Evening star., 1941-01-26
II Short Story Complete in 1ha5 Issue

- glanced at his watch. 1t had been snow
ing since noon. Now, at five, the big transport
had just crossed the Iowa line, hOmeward
bound, and was runbling northWard with her
blunt snout thrust doggedly into the storm. 1t
was getting colder; frost thCkened the wind
shield Tommie hunched his slender shoulders
forward over the wheel, peering through the
small spot of glass kept clear by the cab
heater In spite of poor visibility, he drove
with heavy throttle; Crowding the tractor
against the drag of the four thousand gallon
trailer on behind.
On the other side of the cab, Monk Ellis,
the relief driver, used finger to thaw hole
through which he gazed at the road ahead
with skeptcal eye. The wind was rising; the
air was filled with fine powdery snow. Already
sizable drifts were creeping across the cement
Monk rubbed his chin.
She's gettn' no better fast, feller," he
said. You amt never goin' to make Coewater
in time for no Firemens Dance tonight. Want
me to drive awhile?"
Tommie shook his head. I'm dom all
right"
YEAH" Monk agreed, but listen: there
amt no use Dustin a laig. If we're little
late your wife can ride to the dance with my
mssus, provided she wants to go. My oil
woman wouldn't miss it for marbles or chalk.
She gets big kick out of meetin' all the old
gang, an reckon there IL be quite crowd
He paused, watching Tomme's face. "Spose
Bert Keller will be there?"
Tommie shot his relief driver a quick
glance. Monks long face was guieless. With
shrug Tommie turned back to the road, Of
course Keller would be there, after the write
up they'd given him in the local paper The
big Dutch patroman would be there with
bells on - telling people how he had nabbed
the bandits. He'd be hero, especially with
the women Only, he wasn't going to hang
around Lola during the evening" The sandy
haired little drivers jaw frightened. Keller was
going to keep away from Lola he aimed to be
there himself to see that he did,
We'll get there in time, he said.
Monk peered through his peephole. well,
we won't gain nothn' by just tryin' to bull it
through In another hour this here's gon to
be regular ring g-tailed blizzard. Maybe we
ought to run back to Crest City till mornin'.
There amt no use Dustin laig."
Tommie didn't answer. There were some
things, maybe, that Monk didn't know. Maybe
he'd forgot that Keller had been an old fame
of Lola's Tommie hadn't; he never would for
get how close the race had been between them
before Lola had finally made her choice.
Sometimes he wondered uneaslly if Lola
ever had any regrets. She still thought of
Keller sometimes; she had mentioned him at
breakfast just that morning. They'd almost
finished when she'd asked, kind of off
handedly if he'd seen Berts write-up in the
Coewater Star. Tommie had stopped eating.
Il saw it. So what"
why, nothing" Lola seemed surprised at
his tone. Il just thought it was nice - the
things they said about him."
Tommie remembered the little pang through
his heart 1t WQS nice, he reflected bitterly.
Too DANCED nice! Big headlines: PATROLMAN
CAPTURES HIJACKERS Then story about how
Keller had overtaken two armed men in a
hijacked liquor truck and captured them
singlehanded. A lot of hero stuff And to cap
it there was that mushy line Keller had
handed the reporter: 1T wasn't really so
much, it was simply part of my job.
Tommie had showed his chair back from the
table What made you think of Keller now?"
why -" Lola had hesitated Il was just
thinking - maybe we should have him in
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