Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-03-10

PiNHSht Col Rol aHulle Ilolll owning
more than five hundred acres Of
land" Terry said, taekling his lob
ster thermidor Anne listened. She
couldn't distinguish the voices be-
hind the scraps OF conversation that
peited around her ears like rain on
a tin roof.
but something has to be done.
doesn't it," Chat was Barbara.)
But they don't have to bankrupt
the Island"
Foreign investors built up the
sugar industry"
but they take all the money out
OF the country" THAT was Barbara
again.
but they took the risk"
THE natives won't work"
"You couldn't work on a diet Of
rice ard beans-if any-either. You
couldn't cut days cane on a die.
OF beehteak and spinach" (That
was Barbara too
''They don't raise any of their
own food. It's all imported"
II don't see why we don't just
pull out and give them back their
Island. Just show EN-"
They'd love it." ct was Bar
bara speaking)
1.-THE population has increased
one hundred per cent since we took
1t over cut down infant NOR
tally cleaned up the yellow
fever . malaria :"
Without doing anything drastic
to solve the problem OF feeding the
people we've saved :"
"A Puerto Rican told me if the
population kept on at this rate
they'd have to build second story
to the Island ="
Sue looked helplessly at Anne. 1t
had become conversational free
for-al in which the guest OF honor
was unable to get word in edge
wise. He sat smiling blandly. Only
once or twice Anne, turning her
head, caught the CLINT Of the tall
candles in their crystal hurricane
globes OH his thick lenses. He was
watching her-there was no doubt
OF that, because he looked away
again without ever really meeting
her eyes. Each time she had a
chill little feeling in the pit Of her
stomach.
They thought we were awful, 60
ing without stockings. Now they
all do it themselves.
Il remember my father nearly
died when he discovered didn't
have stockings on" Barbara said.
HE hadn't noticed it the first cou-
pie of months. My aunts in Boston
still think it's awful"
Sue smiled enchantingly. Don't
pay any attention to Barbara, MIR.
Taussig. She's just being contrary
She put her napkin down on the
table. This was the moment she'd
been waiting for. The men could
sit and talk, and Russell would have
his chance.
Shall we let the men have their
coffee here?"
She started to get up, but Mr.
Taussig was out Of his chair.
Frankly, l prefer coffee with the
ladies'" he said blandly.
Sue had not gone to Miss Oak
ley's for nothing.
How wonderful" She smiled
brightly and led the way through
the dining room back to the porch
Anne glanced at her watch 1t
was almost time to go. The party
had settled into three groups, with
Barbara and Terry and silent
young man who became voluble
only at the mention of a race horse
in one Of them in the center of the
porch Behind them Ben was with
Sue and Russell talking to Mr.. Taus-
sig. The others were playing some
kind of game inside the living room.
Anne was listening to Terry and
Barbara arguing the distance to a
place she'd never heard Of. She
was listening more intently to the
conversation behind her. Mr. Taus-
sig was saying it couldn't be done.
Anne had missed what it was. Rus
sell Porter was insisting that il
could.
We're doing it" he was saying
Right here, now. It's wonder
Colonel De Voc didn't show it to
you this afternoon
There was so much to see," Mr.
Taussig said. Our time was limit.
ed. My point is that it's one OF
those engineering dreams that's q
practical impossibility. If you car
do 1t you're a wizard, my boy"
That's just what he is, Mr.. Taus.
sigl" Sue cried. Darling, why
don't you show him those drawings
you have, with all the specifications
in them. Then he'd believe you"
1t seemed to Anne that there was
an abrupt little silence. She couldn''
be sure, because Terry was trying
to beat down Barbara's monotonous
resistance to something by banging
on the table. II tell you it's crazyl
he was shouting. Then she hearc
Russell Porter saying, I'D like to
Mr.. Taussig, but they're not sup
posed to be shown around. Yol