Henderson daily dispatch., 1946-07-30
CHAPTER FORTY. THREE

THE GROUND waved under his
feet. The daylight turned black.
He staggered away. leaned against
to shut out not only sight but all
thought and feeling. II was a
long while before he became
aware OF the hard. round wheel
OF the diner, pressing his spine,
the Ice OF the rain ON his skin
and the rhythm OF hacking.
Then he went back 10 the Junk
pile and III u fever OF dong. helped
TO uncover the living and drag out
the dead. He closed Kurt Fran
keIs eyes; lie sent grandma on
her last journey; ne gave
Chuckies father comforting
word, not CERTAIN whether the man
could hear what lie said. Your
boys safe. They got hIm out"
NOW anu aSain. III the welter
OF people anu tools, lie slimpscd
DIR. Peck, drawn faced, waxen yell
low, climbing over the Iuuble, saw
the priest, weaving III and out OF
the thronS. knrclnS, dangling u
rosary itom SM!vGr!nS hands.
The last person lie saw was the
rcd-hcaLra wIlG OF the soldier who
mac lost ms les. lie watched her
white face. cinnunluu-trcckled,
while the aGvlyIene torches spat
at tile metal that pinned down
her nhloS. She VAS CONSCIOUS, BIT
ing her ups 10 Si.C..Sv urr PAIN.
D!OoC .ilCK!rG NnvIc Gyr teeth
naG often ncr mouth.
An Inferno CIawIcd over the
WieehaSe, shot morphine INTO ncr
shouiuGr. Before nvT eyes closed,
she naI rGGUsu Izcu CUTprtt, mad
managed SnaStiy smile: Hello,
Dempsey, GiG you KNOCK me out 2"
:. ana Say, give me butt"
MS S!SarGl package Mas soaked.
In the nIIGG!r OF the pack, lie
lound one That wds partially dry.
lie broke the Souuen end oft, LIT
H. paced IL between her ups. She
muImuied. "4oull nave 10 hold
II Tor me. Can use my nanas."
she drew Ill just once and then
hvr mouth sdssrG anG II cropped
from nvr ups.
When tASy finally Iited her out
10 stfvtGnGr, her eyes opened
VIDE. She struggled To SIT. \
nurse wrapped u blanket around,
Hciu It's SiGCS to restrain her. The
blanket ten uat at Ter knees.
SUi"ett saw her nps moving anu
brht gown 10 eaten what she SAID.
fiaG the FUNNIEST dream
Diramt my legs Mere cut OFF
Aic dnG my husband Us two
without legs
When lac lad seen the ambu-
lance GUoss shut behind her. heard
Inc impU!tuHIlc Gang OF its bell.
lac NaLheG Slowly back. On the
Wet G!nGc.s. beside the Junk OF
Tie e"ach, small body lay. a
"'.s'c uuGy. Without a mead. a
Pi!N S"SsCa!HS torso, lung clear
VI the WRECK. l!ny limbs rigid.
yet oCuiy twisted as though their
joints were CT Cloth. Ice ran
through ms VEINS before lie bent
Gown ana picked up Joanles doll.
tie carried It oaCk to Glen
Argyle, drew himself up to the
Top step OF the Pullman, sat there
Win his head III ms hands and
Inc oiukcn doll IN his lap, too
spent, too utterly weary to move
or to talk or even to cry.
Yet even that ended and he
went INTO the car.
JoanIe was OF the scttce in
Nina > compartment, dressed IN
Nina iur jacket. the sleeves
long, making the end OF her Irms
Ike seals tllppcrs N!na's pancake
nat Vas over one eve and her
p!StaIlS stuck out beneath II. Her
thin legs were ciIss-Crosscd with
banG.aIds
She was playing a game with
lhe SroWn-ups. com m anG!ng
Elaine; Nov. you shut your eyes.
Don't peek TIL tell you" When
she saw Corbett. she jumped I'd,
poised for leap. shrieked
"Eeeceeee" and flung herself at
MIN. The fur swaddlcd arms en-
circ!ed his throat. almost stran-
Cling. He gaspcd: Take il easy
-. Such passion"
AS soon as he SAID II he re.
mem bercd whose words they were,
They belonged to the frcckIc.faced
gunner's mate. to the guy in the
whites who had come OIL the raft
and gone back to sea. To her