Arkansas State press., 1942-06-19

letting him know that she was
worried, He was boy and she
was an old 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. | was about to pu, it
up,' ke said, indicating that his
only concern was with keeping his
job and doing his duties. "But
she told me to leave it.'
"And was someone with herr
"Yessum, A gentleman
THAT must have been pretty
late, wasn't it?'
"Yessum. A little before two,
man."
"And you tok the trunk down Il
little before two?" "Yessum. She
told me to-"
"She took you to her room ~
He did not want her to think
that he had been alone in the
room with Mary, Quickly, he re-
east the story in his mind, eyes
sum. They went up y
"Oh he was with herr" "Yes-
sum-" 81 zee Anything
wrong, man.
No, no! Ill F.. No; there's
nothing wrong.'
! She stood in the doorway and
he looked at her light grey blind
eyes, eyes almost as white as
her face and hair and dress. lie
knew that she was really worried
and wanted to ask him more
/ questions. But he knew that she
would not want to hear him tell
Of how drunk her daughter had
been. After all, he was black and
she was white. He was poor and
she was rich. She would be
ashamed to let him think that
something was so wrong IN her
family that she had to ask him,
black servant, about 1t. lie
felt confident.
"Will there hc anything right
now, mam?'
"No, in fact, you may take the
rest Of the day off, if you like,
Mr.. Dalton is not feeling well and
we're not going out" THANK
you, man,
She turned away and he shut
the door; he stood listening to the
soft whisper of her shoes die a
way down the hall, then on the
stairs. He pictured her cropping
her way, her hands touching the
walls. She must know this house,
like book, he thought, He
trembled with excitement. She
was white and he was black; she
was rich and he was poor; she
was old and he was young, she
was the HISS and he was the
worker. He was safe; yes. When
he heard the kitchen door open
and shut he went to the closet
and listened again. But there
were no sounds.
Well. he would go out. To go
out now would be the answer to
the feeling of strain that had
come over him while talking to
Mrs. Dalton. He would go and
see Bessie. That was it! He got
his cap and coat and went to she
basement. The suction OF ar
through the furance moaned and
the the fire was white-hot; there
was enough coal to last until he
! came back.
He went to Forty seventh
Street and stood on the corner to
wait for a car. Yes. Bessie was
the one he wanted to see now.
Funny, he had not thought Of her
much during the last day and
night. Too maly exciting things
had been happening. He mad
had no need to think Of her. But
now he he had to forget and re-
| lax ard he wanted to see her.
She was always home en- Sunday
afternoons. He Wanted to see
her very badly, he felt that he
would be stronger to go through
tomorrow if he saw her.
The street car came and he got
on, thinking Of how things had
gone that day. No, he did not
think they would suspect him OF
| anything. He was black. Again
he felt the roll of crisp bills IN
| his pocket; if things went wrong
he could always run away. lie
wondered how much money was
| in the roll; he had not even count
er it. He would see when he got
to Bcssie's No; he need not be
afraid. He felt the gun nesting
close to his skin. That gun could
always make folks stand away
and think twice before bothering
him.
But of the whole bushes there
was enc angle that bothered him;
| lee should have gotten more
money out Of 1t, he should have
/ planned It. He had acted too
hastily and accidentally. Next
| time things would he much differ