Show oln 1 A- A 1 I CHAPTER LIX The mans man's words though loud were unintelligible Barbara heard hearda a battering of ot fists on a door and nd a sharp response in a feminine voice Barbara went through the hall and paused at the entrance to the dining dining din din- ing trig room She could see the room with the sunlight pouring through it The table was bare and coated with wih dust and one of the oak dining ch chairs irs was overturned by the win win- dow The sideboard was covered with nondescript articles scraps of gingham spools slips sUps of ot paper that looked like bills and a a. battered roller roner skate There was no sign of the lady of ot the house Barbaras Barbara's faintness was increasing She sniffed the air eagerly for traces of coffee brewing anywhere in the house But the only odors were of dust and b bygone gone onions v. v She plucked ed up courage and went into the dining room From the kitchen beyond there were sounds of someone moving mo about She push pushed d open the swinging door and looked in C Mrs 1001 looked ed up up from an Ironing board set on two chairs by bythe bythe bythe the stove stO She scowled at Barbara Th Then n she spat on on ona a a. finger touched it to the iron Jon and went on sweeping the iron across the board With vicious vicious vic vie ious force Barbara went in Ive come to ask if you can oon give me a cup of coffee she she said Her tone was meek in spite of herself I 1 dont don't think there is any kind of a restaurant restaurant restaurant rant in Bountiful nd I am threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened with a rath rather r bad headache Mrs Irs gave her an un unfriendly unfriendly unfriendly un- un friendly glance I dont don't serve meals she snapped Barbaras Barbara's head swam She groped for a tt chair and sat down he heavily The woman at the ironing board looked at her curiously but went on with her work silently I r know you ou dont don't said Barbara Darbara but I thought you might be willing willingto to make me a cup of coffee coHee Its It's really rather rathel urgent that I get some quickly lY Nothing else will wm ward off this headache She sat with her hand over her eyes while the universe universe uni uni- verse erse wheeled about Mrs spat on her finger again and the iron hissed W Well ll she said Im dreadful busy This is ironing day tay and I cant can't stop a minute You can try the little lunch counter at the bus stop They'll have coffee She spread a damp sheet on the board and slapped the iron down on it Barbara rose and tottered from the kitchen The stairs seemed steep and narrow but she the and pulled herself up UPS step by lagging step The sounds upstairs had ceased Barbara went into her room ana put on her hat and coat As she started down the steps tn tn sounds of splashing began again in inthe inthe inthe the bathroom Mrs l was just coming out of the dining room wiping her hands on her apron That good for nothing nothing- Mrs Biggs Diggs has spilled the water again she whined Its dripping down through tile the kitchen ceiling 1 told tola her not to do any more laundry She made a lunge for the steps and clambered to the landing as Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara barn went out the front door The street was more lively t than tian an it had been the night before Barbara looked about with languid interest Her head was throbbing violently She passed the brick rick house w with th its weedy lawn and the bungalow that was as once the home of Wilma Col Col- lins The washing had been taken down but the eyed ted red I poodle sat on on the step as though he hadn't moved mo all night i A few to be seen on the porches but most of the houses were dismally silent with windows staring blankly Barbara met on one or two working men They carried tin lunch pails and shouted shout d cheerily at one another A flashily dress dressed d woman brushed past usurping the entire sidewalk A vacant lot where Barbara had played many games of tennis in ia her high school days was I now grown five feet deep with weeds Even the posts posts' where the net had been s spread pread were overgrown with the rank stalks of jimpson and giant dog fennel Barbara turned and walked rapidly zap rap idly toward the bus station A few doors beyond it she he found round the lunch counter that Mrs had spoken of It was merely a wooden shed with a glass front and two or three broken steps A man with a a. soiled white apron and a chefs chef's cap jauntily over