The Detroit tribune., 1942-07-04

On, shucks' The girl was drunk.
That was it. Mary was so drunk
that she didn't know what she was
doing. He would say that she had
told him 10 take it and he had just
taken it: that's all. II someone ask
ed him why he had taken a half
packed trunk TO the station, he
would tell them that that was M
different from all the other foolish
things that Mary had told him to
do that night. Had not people seen
him eating with her and Jan in
Ernie's Kitchen Shack? He would
say that both OF them were drunk
and that he had done what they
told him because it was his job.
He listened again TO the voices.
g. -. and after while send
that boy to me. want to talk
to him"
"Yes. Mrs. Dalton"
Again he lay on the bed. He
would have to 20 over his story
and make II fool-proof Maybe he
had done wrong in taking that
trunk? Maybe 1t would have been
better TO have carried Mary down
in his arms and burnt her? But he
had put her in the trunk because
OF the fear OF someone's seeing her
in his arms. That was the only
way he could have gotten her down
out OF the room. Oh hell. what had
happened had happened and he
would stick TO his story. He went
over the story again fastening ev-
cry detail firmly in his mind. He
would say that she had been drunk
sloppy drunk. He lay on the soft
bed in the warm room listening TO
the steam hiss in the radiator and
thinking drowsily and lazily OF how
drunk she had been and OF how he
had lugged her up the steps and Of
how he had pushed the pillows over
her face and OF how he had pu.
her In the trunk and OF how he had
struggled with the trunk on the
dark stairs and OF how his fingers
had burned while he had stumbled
down the stairs with the heavy
trunk going bump-bump-bump so
loud that surely all the world must
have heard II.
He jumped awake, hearing a
knock at the door. His heart raced.
He eat up and started sleepily
around the room. Had someone
knocked? He looked at his watch:
il was three o'clock. Gee. He must
have slept through the bell that
was TO ring at two. The knock
came again.
20. X" he mumbled.
This Is Mrs. Dalton!"
"Yesum. Just a minute"
He reached the door in two long
steps, then stood a moment trying
to collect himself He blinked his
eyes and wet his lips. He opened
the door and saw Mrs. Dalton smil-
ing before him. dressed in white.
her pale face held as II had been
when she was standing in the dark
ness while he had smothered Mary
on the bed.
"Y-y-yes, man," he stammered.
I'll was asleep. :"
you didn't get much sleep last
night. did you?"
NOM" he drawled, afraid OF
what she might mean.
Peggy rang for you three times.
and you didn't answer"
I'm sorry. nam :"
That's all right. I wanted 70 ask
you about last night. oh. you
took the trunk TO the station. didn.
you? - she asked.
"Yessum. This morning." he
said. detecting hesitancy and con-
fusion in her voice.
81 see" said Mrs. Dalton. sho
stood with her face tilted upward
in the semi-darkness OF the hall
way He had his. hand on the
doorknob. waiting. his muscles taut
He had TO be careful with his an
swers now. And yet he knew he
had certain protection; he knew
that a certain element OF shame
would keep Mrs. Dalton from ask
ing him too much and letting him
know that she was worried. He was
boy and she was an older woman.
He was the hired and she was the
hirer. And there was a certain
distance to be kept between them.
you left the car In the drive
way last night, didn't you?"
"Yessum. I was about to put II
up" he said. indicating that his on
ly concern was with keeping his
Job and doing his duties. But she
told me 10 leave H."
And was someone with herl"
"Yessum. A gentleman"
"That must have been pretty
late, wasn't ~"
"Yessum. A little before two.
NAM"
And you took the trunk down
little before two?'
"Yessum. She told me TO-"
"She took you 70 her roomy"
(Contlnuel next week.