Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-23

was his custom when he finished .
picture he merely vanished from
view. leaving no forwarding ad
dress.
RE was what is known rs q
side-rosd hsunter, an of1-the'
beaten-path traveller When hC
wheeled his big convertible out Of
the driveway OF his Westwooc
home. the top director Of Fairfax
Studios had only a hazy notion
that ne would head east. HC
wasn't due back for 20 days
LONG VISTA
Saeehrush and Joshua trees
on both sides Of tho brolling
pavement they stretched 10 The
distant mountains.
A couple Of hours ago Proctor
had been driving along a shaded
boulevard. with lis well-cut lawns
and flower gardens and imposing
homes.
Now the only buildings he passed
were implanted shacks, several
mile apart. many of them un-
tenanted. Okie SquatterS, or
invalids seeking surcease for their
lis in the hot, dry Mojave, &C.
cupied the others
Miles and miles beneath the
bllstering noon sun. He passed
only a few cars.
II was not like this when he
drove over this roundabout way
10 Palm Springs last Winter. The
desert then was magnet Turing
thousands away from rain
drenched Los Angeles, where a
wet record Of half a .century's
reputable standing cracked be-
meath drab clouds.
He was thinking about this
when he found himself turning off
the highway on 10 ittle-used
road going north.
JUST RAMBLING
The movie director didn't know
where the road went 10. and he
didn't care.
II merely wound haphazardly
among the trees peculiar 10 the
desert. truly beautiful as they
doomed white in the Spring and
even now, in the heat OF the Sum-
r'er. maintaining a certain dig
nifty In the landscape with their
sluat, ungainly contours.
Jack Proctor must have trav-
crsed 30 miles along this lonely
road when the motor sputtered
and stopped.
1t wasn't lack of gas; he had
filed up the big tank at Mojave,
lie had been driving cars for 16
OF his 30 years, and he didn' I
know what made the darned
things go,
What went on beneath the sleek
FOOD of his car was as great a
1yStery TO him as the mystery OF
cath. Now he didn't even bother
hit up that hood, for that
Guild have been futile,
He cussed few times and
tied back for someone 10 come
lie wasn't worried, he had
ire sandwiches along, and
C~'e OF thernlos Jugs, one con-
re water, the other hot coffee.
I-o even had a blanket against
Ae chill Of a desert night should
ii. come 10 that.
lie dozed for an hour or so, then
-yloked cigaretS chain fashion,
nd surveyed the country moodily.
y wcs about o'clock when he
ttc rex, or rather the roof
eek, With its chimney
g.i'e GNay, maybe more
O. sc-~ distance 10 the left of
tie read. Chances are nobody
lived there, but il was worth
Try.
II il was an Dixie, he probably
could make whatever repairs were
necessary on the car, or drive him
into the nearest town in his lalopy
Proctor got out, and started
trudging down the narrow. hot
road. Lord, IL was sizzling
He called himself a few bad
names for not having brought
along a hat for just such an
-nergency
That darned sagebrush Shanty
vas farther away than he
thought; these distances were de-
ceiyng Now he reached the lane,
II il could be termed that, leading
20 te place
Hgat2 II mirrored before his
eyes The Joshua trees danced.
The raw, merciless sun melted
away into q buttery yellow then
rev dark and ominous and
anished altogether. leaving in us
axe a black velvet curtain
SUDDEN AWAKENING
He was lying on a cot and he
as swathed in blankets that were
Wringlng wet.
Its about time" said a cool
feminine voice.
Il L. -.