The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-11-13

tine or endeavor with hamburger
sandwiches and coffee at the Dog
Wagon, the only restaurant in
which remained open Al might.
Here milkmen ami other night
drivers and the suburban railroad
train crews shared counter and Ia
hes with formal dress customers
on their way home from parties.
Thus to the Dog Wagon came
Marcia Garfield and Helen Wad-
dell and dozen or so other new
ly-ordined actors and actresses,
after the Stagecralt Guild try
outs. II was a midweek night. and
bitterly cold, so that fewer towns
r"""l" than usual were abroad,
and as the hour was only mid
r.gut lnc regular crowd % night
working customers had not yet
assembled. None of the counter
stools was occupied. so that all OF
the Stagecraft Guild group found
seats together, in a long and noisy
row.
Tony Steil:cci, the young chef,
10 whom the acquaintanceshlpa he
formed among the patrons were
far more sustaining than all the
food in the place. chose 70 take
their orders himself, waving the
inevitably adenoidal waiter away
from such intimate contact with
the elite. Although he knew that
each Of the crowd would most as
suredly call for the traditional
hamburgers and coffee, he in
CURED and received the informa-
ton. person by person down the
long line, with poisc and tone
which would have graced a lar
more pratentiouS board.
Having served with that dis
patch which characterizes lunch
counters and is equaled nowhere
else in the world, Tony leaned on
the cash register and looked al
fectionately upon the social cream
of the nights business. AT 20,
Tony found life good. he had a
nice lob. where he met people; al
though his mother was dead ne
managed 10 maintain a comfort
able home for his semi-invalid IA
Their: he had friends and the end
less variety OF suburban and water
front recreations. He had also,
he reflected-but then the glare
of headlights through the restau-
rant windows caused him 10 turn
and look out the frost-smeared
paneS. Two cars had stopped in
the diagonal parking spaces at the
curb. Their lights went out: Tony
did not know that their engines
were still turning over. Nor did
he know that while four men
crossed the sidewalk toward the
restaurant, a man remained at the
wheel of each car and still another
man had taken shelter in door
way at the street intersection,
dozen PAGES away.
The four entered the restaurant,
stopping just inside the door to
stamp the snow off their shoes
and rub the chill out of their
hands. II was not surprising that
their coat collars were pulled
high and their hats low over their
faces, for the wind was strong and
snow was flying, Three Of the
men started toward seats ut the
rear end of the counter; the
fourth paused, head bent, to re-
move his eye glasses and wipe the
| steam fro mthem,
Tony moved down the counter
toward the three who were taking
seats. Midway, he was halted by
sight of a pistol in the hand of
one, and by the voice at the man
wh0 had waited near the door
This is stickupW said the
| voice, without nervousness,
Everybody remain seated. Keep
your hands above the counter.
! We've got You covered from both
endsW mn,
near Inc door bad replaced his
Diasses, and he held bis pistol SO
tbat 4 was hidden from yiey Of
anyone who might look IN from
onisige The man at the rear who
III t S5i aSyis sii @s5 s4t sa d itss!
H. counter top. Tbs two other