Show xue rev or RAST R I 1 ES by SETH BABITS ea A AMONG MONG the million odd things spence wanted to do was visit topley s he d had a yen tor for top ley s back there on the desert wastes he craved it as a cat would catnip or a homesick eskimo an iceberg and now as he hurried bis his chunky form up the narrow street the blue neon above topley s wm win dow blazed welcome in letters letter two feet high spence slid into a seat he breathed Razz berry soda please topley special he closed his eyes and envisioned a monument of pink and white A girl s voice clear and soft reached him ras bry soda she informed without ras bries he raised his head her eyes were warm and gray an amused smile bowed her lips without he faltered her manner humored his concu sion slon but spence didn t see that it struck him she was part of the soda that the dream also took her in he watched her scoop out a gob of ice cream drop it into a tall glass squirt in a crimson syrup and heard the harsh gurgle of carbonated wa ter the glass was placed before him he placed his lips to the straw and pulled coldness luxuriously flowed over his tongue daubed his palate trickled down his throat and touched off revelations of delicious ness he d almost forgotten it evoked imagery lying face upward in a shallow mountain lake elastic stars shimmering on waters above night winds whispering of giant pines drifting drifting in a rowboat and a girl beside him gray eyed and pretty a girl like and he looked up he felt the impact of her presence she said you enjoyed that enjoyed Enjoy edl hed he d known the price of a cold glass of water he grinned hit the spot like a letter from home 0 spence expected a smile but she merely picked up his empty glass and erased the moist ring beneath with an efficient stroke of a damp cloth he felt he d missed the tar get but wide he rose awkwardly and plunged a hand into his pocket his coin vibrated on the counter A frustrated ring the cash register err crr lunged dis missal spence half wheeled to go in turning his eye caught the tab NO SALE I 1 the girl s hand swept to her blouse pocket the clink of metal told him his corn coin bad had joined others it was none of his concern 4 yet the act had been so brazen he heard himself saying dont they treat you right here spence couldn coulden t make out her ex they do she answered succinctly I 1 saw you pocket that money so what her coolness irritated him if the owner caught you there s nothing he could do about it she began to straighten a row of glasses before her the ture disinterest in his ions more it infuriated him I 1 wouldn t have believed it be he managed instantly he was sorry tor for her he noticed that dark lashes rested on her cheeks he ile realized also his heart was thumping and there was a quaver in his voice that he couldn coulden t control why don t you ask for a raise I 1 can cant t then quit get another job A tall man loomed in the door way he was thick shouldered and muscles like idaho potatoes bulged his arms laden at the moment with two big paper bags spence glanced at the girl be neath her coolness he thought he detected an undercurrent ol 01 excite ment she said courteously did you get everything the man shrugged his shoulders and laid the bags on the counter yeah he grunted Except in powdered sugar his tone was gruff he tore the bag down the center spence stared there tucked in between two packages lay a jar of blouse pocket I 1 ve got two new quarters she offered swell he glowed with delight he placed a fifty cent piece on the counter I 1 just need about si six more he said as she rang up the money and in I 1 have enough for the kids kid s birthday thanks a lot miss topley spence was up he was past t the threshold and into the street A de taming hand touched his shoulder he brushed it off pu pit leez aleez and a slim figure twist ed around and blocked his passage what s the big idea he de banded I 1 couldn coulden t help it once you got WV A 1 A tall man loomed to in the doorway lie ile was thick shouldered and muscles like idaho potatoes bulged his arms laden at the moment with two big paper bags raspberries atop the pile glistened another of cherries bright red full exciting and prophetic of de light vaguely he could hear the man counting meaningless numbers he d have to have a topley special ill first r st then take care of the girl spence regarded her expression in jury dominated her fair face and a pensive smile hovered about her lips it rebuked him with sinking heart and forward thrust of lean jaw spence gulped and announced sir I 1 want to talk to you what s bo therin you son spence cleared his throat you look like a regular guy he began now sup suppose you had a con ious employed you d want to keep her huh you said it the man nodded vigorously now if you had a person like that and you felt she was compe tent to take care of the store spence took a deep breath and plunged would you give her a raise if she was to ask you would you youa guess so the man edged how much well the man s thick shoulders heaved maybe ten he said at last you heard him spence turned triumphantly toward the girl I 1 m a witness she nodded her eyes were glow ing it if you 11 excuse me son the man was saying I 1 in kind of busy I 1 got a lot of deliveries to make he handed a paper to the gir girl I 1 here s the bill he remarked thanks I 1 file it oh yes spence saw her reach into her started I 1 could rit t stop you how about having a super special with me spence maraschino marasch mo cher nes ries floating on a rose pond above submerged raspberries he also dis covered lights in her eyes flashes of radiant promise he placed place her arm in his the action seemed most natural I 1 ra glad you ve re formed he grinned they went back into the store |