The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-16
By Lorena Carlton

youngster. "Does Pope get a com
mission down there, too'?"
"Ah, Miss Baker" the grown
man had pleaded, forgive this lit
tie fellows greed. He has to make
his living in "teeps' here on the
bridge-and / swear he adores you
don't you. Pepe?" he had COM
manded sternly.
"Of course / do" the boy had re-
piled casually. why not? She gave
me almost as much money as I'd
hoped she would. She "teeps' Amer
lean"
But Mallory Baker wasn't stop
ping for "coky" or wood carvings.
Not even for human companion
ship. She couldn't explain why she
didn't want to stop at the gay APP
pearing place, Some fear similar TO
doing without her headlights as
long as she could, a sort of protec-
tive desire to hide in the darkness,
also to get farther away from that
fearful spot. Gee, l wish Prism
were along" the blond girl whis-
pered to herself. Il even wish Tod
Patrick were along" Whatever she
might have against Tod. he wasn't
afraid; he was brave to the point of
sassiness.
Still, would he be brave in this
circumstance or. would his knees
tremble as hers were? III never
tell him about it," she vowed. "rll
never tell anyone In spite of that
oath, she began TO recite her mem
cries of the incident, as IL she were
telling someone. She didn't know
why she had to do it, perhaps to
clarity things in her own mind, per-
haps as relief to a loneliness that
frightened-at any rate. she had TO
talk it out" as she often did a
scene.
II was driving along at about so
miles an hour. less probably, be-
cause l had to be careful of ami
mails on the road. 1t was wonderful,
like being in a world all my own.
I was beginning to feel exactly as
I'd planned to feel when once was
out Of the States, indolent, content
ed, yet thrilled with new sights. ="
There now were no countryside
lights visible; Mallory's car had
tipped through the little town of
Sabinas Hidalgo and left it behind.
She dared not think of what she'd
do if her car stopped; her only as
surance of safety was to keep mov-
ing, swiftly.
She recited on. There weren't
many cars on the highway. The
tourists aren't doing much now
adays. I remember seeing only two
cars and a few trucks. But there
were many poems and ourros and
literally hundreds and hundreds of
goats. 1t all was primitive and in
teresting, except when the goats
stopped to kiss the radiator as they
crossed the road and slowed me to
zero miles an hour.
"All the same, I was happy and
blissful." The high-powered car
now was beginning a fairly steep
climb. Mallory could not see any,
thing of the roadside except an &C.
casional traveller who had not made
it home, sleeping in tn ditch be-
side his burro. She shivere6 at the
memory Of how happy she had felt.
II seemed so silly low,
when the sun started down."
Mallory recalled aloud, land all
those poems and burros and goats
began disappearing from the road,
l had idyllic pictures of them, coz
lily settled for the night in their lit
tie homes. I was loving the dark
lavender and crimson-streaked sun
set, the sight of stiff desert growth
etched against that color. I was
l was eager for the first
star so l could n AXE a wish. The
moment was one of absolute peace.