The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-18

! gas tank through q funnel. An Az
duous Job, doubly hard because the
little fellows were giggling so hard
they scarcely could stand up. NAL
lory began TO feel ridicu' Gus. can
face tiers of spectators in a theater,
but not two giggling Mexican chill
dren.
While they toiled and snickered.
an Indian boy, travelling along the
road. slid of his burro and came
over to watch. But he didat giggle.
He just stood there watching with
the same lack of expression she had
seen on Indians along the road
down. He wore suit made Of gun
ny sacks and was barefooted. On
his head was the usual sombrero.
Not until Mallory had paid and was
in her car, ready to pull away, did
she catch fash of smile on that
stony, handsome face. That was
wher another word came to her
mind, one from character song.
~Adios" she sang out, somewhat
mbarrassed. The little Indian boy
smiled then: there was a fash Of
the fine teeth she was beginning to
take for granted. The two tiny
gasoline statesmen burst into fresh
2iggles and threw themselves upon
the dirt, where they rolled for as
long as Mallory could see them in
her rear vision mirror. Boy, am l
getting places with my Spanish"
she derided.
The scenery began to be more
tropical. Veritable forests OF pal
metto palms. FERNS, thick. unfa-
miliar vines clinging to srees-even
the very air had changed; 1t now
was lush and thick. Mallory stayed
in Wales that night, in the heart Of
the tropics. Before the hotel she
strained her eyes to see II here
were a black sedan with white side
wall tires. When there was not, she
parked, walked past a musical
fountain, on across wide stone
porch and into the lobby.
The clerk said alphabetically,
What a dull trip you must have
had"
"Oh. brother. II only .--,u knew"
she thought, but aloud. Mallory
said. 1T has been very pleasant"
Before the war" the man said
with sadness, "it was nothing for
$50 cars to be waiting at the Gus
toms. all at one time"
Again Mallory waxed sarcastic,
inwardly. 1T couldn't have taken
me longer to get through II there
had been $50 cars"
To the clerk she said. Those
days will come again"
Il hope so. I hope So he said,
stin looking sad. answer ring her
smile with difficulty.
Mallory had dinner In the hotel
dining room. Tropical breezes rolled
through the room through the
screens. There were no glass win
dows. The ceiling was made Of
thatch. painted heavenly shade Of
blue. Her room was spacious, flled
with modern furniture dutifully
copied from the old Spanish. Her
bathroom was large. ornately tiled.
She felt happy. without a worry.
But was she. she demanded. peer
ing at her pale reflection in the
mirror. Some barb was deviling
her brain. Some memory that
Knocked her security. She knew, all
Of sudden, what 1t was. That So
prano that Tod Patrick had pro-
NOTED. trying to make her more
amena ble-that awful big-hipped
brunette-that was the answer.
Mallory had sat at al adjoining
table in supper club. ignoring
them. just as the white-scarfed
man and his partner had ignored
her Mt each meeting. But Mallory
hadn't missed thing Tod and the
other singer did. No. in spite Of is-
noring them. she had not missed
one single thing
ITO Be Contlnued)