The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-02

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NXTELL," Toots said, looking over
w her husbands shoulder one
bright winter day through the door
of his little Office into the garage
that adjoined it, whats their hard
luck story2 They're looking
youngsters. I rather believe this
time you'll get your money back"
Burned out bearings" Rusty
O'Connor said. Fellow up the road
didn't tighten up the crank case
when he changed the oil, and it
leaked out. Wouldn't cost much to
fix it. It's plain enough that that's
just an excuse and they borrowed
the 40 bucks for something else"
Toots' glance weighed them care
fully.
They've had one whale Of a
dllC UllCy lC oCP1t bAAAE, IL
you ask me-" she said.
Rusty's scrubby, good-humored
face looked grave.
II was just wondering if that
wasn't it myself"
PITY, isn't it?"
yeah" ... -
They were repackirg the contents
of three suitcases, with the evident
intention of leaving one behind.
They did it in silence. Their faces
had a sort of statuesque expression
lessness, under which Rusty thought
he detected in each the same fear.
"THEY can't quite believe it," he
Il said. Each of ems hoping
the other will come across and say
they are sorry"
And neither OF them is going
to-" Toots said thoughtfully.
mo. It's like they had lockjaw or
something"
1--WE know. don't we?"
Rusty nodded. But never again
huh?"
Never again." Toots said.
IT can't tell you how much I ap-
preciate this, Mr.. OConnor," the
boy said. I'll bring you the 40 and
get the car inside of three weeks.
The truth is haven't got a job
right now, but I'm sure"
Job pickings nowadays" Rusty
said, "are kind of Slim; and from
the look that twitched at the girls
face felt sure that was one of the
things they had quarreled about. He
reached into his pocket and drew
out a bill. Listen, you take another
10, see? You'll maybe be needing
it,"
TOOTS had sudden bunch the
Il girl was going to cry, and, "All
right" she thought, ''let her. Maybe
that would thaw them out and bring
them together"
Come in," she said, land powder
your noSe"-for there was an en-
trance from the back of the office
into the house where the O'ConnorS
lived-"and then We'll run you up
to the station" For they had said
they were going on by train.
Get your car in three weeks If
YOU can," Rusty said, land take
longer if you have to. It's not il my
way. I've plenty of room just now.
It'll be safe, and everything in i,
no matter how long you take"
He almost said, as he explained
to Toots driving back to the garage:
Don't take the south train; wait
for the next one north and go after
her and fix it up; but he couldn't
quite; the boy was intelligent look
ing-the sort that would know his
own mind-and Rusty didn't know
what lay behind all this.
I'VE half a mind to go back,
l. though. and say it now" he said
to Toots; but just then they heard
the train blowing for the station,
and
1T isn't likely it would have done
any good" Toots said. 1T was
pretty plain he didn't want to leave
ner-tnat they were IN love. Stick
ing out all over EN-, in fact"
Il wonder what busted 'em up"
Rusty said.
ITS my guess he'll tell us all
about IL when he comes to get the
car" Toots said. II don't think he
could talk to his own mother to-
day. he's too cut up"
But he didn't choose to get the
car. Not in three weeks, or four.
AT the end of the fifth week he
mailed in the key to the car door,
asking Rusty to keep it and send
him some socks he'd forgotten, and
enclosed also SIS on the $50, and
said he was drifting from place to
place looking for work.
Rusty sent back the IS along with
the socks, and they didn't hear
anything for another month. Then
one morning at the breakfast table
Toots found an item in the "News''
from Tryonville" column Of the To-
cal paper. and stared at it so long
that Rusty knew she was making
up her mind about something.