The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-06-27

Il reck-
Peggy shook her head and sighed well sup
pose she'll be ready for you to take her to the sta
ton In few minutes"
"Yessum."
81 see you brought the trunk down"
"Yessum. She told me to bring 1t down last
night"
Don't forget it," she said going through the
kitchen door.
For long time after she had gone he did not
from his tracks. Then. slowly, he looked
round the basement, turning his head like an animal
with eyes and ears alert. searching to see II any
thing was amiss. The room was exactly as he had
left 1t last night He walked about looking closer.
All at he stopped, his eyes widening. Directly
in front OF him he small piece OF blood stain
ed newspaper lying in the livid reflection by the
cracks in the door OF the furnace. Had Peggy seen
that? He to the light and turned 1t out and
ran back and looked at the piece OF paper. He
could barely see IL. IL meant that Peggy had not
seen 1t. How about Mary? Had she burned? He
turned the light back and picked up the piece OF
paper He glanced to the left and right TO see II any
one was watching, then opened the furnace door and
peered In. his eyes filled with the vision OF Mary and
her bloody throat. The inside OF the furnace breath
ed and quivered in the grip OF fiery Goals. But there
sign OF the body, though the bodys
image lowered before his eyes between his eyes and
the bed of Goals burning holly. Like the oblony
mound OF fresh clay OF newly made grave. the red
Goals revealed the bent outline OF Marys body. He
had the feeling that IL he simply touched that red
oblong mound with his finger 1t would cave in and
The Goals had the appearance OF having burnt the
body beneath. leaving the glowing embers formel
into she'll OF red holiness with hollow space in the
center keeping still in the embrace OF the Quiverng
Goals the hudded shape OF Mary's body. He blinked
his eyes and became award that he still held the
piece of paper in his hand He lifted IL to the level OF
the door and draft sucked 1t from his fingers; he
watched 1t fly into the red trembling heat smoke,
turn black blaze, then vanish. He shut OF the fan;
there was no danger OF scent now.
He shut the door and pulled the lever for more
COAL The rafting OF the tiny Jumps against the tin
sides of the chute came loudly TO his ears the OBJ
long mound of red fire turned gradually black and
blazed from the fanwse spreading OF coal whirng
into the furnace. He shut of the lever and stood up
things all right far. As long one
poked around in that fire. things would be all right.
He himself did not want 10 poke in 1t. for fear that
some part OF Mary was still there. IL things could
go on like this until afternoon. Mary would be burn
ed enough TO make him safe. He turned and looked
at the trunk again. oh! He must not forget He
had to put those Communist pamphlets in his room
right away. He ran back OF the furnace, up the
steps TO his room and placed the pamphlets smooth
ly and neatly in a OF his dresser drawer Yes.
they would have to be stacked neatly. No one must
think that he had read them.
He went back to the basement and stood uncer-
tainy in front OF the furnace He felt that he had
left something undone, something that would betray
him. Maybe he ought 10 shake the ashes down!
Yes. The fire must not become SO clogged with cin-
ders that it would not burn. At the moment he
stopped to grasp the protruding handle OF the lower
bin TO shake 1t TO and fro, a vivid image OF Mary Is
face he had IL upon the bed In the blue light
OF the room cleaned at him from the smoldering EN-
bers and he abruptly gddy and hysterical with
guilt. He had to get out into the air, away from this
basement whose very walls seemed TO loom closer
about him each second. making II difficult for him
to breathe.
He went TO the trunk. grasped Its handle and
dragged the door. lifted it to his back carried 1t
TO the car and fastened 1t to the running board He
looked at his watch: It was eght-twenty. Now, he
would have TO walt for Mary TO come out. He took
hfo at fho cts
minutes He would ring the bell for her. He look
ed at the steps leading up to the eide door OF the
house, remembering how Mary had stumbled last
night and how he had held her up Then, involun-
tary he started In fright full glitter and sparkle
about him in a world Of magic Wilderness and intense
sunshine fell from the sky, without sound It's get
ting late, He would have to go and ask Tor MISS
expecting her to como down. He got out OF the car
and walked up the steps to the side door. He looked
through the glass no one In sight. He tried 10
open the door and found Il locked. He pushed the
bell hearing the gong sound softly within he walt
ed a moment then Peggy hurrying down the
hall She opened the door.
Hasn't she come out YETI"
NOM And it's getting late"
walt. I'll call her..
Peggy still dressed in the kimono ran up the
stairs the same stairs up which he had half-drag.
eed Mary and the same stairs down which he had
stumbled with the trunk last night Then he saw
Peggy coming back down the stairs, much slower
than she had gone MP She came to the door
"she Amt here. Maybe she's gone. What did she
tell your"
"weIi, abe Amt in her room and she Amt 10 Mira.
Daltons room. And Mr.. Daiton's asleep. Dd sne
tell you she was going this morningT
"That's what she told me last night, nam" =
"shs told you to bring the trunk down last nisht'
psssy I thought moment looking past him At the
snow-coyered car.