Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1946-07-23

trempIeG a. taoucn some gan;
was jerking a toy on a string
The walters huge. whltc-Cui,rG
body. ms brown iaCt. lowered 5v,i
. the table one .uSiant ana the Uy\t
one was gone.
Corbett srirrcG TIE RIM " tie
| table. trlt 1t ciIGe through UIs
Fingers. tie saiG 10 himself This
cant oe Su Tins IS the i'Im
Queen. Nothing happens 10 It
He hung o.. To the Thought. nUuG
hand clawrG At his arm. tell away
Nina's face doomed over trv table
all OF II eyes and ua!r that
cleaned Through maze InD
dropped out .: sight.
The car had gone crazy. It WAS
banging and crashing anI grind.
ing and rppir".
SCOT strcan.ca through tn
diner. u black torrent gushing out
OF the galley.
Corbcit io.cGG himself BACK IN
his chair. His feet hooked the
| rungs. his wEy .e body tCuscG III
one frantic effort 10 rang on to
something. anG then lie SlUmpcG.
letting SO. 10 roll with The III
2vIta5!e crash.
L. came almost al once. Before
you could scream. Before YOU
could wiIl one single move. Ii
came III Al Incredible ivul, anG i
mUuStroui smash OF furniture.
dishes and glass. .: iron and steel.
Before tie pI,!ngtG from MS chair.
he saw Joar!cS BODY SAIL through
the murk, rag doll. limp. with
out joints.
| In that tina! moment. tie was
aware. with sharpness Amos;
like pam. that III the eutlie car
there was not one human sound.
Then everything stopped: the IAN
tastic movement. the car-spnttInS
din.
lie lay stunned.
Slowly, E!s senses returning like
goads. lie tel; the thick smoke.
hllIng uoStri!s amC throat. All
about nm MAS silence. so total,
so strange that tor an instant tie
Thought lie MAS entirely alone III
tins world. He opemcG ms eyes
Smoke stunS his cycDdIls. lie was
aware OF pam IN his back, III ms
legs. lie shifted his uoGy with IN
stInctIve caution. The PAIN WASH I
bad. I'm not hurt" he thought.
] Tho Fali,f thar fAn.4A.t -
VAS rcvlving. "Nothlngs nap
pcncd to ME His hands moved
back carefully. They met the ten
ture OF wood OF a wall. not the
soft tuZz OF carpet on door. He
was sitting, not lying, with the
legs OF a char on his chest. with
his back to q wall and his feet
stretched straight out on 4 carpet
that rose perpendicular.
Tie back CT has head hurt; ms
groin sent up PAIN. Yet II was the
smoke that bothered HIM most. /,
smarted and stranglcd and blInG
cd. II ioggc! mind and vision
finally drove through his mind an,
pushed IN the GrcaG that SpurrcC
him to motion. "Cripcs! | won
die IN file. No. No; fire"
He forced himself up and over
gropIns on hands anG knccs, O!
the wall OF The diner. past up,
ended tables and chairs and soft
human flesh. Jagged glass knife,
his hands. Through the maze h,
saw moving figures. shadows. un
substantial a:.t suGnI.rss. Moth
ing was real save the smoke an,
the absolute s..cnCc.
On all tours ..c syi!!Jcd. through
4 hot tunnel. with the Gcllr!uu,
speed OF an infant who has lust
learned 10 crawl. Finally, at tn.
end OF hours, days. months an,
years, tie went through Il Goui
that "aS wider than tall and iclt
a cold wind on MS face.
He tried 10 stand Up. hrlcirf
himself against meta! wall; ulu'
slantcd CrHZHy Up. lie y.us GU
om the platform. He tore at III,
haSp OF the door. II iicw bacL
with rush. as II II. too. was glat
To be freed. He jumped. \ hard
tut of ice was flung IN his face
s!cCt u"cdlcd his cvci:ds. h..