Show vt ION jl JW by ny SETH HABITS coriey AMONG MONO the million odd things spence wanted to do was visit Tople ylo hed had a yen tor for top leys back thero there on the desert wastes lie ile craved it as a cat would catnip or a homesick eskimo an iceberg and now as he ha hurried his chunky form up the narrow street et the blue noon neon above topless win dow blazed welcome in letters two feet beet high spence ald slid into a sent seat lie ile breathed Razz berry soda aoda please topley special ile he closed his eyes end and envisioned a monument of pink and white A girls voice clear and soft reached him ras ilas bry soda she la informed formed without ras arles ile he raised his head her eyes were warm and gray an amused smile bowed herdius her ups dips I 1 he faltered altered iler her manner humored his confusion dut but spence see that it struck him she was part of tho the soda that the dream also took her in ile he watched her scoop out a gob of ice cream dr drop 0 p it into atall a tall glass isquitt in a crimson amson syrup and heard the harsh gurgle of carbonated weter the glass class was placed before him ile he placed his bis ups lips to the straw and pulled coldness luxuriously flowed over his film tongue daubed his palate trickled down his throat and touched off revelations of delicious ness hed almost forgotten it evoked imagery lying faco face lip upward ward in a shallow mountain lake el elastic aftic otiis on waters above night winds whispering of giant pines drifting drifting in a rowboat i and a girl beside him biray gray eyed and pretty a g girl irl like and he looked kiil up he e felt the impact of her presence she said you enjoyed that Enjoy edl held hed known the price Iti asness of a cold glass class of water he grinned hit the spot like a tetter letter from home f spence expected st a smile but she merely picked up his empty glass and erased the moist ring beneath with on an stroke ot of a damp cloth ile he felt hed missed the target but wide ile ho rose awkwardly and plunged a hand into his pocket ills his coin vibrated on the counter A frustrated ring the cash sh register err crr lunged age d dismissal spence half wheeled to go in turning his him eye caught the tab NO SALE the girls hand swept to her blouse pocket the clink of metal told him hla his coin coln had joined others erm I 1 etwas it was none of his concern yet the act had been so brazen ile ho heard himself saying donahey Don they treat you right here spence make outher out her expression preb sion they do the 66 answered 1 I saw you pocket that money so what her coolness irritated him if the owner caught you theres nothing kj hc could do about lf it she began beann to ta straighten a row of 0 glasses before her the gas turo ture disinter disinterest eit in hla his ions more it infuriated him 1 I have believed it he managed instantly he was sorry for her ile ho noticed that dark lashes rested on her cheeks ile he realized also alio his heart was thumping end and there was waa a quaver in hla his voice that he ha control r why dont you ashfor ask for a raise 1 I cant then quit got get another job A tall man loomed in tho the door wa way y ile he was thick shouldered and muscles like idaho potatoes bulged it his Is arms laden at the moment with tw two 0 big paper papa hags bags S spence pence glanced at the girl beneath her coolness he thought he detected an undercurrent of excitement sho she said courteously did you get everything tho the man shrugged his shoulders and laid the bags on the counter yeah ho he grunted Except exception in pa powdered sugar ills tone was gruff gluff ile iia tore the bag down the cc center anter spence stared there tucked in between two packages lay a jar of blouse pocket ive got two new quarters she offered swell ho he glowed with delight ile he placed a fifty cent piece on the counter 1 I just need about six more he said paid as she rang up the money and ill have enough for the kids birthday thanks a lot miss topley spence was waa up ile he was past the threshold and into the tha street A de hand touched his shoulder ile ha brushed it off Pul pu beez eez 11 and a slim figure twisted around and blocked his passage the big idea he demanded 1 I help it once you got I 1 a j gw V fh m 9 ai MOP A C at I 1 j A tall man loomed inthe doorway me was thick shouldered and ducles like idaho potatoes bulged his arms baden at the moment with two big paper bags raspberries rasp berries atop the pile glistened another ot of cherries bright red full exciting and prophetic ot of do de light vaguely he could hear the man counting meaningless numbers hed have mohave a topley special first then take chitre care oi of the girl spence shenee regarded her expression injury 4 dominated her fair air face and a pensive smile hovered about her ups lips it cebu rebuked ked him with sinking heart and forward thrust of lean jaw gulped and announced sir I 1 awant want to talk to you 11 11 bother bo therin ln you son cleared his throat you look like a regular guy t hebec he began an now sup supposing you had at a conscientious on ious lous employed emp loye want to keep her huh you said it at 11 the man nodded vigorously now it you had a person like that and you felt she was competent to take care of the store spence took a deep breath and plunged would you give her st a raise if tho she wasa was to ask your you would youa you guess so 0 11 the man acknowledged how much well the mans thick shoulders heaved maybe ten he said at last you heard him spence turned triumphantly toward tho the girl im a witness she nodded her eyes were glowing it if excuse me son the tha man was saying im kind of busy I 1 got a lot of deliveries to make 11 ile ho handed a paper to the tha girl heres the tha bill he remarked thanks ill file atlo it oh yen yea saw her reach int into 0 her started I 1 stop you how about having a super special with 1 me spence maraschino cherries floating on a rosemond rosa rose pond above submerged raspberries rasp berries he also discovered ligh lights lightsie tsin in her eyes flashes of radiant promise he placed her arm jn in his the action seemed most natural m glad youve reformed he ha grinned they went back into the store stora |