Evening star., 1941-02-23


- UMPER MCGUIRE was heading for home
with feeling of virtue. 1t was midnight
- and it had been a good day, climaxeo
by fare from East Lawn into the city which
had netted him six bills. His days take with
the hack was enough to insure against one of
Pops shouting spells over the poverty of the
livery business in East Lawn, and would top,
he felt confident, the cab earnings of any of
his three brothers. Of course that would prob
ably start some verbal bombing in the
MCGUIRE tribal circle by his three sisters-in-
law, but those explosions were something a
man had to listen to. Bumper thanked his
saints that no feminine high explosives could
be dropped directly on him by right of matri-
mony.
At the moment, Bumpers hack seemed to
be the only car on the parkway which was as
dark, except for his headlights, as snakes
throat, due to lack of funds in the county
treasury for Juice to run the highway lights.
Not entirely blacked out, though, because
Bumpers quick blue eye caught the flash of
a tiny disk of light up ahead and to the road
side just out of range of his own lights 1t was
waving up and down and around; if the season
had been a couple of months earlier Bumper
would have thought it was FREELY.
"Flashlight," he muttered, and the thought
of stick-up winked into his mind. He quickly
abandoned it. Although dark, the night was
too fine and balmy for anything like that on
the parkway. County police cars had not yet
begun to seek the winter warm spots. They
were bound to be patrolling, which fact would
certainly deter even the most thick-headed
thug.
Bumper slowed, and the figure of a man
waving fashlight loomed off his right front
fender MCGUIRE stopped the hack.
HE man came around to Bumpers open
window. my cars broken down." he said.
Can you give me a lift to some place where
| can hire another"
Whats the trouble?" asked Bumper.
Busted connecting rod, guess" said the
man. Sounds like an ash can full of nuts and
bolts rolling down hill
Where d'you want t go?" queried Bump
er Il could probably give va tow"
The man laughed. Were going quite a
ways To Maplefield That's hundred and
forty miles, over the state line. We've got
to get there by three O'Clock this morning.
So
$50 yer in hurry" said Bumper, grinning
his wide grin. We'll, mister. guess could
take va there if va wanted t pay the price.
This here is public hack. don't know where
va could rent car to drive yourself at this
time of night.
'How much?" asked the man. There are
two of U.s. my er - sister and myself. And
some luggage"
Bumper thought he detected slight hesi-
tation before the man mentioned his sister.
Woman business" he muttered to himself.
''Mighta known"
Aloud, he said, Thirty bucks
MAKE it fifty if you get us there by
three O'Clock"
Bumper snapped on the dome light in the
hack "All right. Where's yer bags? We gotta
get gon'."
Bumper followed his new fare to the stalled
car, which was pulled off on the grass beside
the road He noted that it was gray con-
vertible coupe with license plates bearing a
city registration initial.
A girl in sport suit got out of the coupe
and watched while Bumper and the man un-
loaded three smart bags and hatbox from
the rumble. The man said, Were in luck.
This happens to be a cab and he's going to
<Jr IL