier,
perfaps, for the knowledge that he
was looking at her reflection and smil-
ing to himself. He hoped so.
"And our pilot" Kerrigan said, ges-
turing briefly with strong, not I'M
graceful hand: "Mr. Jake (Ace) Mil
ler." Miller grinned
II always Think said Mrs. Pulsi-
pher, with resumed severity, ''that
when strangers come together, it's
nice to try to make everything pleasant
as they can for each other. It's not
hard to be nice.''
ut must be hard for some people,"
said Barry Trafford's low voice.
Maybe it is," Mrs. Pulsifer agreed,
grimly pleased. "Its too bad if it's that
way, too. They miss so much for them
selves"
"They think it's the others who're
missing it, so l s'pose that makes it
even," said Barry.
Hal chuckled inside: That's the girl;
but I'll make you madden than that,
too. And before we get to Los An
geles, possibly you'll be sorry for it.
He looked at Kerrigan. The brown
eyes were thinly sedate over wise
sparks of laughter; and then one eye
| lid ficked down and up, quick as a
camera shutter.
| There was something funny about
the unreality of the thing. Hal had to
! believe New Jersey and the hot sun
and the unyielding lumpiness of the
seat; but he couldn't believe anything
beyond that, couldn't visualize the
journeys ever getting farther than
New Jersey. He couldn't believe that
these seven other people, close and
real and hot around him now, would
stay real; nor that his mood, mixed
of defiance, impatience and anger with
himself for getting into such joyless
state would stay real; nor that his
vivid sense of the girls well-formed,
hostile presence behind him would. Yet