Glacier County chief., 1939-08-11

NIX leynOluS, IL only IIldttSfco uios
she was here: that for this one night
she had been privileged to discard
the soggy mantle of provincialism.
Kirk said, abruptly, 81 had a good
time"
"You did? Why?"
Because you enjoyed it."
ooh! Kirk-it was wonderful. I've
always wanted to 60 to one of those
dances :"
They're lousy. But if you don't
know it, why that's all right, too"
She said, You've been mighty
nice to me-"
"And l got a great kick out of
you." He smiled at her, briefly, i'm
personally. "Where'd you get your
nerve from?"
"What nerve?"
"The nerve to 60 with me .
and to get the whole town talking
about your"
She explained, They've always
talked about me, and reckon they
always will"
when / was younger than you
are now, I checked out. Couldn't
stand the gaff."
"But you came back"
."Good pickings."
Kay wondered why she was not
apprehensive. Kinks reputation was
so unsavory. She wondered wheth-
er he intended to stop somewhere
!. and then, as though in response
to her unasked question he
looked down at her. He said, Don't
worry"
about what?"
"Me. I'm not aiming to park any,
where"
She was silent, and he laughed
shortly. Thought / was, didn't
your"
well the boys around
II don't play that way, myself.
Not with kids"
She felt absurdly safe. She lost
all sense of time and of distance.
Her eyes were closed, so that she
did not even see the headlights Of
the car which whirled toward them.
The road they were travelling had
been cut through piney woods. It
was of broad, smooth concrete and
Kirk was driving fast, and on the
wrong side. His own head-lamps
stabbed into the post-midnight
blackness and crossed those of the
approaching car. r
Kay heard the sudden warning
shrek Of a horn. She heard a
hoarse oath from the young man
at her side. She felt his figure lurch
against hers and stiffen as he jerked
at the wheel.
Then there was a sickening
swerve and a breath-taking skid.
She opened her eyes to see another
car skidding, to find headlights blaz-
ing into her face. II was over in
stantly-yet it seemed to take hours.
The approaching car swung off the
road in the effort to avoid Kirk.
Kirk jerked his to the right
and there they were, these two cars,
running board to running-board-the
gentleness of their contact a mock
cry Of the tragedy which might have
been.
1t had been an awful moment. a
terrifying moment. Kay experienced
some difficulty in breathing. In the
glare of their own headlights she
recognized Harvey jackson, young
civil engineer who had lived in Bev-
erly all his life. She saw that his
cheeks were pasty. He seemed
frightened-and angry. She knew
that Kirk was trembling with fury
and nervous reaction. She heard
his voice, cold as swapping icicles.
why the hell don't you look
where you're driving?"
Harvey Jackson's face flushed. He
said, 1T was your fault, Reynolds"
The girl glanced at Kirk, and was
frightened. She heard him saving
things to the other man: insulting
things, profane things. He was Bit.
ter and unfair. His words knitted
into Harvey jackson and Kay real
lied that even so placid person as
the young engineer was losing con-
troll of himself. jackson said, Law
off that, Kirk. | don't like it,.
II don't give damn what you
like
Kay put out her hand. please,
Kirk :"
He shook her off. Roughly. Other
wise, he gave no hint that he knew
she was there.
II told you to quit talking like
that" said Harvey jackson.
"And tell you :. - Kirk was
in the grip Of an unreasoning rage.
when you say it was my fault,
jackson, you lie!"
Harvey jackson climbed out Of
his car. He said, 81 don't take that
from any man, Reynolds.
you'll take it from me-"
mot If you get out of that car"
"l'n get out all right"
Kay's protest was lost in the night.
She knew it was all Kinks fault:
the original accident, the bitterness
Of the unnecessary quarrel, the inn
pending fight.
Ard e.,n. -~s~~ - A-la