The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-09-24
CHAPTER TX

An innocent man. The words
seemed to echo in the stiffness OF
the McGraw living room after Pat
spoke them. Larry looked at her,
their eyes meeting in still, tense
duel, Pat pressed her finger tips
against the table top seeking to gain
from the very solidness Of the wood
some helping sense Of reality IN
that moment of stark terror that
slowly gripped her.
An innocent man. He would
have nothing to fear II he were
an innocent man. Larry's eyes
changed: the pupils growing
small, the blue cold like ice. A
smile crooked his mouth slowly
he turned and sat down again on
the couch.
"All right let's put the cards
on the table" he said calmly.
"You've asked for 1t. Oh, I know
you've been careful, very careful,
not to come right out and ask me
II I hit those people. But you've
looked It ever since came this
evening.
st suppose you think I should
70 down to these papers that have
been running the story about
hit. run driver all day and beg
them to print my story - the story
OF nv driving into the woman and
child. Well, I hit them, but I'm
not a complete fool. I didn't de-
Nberately drive into them. They
gsolldn't have been standing out
there In the middle Of the street.
II was raining. You know that.
I didn't see them until too late.
"T'm not taking hit-run business
as q recreation. I couldn't help
what happened. didn't actually
know they were hurt. What good
would 1t have done, anyway?
who would have believed me?
They'd all be like you: too anxious
70 put me in jam. Well. I'm
not going to stick out my chin on
this, You may as well understand
that now. I have o right to pro-
tect myself, and I'm going to. 1t
isn't as though I were q gunman
ont killing people. This was an
accident. didn't mean to do 1t,
! ana I'm not going to let any smart
cops and prosecutor hand me
rap"
etonped. breathless, white, tense,
IN found her own breath rasping
IN her throat. subconsciously she
had been prepared for the admis-
siam Of guilt. Yet she had felt
that his agony Of remorse, his de-
sire 10 make retribution, to throw
himself on the mercy Of the court,
wWuld give her grounds FOR her
lasting love. This was TOO unex-
"You didn't mean these things
you're saying, Larry. You can't
mean you'll lie out Of It."
"I1l protect myself" he said
anmily. lighting a cigaret and
finRing the match away with sud-
dN fury. Anyone else would" =.
sYes-but not this way. Admit
that YOU were frightened, didn't
realize at the time the seriousness
az what had happened, tell the
court Won want to make good, pay
the hospital bills-and all the rest.
rake the punishment, and wipe
the slate clean. II you 40 tnat
YOU stand q chance OF lenlent
verdict. You can't lie' Larry You
mustn't"
Il was q cry Of despair, for look
ING At him she felt rather than
heard his answer.
"a mans innocent until proven
entity" he told her "and II they
can rrove IT." That was the way
a ended. Before she could ado
more Of the pleas that were Oh
her lips he had gone. .om
sometimes during the next rev
davs she wondered how she hveo
throuTh that night. The horrible
rrowiedRe that Larry was gui!ty,
that he meant to carry out ms
vrstense. formed the background
Far reality worse than any
NE was swept along on the
~c.,tine OF life, though. the next
sscrrinp found her facing tne
familiar tasks as before: sn e,, Met y,
Is the ONCE, sat at ner taD .,.,n =,
eo,irt. took notes, smiled gree'Nn,e me
- police and lawyers. Yet nes
Sues found the big clock more on,
sytsr watched the minutes tick
~ bringing nearer and nearer
49, tinne for Larry's examination.
~ T,wice within o short time sne
50 r. request testimony repeated;
49, rc,,ld feel q hot flush spread
- go face Then she looked
~ ~ and saw Toms gaze fasteneo
~ her HIS smile relaxed the
srnr hands around her forehead.
.srhinking Of q new na., o
where you'll 60 on vacationF nc
asked gently. A.. ,n+ara
e,,ess. I don't seem able 70 con-
eeiitxate this morning" .,,-.
IA nodded understandingy. I'm
t.af way too often myself" He look
- o,,t at the sparkle of sunshine on
sse river that spread like a curved
.slre ribbon in the distance. "When.
ever look at that water / get
,s,nrse- think how swell 1t would be
Ia knock or for q while and take
vacation from all this. Get on
frelghter, have long days dong no
fbinr. THAT would be pretty nice Tor
for q change" ~...,
sYes-just drift along. Nothing
ID worry about" 80.
me felt him looking at her
nraill and pretended to busy her-
%. .sworry--" he said. "You should
~ nave q thing 10 worry about. You
~houid be having run, o good Time
CRANllUM