one ear stopped wiping of the counter with a dirty rag as she entered Hello sister he said Barbara did no not respond to the greeting She took her place at a a. high stool by the counter and asked for coffee No thin else he in inquired inquired inquired in- in sourly She shook her head He brought her a cup of porcelain a half inch thick The coffee was spilled in the saucer Barbara lifted the cup to her lips and the coffee dripped from the bottom of it on her coat She set it down again Have you vou any she asked the man He shook his head Cut out the taffy he said said- This aint the Waldorf Barbara swall swallowed wed a few mouthfuls mouthfuls mouthfuls mouth- mouth fuls of the brew It was not bad coffee but the edges of the cup were greasy She set it down hal haJ full and paid aid the waiter alter He gl glanced at the tho cup What the matter with the coee he ex cx exclaimed ex- ex claimed belll belligerently Nothing said said aid Barbara and hurried hurried hur hut ried ned to the door Once outside sh shi she breathed more re easily T. T Even the thi small quantity of coffee had helped the throbbing of of h her head r She was turning toward Mrs toIls house when she heard her name called excitedly ex it behind her Looking around her she saw a avery very pretty young woman toward her a a. baby carriage thumping thumping thump thump- ing offer her Barbara when did you get back bade My ly Im I'm glad tc- tc see you Well Wilma answered Bar Bar- bara I hadn't any idea you sUi lived here Everything's so changed since the old days days' I just came Ir in last night t. t Wilma bent over and put th thi the brake on the baby carriage I doni dont live here We Vo moved out a ear ago Hated to give gi up the bungalow bungalow bunga bunga- low b but t the neighborhood got s sc so bad we couldn't stand it any longer We were losing money every te we hel held 1 the place You were lucky luck to get rid of that big house of yours your when you ou did Property here isn isn't bringing anything now no Do yoi you know Ive I've used your l luncheon set more than anything else I have A loud voice from the perambulator perambulator lator broke bloke in upon the conversa conversa- conversa tion Wilma rushed rush d around to the thi front of the carriage and lifted th h 3 covers Barbara and ovEr oveY her her shoulder A Around i round pink face in a Huff fluff of white tool bonnet bonnet smiled at them Apparently Ap Ap- the wait wail had been only j s a abid bid bitt for tor notice jo Did YO you eve ever r see anything like ikc him asked ed Vilma Barbara stammered I 1 suppose every baby Is more wonderful thai than other bab baby she said every Bu u Buthis ut this one one really rep is pretty iret ty Wilma smiled at her son ton O Oi course he Is There was never an another another an- an oth other r like him She put out a a. fing finger fin fin fin- g gee ger r and the baby grasped it in boti his pink i ha da and gurgled wrinkling his nose Wilma turned to Barbara YouVE no Idea wha what a baby is like Dabs Babs tin till you have one of your our own J used to scoff at fond parents just ai a loudly as anybody but here hele I 1 am an am singing t the c praises o ot my son to tin thE heavens and not caring who think I am darn a-darn fool tool I feel so to anybody that's never had hall one Barbara could find nothing to say Youre u ure re looking well Wilma Vilma ShE ahi remarked a little as the started back down the street I 1 am well And Im I'm happy That what makes makeR me look like this thIA Wilma radiated content tro fron her plump pl pink and antI white face Barbara Darbara noticed that her hr hand handi W were scarred and ond rough as she arranged arranged ar ranged the Bankets ts around th the baby Surreptitiously looked at her has own hands They were wen ver vei- white and smooth with delicately delicately deli deli- cately catchy polished nail nails Well Vell I must leave lean you vou here her s said ld when the they reached s 's across U a cross street Youre not staying down do there n at t t th th h old house for foi forlong long are you ou Babs Barbara dropped her ej eyes ees es No lo not for long Milma s spoke olce hesitatingly with evident embarrassment Just nil as n friend Ind to friend let me mo give you ou n a tip Up The woman who has ha the place lilace much good grood Barbara hara barn flushed tan tm leaving to to- tad lead to have bave a a. glimpse for 11 J never b be JJ i J ho homek ck again I haven't any p place to be for after atter