Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-18

10 the realities OF the situation.
Did you fix them too ?"
Fix them!" There was a catch
in his voice. Right here in this
little dump. Doc. l got the taxi
right here. l caught one Of 'em
when she was out riding Boy,
was she scared" Once again
that eerie little laugh that had
so much instability in it. you
should of seen her face"
But il was his face that in
~terestcd me then because il had
suddenly darkened. The thin
under lip pouted like that of
little child who had been cheated
out of toy.
Yeah! I made HER sorry
all right. But | should of known.
Just then-when l was getting
them on the run. when l was fix
ing them fine, something hap
pened. l had to burn me taxi.
That's what they made me do. /
had TO burn me taxi" He looked
at me, his eyes smoldering with
resentment. That's all / got,
Doc. All / got TO keep soul and
body togther that taxi. An l
had to burn it,"
He paused and then went on
rapidly: But don't think I'm
licked. There's others left -
others as can be made 10 pay.
And they're gonna pay or else
they'll be- sorry. And there's
other taXis TO buy for a price"
There was something basically
unpleasant about him then as he
stood there, his blistcrcd hands
still In mine in a kind oC mock
hand clasp The twisted upper
mp was snocrrng. showing ycl-
lowish teeth, making him look
strangely like a trapped, wild
hare. And in his little bcady
eyes there was all the implacable
hatred of the weak and the
underdog.
Them girls, they weren't the
only ones" he repeated softly.
There's someone else worse'n
them"
Someone else" My thoughts
rere spinning. Then it wasn't
The three girls alone who had
reused his resentment, There
was still someone else on whom
he was planning to vent his
boundless malice?
Someone else" I said again.
waited breathlcssly for his
answer He spoke quite sud
denly, but he seemed 20 have
forgotten my question and TO
have slipped back INTO the bound
less sea of his own malice.
That WIRE that wire
stretched between them trees,
Getting up on that ladder and
fixing that wire! l saw.
LIE stopped abruptly, his hands,
greasy from the ointment,
dropping out Of my grasp.
He stood there IN silence.
Slowly l could see him coming
back out Of his dream Of hatred;
slowly l could see him beginning
TO put two and two together
again reasonably figuring:
What have ! done? Here I've
shot my mouth off to this guy
and he'sin with the police.
could see the doubt, the
anxiety and the growing fear,
too His face was that easy to
read
knew then that at any mo-
mont he would make an attempt
10 get away l had dressed his
hands. eascd the pain That was
all he had come for and now
that IT was done he had every
reason 10 realize the danger |
symbohzcd for him.
thought out wild plans
hould I Jump on him Use
2brutc force and somehow lock
him mp while called Cobb?
It Is strange how. even at the
most crucial moments, one
shrinks from taking the melo-
dramatic step.
| stood there. He stood there.
We We're watching each other
with "a strange, unadmitted hos
tility each waiting for the other
20 make move.
Then dimly | was conscious Of
activity beyond tire patents
waiting room in the house itself.
l heard Dawn's voice, high, agi-
tatcd What she said was in
audible But there were other
voices too-at least one other
voice.
And with a surge Of hope !
thought: Maybe it's Cobb
For those first seconds. the
taxi driver did not seem con-
sCious that anything was amiss.
tho ,rCtr.o Ca,,,,