Evening star., 1936-02-02
4 HIGH COURAGE& II
by Jeanne Bowman.

She turned the car into the high
way which wound down the western
side of the Willamette and later the
Columbia and soon the hum of tires
on the wet pavement, the cleaning
black road. the burst of lights as
towns appeared and disappeared. wove
a lethargic strain beneath the ache
of reality
Nine o'clock, 10 o'clock. She passed
through Rainier, driving slowly Soon
she would come to Clatsop. then West
port, and then that fatal grade which
curved like interlinked horseshoes
over the ridge between the inner val
leys and the bay that opened to the
sea.
The lights of Westport blurred to
the right as she started on this trying
lap of her journey. She looked at
the gas gauge. The gas was low and
there were no stations other than the
one at the foot of the grade. the one
from where news of the fatal wreck
had been telephoned.
Its lights cut bright swath in the
surrounding darkness as she drove in.
intensifying the gaudy orange and
black of touring car standing there.
Anne noticed the orange pennants
painted against the black hood. A
nondescript youth in slacks and sweat
shirt was bending over the opened
hood. the doe-skin boots of a second
man protruded from beneath the car.
Anne drew up before the tank and
turned off her motor just in time to
hear the muffled voice of the man
below the car shout at the one bend
ing over the engine! IF you'll quit
monkeylng with that carburetor we'll
stand a better chance of getting home
tonight"
Some gas, lady?" inquired jovial
looking little woman, who came from
the store behind the tanks.
Pill it up, please answered Anne.
absently.
There was the clank of the nozzle
hitting the tank and then the youth
in the black and orange car. respond
ing 70 orders from beneath, tried
it, The motor coughed. stopped.
Coughed and responded with hum.
THAT be all, how's your oil?"
'All right" answered Anne, and
handed the woman the money.
Going over the grade tonight?"
chattily pursued the woman.
Anne stared at her blankly. As
there was but one road, and no cross
roads, where else would she be going?"
Yes she answered politely.
We'll. then. take it easy. Want to
watch yourself up there That third
sharp turn there, that's where them
rich fishery folk went over. Maybe
you'd like to stop and look, crowds has
been doin that. The brush IS all fiat
tened out an a little fir broken off.
Yknow, l don't reckon I'll ever get
over nearing that man"
Please Anne, who had been
frantically starting her motor didn't
realize she had screamed until she
saw the figure beneath the touring
car scramble out.
Good heavens" came a voice from
the oil stained countenance.
Anne jammed her gears. wrenched
them back into low, into second. into
high. She shot out of the station.
careened onto the highway and
roared away from the woman who
stood. mouth agape. staring after her
From behind the car Anne heard
shouts, but she couldn't stop. She
mad to go on Did the woman mean
Dad had screamed. or shouted, or
was it the crash? What was it she
would never forget?
L can't go on" Anne's foot slid
back from the gas feed as the hill
loomed ahead.
A car honked demandingly Anne
looked at the road; she was as near
the edge as it was safe to be.
She started again. If she had to
cross that grade she'd do it.
The other car ran alongside and in
the gleam of lights Anne saw that
the man in the seat beside the driver
was holding something in his hand
which glittered. The cap to her gas
tank.
I'll put it on for you," offered the
man.
Anne stopped her car. IF you will,
please" she said in reply.
A moment later he stepped up to
he side of the coupe Its all right /
1ow," he ventured.
Thank you" Anne murmured.
"Ai ansitsi," came the cheerful re-
oinder.
MIR. Newman" Anne couldn't say |
or the moment whether she was glad
or sorry to see the young. fisherman.
Anne takes the first step in her
luest, tomorrow.