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Show B Annette Passes Out g,.. By Richard Hill Wilkinson TN SEPTEMBER Bill decided he 1' wasn't in love. He told himself It had been a summer romance. He regretted it. He couldn't walk out and leave Annette flat. He had to offer some sort of explanation. The wind whipped in their faces as the roadster sped through the night. Annette r 1 snuggled con- 3 -Minute tcntediy at his . .. shoulder. FlCtlOn He swung the I ' roadster off the highway. They bumped along a wagon road, presently emerging Into In-to a clearing. Bill stopped. Toward the north the horizon was illuminated illumin-ated by a dull glow. Lights from the town. Bill turned. Annette said: "Oh, Bill, I'm so glad we came out here. It was here you first told me you loved me. Remember?" "Sure. I remember." "Say it now. Bill. Say you love me!" Bill had Intended to say Just the opposite. Without knowing why, he pitied her. He spoke, but what he said was: "Of course I love you. You know that." It was as If she Impelled him to say it. "Kiss me, Bill. Kiss me and say it again." He kissed her, repeating the words, cursing himself for doing so. Why did she have to cling to him so? He got a grip on himself. He formed the words in his mind. "Bill, I've got a surprise for you." "Surprise?" "I'm going back to Belfast with you. I've got a job there for the winter. We'll be together all winter. win-ter. Bill, Isn't it grand!" Lord! Now he was in for it. He hadn't expected that. Well, he'd have to be blunt, cruel. He'd have to tell her once and for all. TLL!" There was terror In her tone. He turned quickly. She was looking away from him toward the horizon where the dull glow had been. The dull glow he had thought to be town lights had developed into in-to astonishing brilliance. "Fire! The whole ridge is ablaze. Say, we'd better get going!" He jammed his foot down on the starter. The motor whirred, and that was all. Bill swore, yanking out the choke. There was a sputtering sput-tering whine, a cough, silence. Bill opened the roadster's door. "Come on! Engine's dead. We'll have to run for it." He yanked her out of the car, started running along the wagon road, dragging her behind him. He hadn't realized that fire could be like this. The speed of its approach amazed him. "Bill! Wait! You're going too fast." Bill turned just as she fell forward. for-ward. He knelt beside her. "Try 11111 MM "I'm going back to Belfast with you," Annette said. "I've got a Job there for the winter." and get up. We've got to keep going. go-ing. It's our only chance." Pitifully she tried, sank to the ground, moaning softly. He stooped and lifted her in his arms. "Bill, don't! You can't! Go on and leave me. There's no use in both of us " He went on blindly. Behind him now he could hear the crackle of flames. The road ahead was alight from the brilliance of the fire. It required no effort to move. Then suddenly, ahead, he saw the main highway. There were lights there. The lights from automobiles and trucks. Bill lay sprawled in the back seat of a joggling touring car. He opened his eyes and saw Annette. Behind her the sky was dull red. "Bill, why did you do it? Why didn't you leave me there when when you knew " He said: "Say, what do you take me for? Leave behind the girl I love!" "Oh. Bill, I've known for a month you didn't. I wouldn't let myself believe be-lieve I was losing you. I wouldnt fruth"0U hanCe t0 tel1 Bill swallowed. So that was itT So that was the re-.son she had Suddenly he hfted hr in his arms Annette," he whispered, "say you ove me. Say it. and kiss me. dar- |