Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-11-14


Hal looked at Barry. She sat on
the edge of the bed, knees drawn up,
legs tightly encircled by her arms,
golden head little bowed over her
dark, sullen stare at the washstand in
the corner.
"Well," said Crack, with a sort of
sly modesty in achievement: 1--WE can
use dough an we can use publicity.
You got the say which,"
you'll have a hi of a time get
ting money" Hal said out of his list
less calm, $50 shoot on the other, If
you think it'll get you anywhere"
Il guess it'll get us somewheres all
right" said Crack. "But 1 figgered Mr..
Frederick Ireland'd sooner make it
dough, If you wouldn't"
BY Cd, what a dirty trick on the
Old Man, getting him into mess like
this! Shame like an instant Of
fright, held Halls veins and made his
lungs seem to shrink. Providence, you
Ireland: Providence! Let a narrow,
white bug leer at you in the rotten
trap you walked into, and leave Prov
idence to take care Of the Old Man.
Christmas Leave Providence to take
care of your hate, too. Look at Martin
Crack, named for a saint, no doubt
look at him sitting there, venomous
lackey Of evil: don't fight him, don't
match your pristine wits against his
basking viciousness, don't disturb your
fine, wounded spirit now that the first
fury is out of you.
Hal thanked God his revolted calm
had stayed steady upon him till he
saw what he must do. He could stall,
somehow, for another day, until pa
tient Sister Anastasia was delivered at
her sorry destination; and in Los An
geles, q free agent, he would be his
father's-his own Providence in this.
In the room Of a city hotel, alone with
Crack, he might remember those i'm
mense, riven compositions in defiance
through which they had infinitely trav-
eled scenes in which 1t did not mat
ter what happened to man.
And while these flashing things tum-
bled past Halls bitter attention, he said
quietly, "If it interests you what Fred
erick Ireland would think, I'd ask him."
'You know him better'n I d." said
Crack. What do you fgger he'll
think?''
"How well do you know him?"
"Don't know him." said Crack; "but
you'd ought to. You're his son, aren't
you"
us that a statement?" Hal asked.
Cor a request for information"
Don't seem like you were exactly
denyin it."
mo" said Hal, II don't remember
having denied it, since I've known
YOU
He glanced at Barry as he reached
for cigarette. She hadn't stirred.
you're Ireland's son." Crack said.
"Frederick-the big whack.'
Sure" said Hal confidently.
And you got no idea what he'll
think when he hears you been caught
in married woman's room by her
husband"
IF 1 told you what you didn't like,
you wouldn't believe it," said Hal, as
if Crack were being a little dull-witted
about it.
The shy smile slipped over Cracks
fair-skinned face again, and he said,
Look, Ireland, we don't want to get
you in lotta trouble" A hot swirling
under Halls composure made him hold
himself hard; in Los Angeles, in the
room alone with Crack, he would re-
member that tive"
"Well?' said Hal, "S'pose you DON'T"
Here's the thing" Crack said: "if
you'll talk dough, the whole works
stops right here in this room-between
the three of us. If you won't, we
gotta go to Uncle Frederick. An after
that, it's court an the newspapers"
"That's a program anyway" said
Hal. Push item number one off, and
go to Mr.. Ireland. Is that all you
want to know?"
Don't you wanta save yourself trou-
ble?"
Eyes, you bet" said Hal, and the
casual readiness OF his own voice for
titled him. "But don't see any trou-
ble."
"You don't" said Crack. "You don't
wanna stop this right here?"
Hal welcomed with vicious pleasure
the undertone of Impotence. He said,
''By paying you money!"
"Yes."
Hal pulled the fragment of laugh
through his nose and said, "Wouldn't
pay you a nickel even if it meant any
thing to me-"
Maybe you don't think l know
you're Ireland's son." said Crack, his
voice breaking peevishly as he raised it.
II haven't denied it yet" said Hal.
"Anyone'd think you didn't want to 60
ahead with this"
Crack watched him again and liked
it less. The cunning in his eyes tried
for a space of minutes to challenge
Halls unworried look, then suddenly
the peevishness blew to hot ember
Of malice, kissing in his words like a
coal settling through snow: "By Cd!
If all this is wasted, I'll" With one
I1npl1arded look of SWEATING hatrad ~