Askov American., 1943-05-13
Party Crasher
By X. o. KAHILLE
A/ALT knew he'd entered tho
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stone pillars. But there wasn't any
place to turn around, SO he kept ON
going. Abruptly he rounded clump
of shrubbery and burst on to crowd
of people scattered over a velvet
green lawn. There were gay UNI
brellas around and metal tables and
| chairs painted a bright orange.
Somewhere an orchestra was play
ing and there was much laughter and
shrill voices.
Walt had to drag his tires in the
gravel to avoid running down girl
who burst away from a group OF
people and came flying toward him.
You're Bill Thayer, the boy Ed
Carter said was coming down from
Santa Barbara! Oh, I'm SO happy
to see you!"
Walt swallowed and started to say
he had never heard of Bill Thayer,
but the girl, rather dumb-looking
creature, ratified on without giving
him a chance.
"Just leave your car here. Poole
will take it to the garage and Rob-
erts will show you to your room.
Then you must hurry down and join
US ALL"
A iveried driver, obviously Poole,
suddenly materialized' beside the
roadster, saying quietly: BEG par
don, sir"
Walt hesitated This was Holly
wood, he reminded himself. Peo-
pie did crazy things, like crashing
parties where they weren't even
known, and having swell time
He'd often wondered what a party
like that was like. Here, he decided
suddenly, was chance to find out.
20. K, Poole And while you're
at it, once over lightly. l picked up
a spot of dust coming down." He
slid out from behind the wheel. Poole
slid in. The girl had vanished. A
stiff looking individual came from
the house and removed his bags
from the rumble seat "This way,
sir
Fifteen minutes later, Walt, garbed
now in hannels and sport jacket,
emerged again on to the lawn. No
one paid him much attention. For
an instant he had moment Of panic.
Suppose they found out he was an
imposter? Then the girl whom he'd
almost run down, fluttered up, "Hel-
10! Aren't you Tom Potter? But,
no. Toms blond. Oh, well, I'll
stop guessing. You tell me. I'll in
troduce you.'
She didn't however get q chance
A young man with an old face came
up and said something about the
punch bowl being empty and she
rushed off Walt wandered around.
People were everywhere. One or
two spoke to him and suddenly out
of the sea of faces he saw one that
gripped his heart.
1t was as if he had seen the face
before, though he knew he hadn't.
1t was as if he had been looking for
such face all his life. 1t didn't
seem queer that she was staring at
him. 1t didn't seem strange that
he should 60 directly up to her and
say, with no restraint or hesitation:
I'm sorry. don't believe we've
met. I'm Walt Whiting"
She smiled. 'T'm Nancy Lowell"
81 like that name. Shall we
dance?"
They moved toward the tiled floor
ing that was used for dancing. When
he took her into his arms it was as
though all his life he had waited for
this moment Neither of them spoke.
A contentment dwelt in their hearts,
a curious sense of oblivion and peace
as if strife and struggle and pre-
tense had ceased to be and each had
reached goal which they had been
seeking for untold ages.
After the dance they walked away
from the others. They found a brook
and followed it, sat beneath pepper
tree and Walt at last looked up into
her face.
"You won't think me crazy, lit
seems as though this is what I've
always wanted. You, mean"
81 understand" she said. ''I know.
feel it too" She laid her hand ON
his and the blood pounded warm in
his veins
It wasn't until he awoke the next
morning in the blue and white room
that had been assigned to him that
Walt realized with a shock the mis-
take he had made, the futility of con-
tinuing this game of pretense. The
lovely, serene face of Nancy Lowell
rose in his mind, and pang stabbed
at his heart.
Yet he could not resist the tempta-
ton to see her once more, to talk
to her, to-selfish though it seemed
watch the changing lights of her
eyes when he confessed his deceit.
Fate Knocked him again when he
found her beneath the selfsame pep
per tree. She looked up at him and
smiled, wistfully, he thought. He
hesitated, deliberating; knowing it
would be folly to torture himself
longer.
81 don't belong here" he said.
"They think I'm Bill Thayer. I'm
not l drove in here by mistake"