this 1 Wilma turned to look after Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- I bara as she walked away way a Her eyes were vere full tull of ot pity I Barbara walked back down the street past the submerged tennis court past the bungalow With the poodle past the brick house with its weedy lawn The yapping of the dog followed her drearily down the street She She walked very ery slowly breathing d deeply and trying not to think She caught her brell breath h as at she came opposite op op- op- op posit her per old home nome its Us squalor in inthe inthe inthe the morning light wa was wa more extreme than she had yet realized She glanced at the room upstairs in which wieh she had slept The rents In were clearly ly from the street s The window in the sewing sewing sewing sew sew- ing room suddenly new flew up and a acu cu curtain h straggled ou out t in into to th the air ah- turned in through the ns went up the porch steps step Y When en she entered the hall haU there was fao no io Sign aign of Mrs The dining dining- room door still stood open the laden dust table and the overturned chair The door ol of the Jiving ing room was closed Barbara Bar Bar- bara saw a card tacked on It bul but she shedid did dId ld not trouble to read the name name She Sie looked cd about her h r. r The bull bulb overhead which had shone red blood last night was richly wine-red wine this morning The mirror on the hat hat- stand was Jio no pool of bloody light but only a dull surface with shadows shadows shadows shad shad- and nd gray walls caught In it its depths Barbara walked toward the stairs The musty closeness pf pt the house houst had made her hex head begin to ach achE again She climbed the steps slowly A As she reached the upper hall thi thE bathroom door flew open Barban saw v a woman come out with a bundIe bun bun- dl die of or wet laundry hugged close t ther teher te tc her body She was dressed in a s faded lavender dressing gown an hei he bobbed hair hall flopped over her face a ashe as she she st stooped to pick up a garmen that had fallen from the pile She raised her head and flung th thi locks of back Her childish blueyes bluE blu bluEeye eye eyes were yere set in pools of ot shadow She looked bolted straight at Barbara Barba a and turned away Barbara breathing Damn you came f mans man's voice from the from the open door 01 ol the sewing room Come in and anc shut the To be continued EASY E I Justice Justice How How did those boot bootI bootleggers I loggers escape Jailer They Jailer just formed forme-d a line and filed out THE SALESMAN AT HOME Observed by Robert His Hi wife wife Breakfast Breakfast has hils been ready read for ten minutes minutes' Are you coming Harold Harol Salesman Salesman That's That's a great line lne of selling talk Yo You should use lse tact and not insult my Intelligence by trying to hun hurry me Well V ell I see we have bacon and eggs gain Pass me ale the cream and sugar for my coffee dear Ills His Wife e Wife You'll you'll have to hurry hurl li if f you eXpect to be on time at the theoffice office Wont Won't Salesman Wont Won't you ou have a toothpick His Great e Great Heavens Heavens' Of course not What would I want with with with-It it t now now Salesman Salesman Here Heie it i Is Take it while you have ha the chance and dont don't taU tail to gra grasp p this wonderful opportunity The Thc firt time I saw you Madam I realized that tha t I was wa meeting a person who recognized and appreciated the true worth or these carefully assorted and na nationally nl- nl adver advertised sed toothpicks How ma many ny did you sa say you wanted His Wife Wife Wife-Oh Oh I dont don't want any I r I said Harold please pleas S It Salesman ThEse Salesman These toothpicks I 1 Imay Imay may say are cut by hand from the mahogany toothpick grove grov j at ot Brazil The natives native climb th the thew re w with ith axes wearing rubber os ivos and chop out each extreme care They are then sterilized sterilized- His Wife Wife Wife-I I dont don't want antani toothpicks toothpicks' Did you hear Salesman Salesman Ah Ah lady but do really understand what I am offering offer drag in ing you Dont Don't you think it dut duty as a wife and mother mothel to tot t 1 one of ot these modern up to date devices Ah Kner labor saving a dev ces I wanted you rou wanted one How many A Ji dozen Better t take e 32 32 you jou lave hav 52 32 teeth Ah Ahi thank you ou very vera much my der debr lady for your our Purchase fur fur- ur- ur chase |