The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-27

i - II ~ AANN A44ta 44NHAs -
= Gas , EPIC down - one q he
side street third-run movie houses
Il wouldn't have surprised her 4
some orchestra nd started need
music behind scenes - 81 the
radio: or Il everybody had sud.
denly broken II and laughed. -
the cadets I'D when they got 70
Glowing.
But ~. this wss real. blythe
knew al too surely that Nancy
Hale and the hFassy-voseed gent
upstairs there were characters not
from = story but from real nfe.
One Of them had 1nst finished his
main speech and cued the ether.
she waited brcathlessly for Nam
ey's response.
II came slowly. You mean. :
Nancy remained calm. however.
that you want me to i.
drug Norman Dana and Duane
Hogan. So they can't play coed
football and win the game. You
want Lincoln Field 10 lose"
ATS Il. :. You said It right.
sister. Yea-a-a-ahl You're
smart"
A thunderous silence followed
that.
sWhstta va say. sister7 oksy
for playing wit us. hmmf. The
boyssll treat you right. You lust
say the word now. and well start
Wit this grand and no questions
asked. See"
Again he waited for Nancy.
Even Blythe realized the girl Was
making up her mind. and probably
whiriing mentally.
you need the jack. and I got
II. More where this come from.
see. You stick wit me and the
boys. and you can make a good
living. Yea-a-ahl"
Suddenly Nancy answered him.
All right abe said. still cool.
For . moment the hrassy gent
became expansive. "At-t-t-t-ts
the girlle." He ehuekled and
patted her shoulder. Then quickly
he turned grim. But no monkey
business. sister. Wen see II done
ourselves this time. Now get this
Il give you the rest pills. see.
Give EN- to you now. Five o'clock
Wednesday me and a pal come
here. You fix II 30 we can hide
and watch what you do. We can
tell, In half an hour. these pills
make 'em lazy, see7 -. You get
me ?"
Eyes" said Nancy.
Ats a girl You put us--you
got a closet. chr Clothes closet.
maybe, where we won't be seen
and we can still watch okay
then. everyt'ing's jake. see. You
git the dough Wednesday night.
before we leave. No harm done.
Nobody ever know II. You can
salt the money down. scatter II.
do what you like. Sure. Later
you and me. hunh? Sure. baby.
Don't forget, 5 o'clock Wednesday.
Slip US IN"
He broke OF with a low laugh
of victory and Blythe saw he
would start back down. She heard
Nancy say "All right" once more:
heard the word with quick. stab
bing horror. then silently fled.
II Blythe had been In mental
turmoil yesterday. she said TO
herself. she was nearly insane
now.
sobbing quietly. but hysteri-
cally. she scooted along the privet
hedge. past the taller shrubbery
and through the first tunnel that
led to the top Of the stadium.
Up them nobody was In sight,
here In the middle of Monday
morning. She fled without reason
ing about IL. She Just knew she
couldn't 20 back to Pops office
and wait for the business callers,
or be there when Nancy Hale
came In. Too much inside herself
was like a hurricane. She had
been shopping and In common
with most shoppers only
something which built distress.
The great stadium yawnsd In
It's emptiness now like some 81
gantie dragon. At least II seemed
horrifying to Blythe. Everything.
in fact, seemed horrifying. Nancy
Hale. That brassy man. The war.
Life IN general. =.
She was half running along
row Of seats. climbing as she ran.
without direction. She came
alongside the press box. Against
the stadium. the booth was eozily
small. like an attic nook or
hall closet 10 which a scared little
child might run and hide. Blythe
ducked in. Sure enough. the cold
wind was off her In here. The
glsssed room. touched BY Novem-
Der sun. was even warm. In
moment she was leaning on the
reporters long front table. crying
In utter abandon.
That complete breakdown last
ed . quarter hour or no. then
ebbed away. The isolation here