Show THE R s S A J-INE J I Nogales was ws the end of the line fo for John Todd and he arrived there in a blaze of glory the citizenry would never forget I r I j I Nogales end of the line When the three car car train pulled r slowly alongside the tile roofed I stone depot building and stopped John Todd moved tiredly from his I scat cat and from the car Within him was a 0 strange depression a n feeling that for him too this was the end endI pf of the line I I f rt He e walked away awny from tram the tracks I a 8 till tall figure In big city cit dress that bung on his thin frame poorly He followed the traffic and made his way I through the gate in the International 1 al ul Fence Long legs carried him past the slower moving dark-clad dark Mexican women returning from tram their marketing in Arizona stores I had t them before He was He had seen e L 1 re aL I not curious hUt but ne mem the comfort of at the homes they would go to though they might be only mud huts with roofs that leaked and windows patched against the weather He carried no luggage so the Mexican customs men barely glanced his way and then nodded him through He knew where he was going this was all a part of the plan A plan only half formed perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps but one that had been longin long longIn In the back of his mind All AU he needed to carry it out was nerve Desperation was taking care of that His hands had a new tremor To still it he shoved them deep into the pockets of his slack coat Fumbling Fumbling Fumbling Fum Fum- bling there they found pipe and to to- bacco He stopped slopped stepped out of ot the moving pedestrian traffic into the vestibule of a curio store loaded loaded load land ed and lit up With the pipe clenched between his teeth and ard drawing well he glanced over the passersby It was funny he was always looking for a familiar face tace yet even friends were of no use now He knew what he had to do and at last his mind was made up There was even more purpose in his stride as he left his temporary shelter and headed across the street to the ticket office of the Mexican railroad He was a young man yet hollow cheeks and graying temples made him appear much older He looked as sick as he was Well South Mexico was his last hope just justas as far south as he could get gel They said there was health to be had in inthe inthe the hot high climates I 1 I But it was here in Nogales that the trail branched Even in Mexico where it was said one could live so would be big Ion on so little money necessary Almost his last cent went for the railroad passage but buthe buthe buthe he knew where there was more for forthe forthe or the taking So with the ticket safely safely safe safe- I ly in an inner pocket he moved out Into the Sonora sunset found a place to sit to rest and to wait and gave himself up to his own bitter t thoughts I Somewhat later he looked up to toI I Und nd a swift coming night had fallen He was worried that perhaps he tad had dallied too long He pulled toughly Roughly away from a small and andI I very dirty shine boy who tugged at athis athis athis his sleeve He walked across the street back into the United States Stales and moved by the border officials with his new assurance to hurry down the main street of the little Arizona border town He glanced into darkened store windows looked into shadows testing and feeling the night and the tenor of the town I with his senses He walked past an open door the Ii I neatly lettered sign that hung above it read Money Exchange His heart beart action quickened as he looked I inside I The room was divided by a high I counter Behind were two objects that called for or his attention One I an open safe The other a dark- dark haired girl in a red dress She was counting out money to n a couple of tourists Todd knew that under the counter and in the safe sate there were racks of silver and bills of all denominations He hoped his nerve would hold up to provide support yet a little longer as he continued down the block He lie crossed a street and md entered a small park He seated himself himsel on a bench The streets were gradually emp emp- tying A police prowl car eased cased quietly by and its occupants turned their heads to look at him He stared back Yet at the same time he felt a coldness around his heart Two border patrolmen passed in a Only instinctive reaction made Todd stick sUck out a long leg and trip him up The same motivation caused him to dive forward onto the prostrate te figure to scramble for the little gun and wrench it from temporarily temporarily temporarily tem tem- limp fingers lingers The heavy blow delivered to the base of the theman's theman's theman's mans man's skull with the butt of the pistol was a part of the same pat pat- tern It was then that realization caught up with Todd He arose slowly feelIng feelIng feeling feel feel- ing the pain in his chest a sudden live thing He moved back to the counter leaned against it The room became a whirling wheel and he its hub He never heard the girl speak into the telephone The shriek of a si siren siren siren si- si ren was only n a high note piercing the roaring in his ears But he did I fr W I 4 I t I I t j y 11 t II YV 1 t. t F The room became a whirling whirling- wheel and he be its hub S jeep and he was conscious of their scrutiny Down the street the lights in the money exchange went dim He rose from the bench and stepped out briskly The prowl car had turned the corner the patrol Jeep was out of sight Todd judged the distance to the International Line noticed with satisfaction that the officials had all moved inside their guard guard- hous house A quick move a fast sprint and the business would be done Once across the line he could easily easily ease ily lose himself among the shadows between the adobe buildings and as easily stay hidden until train time TURNING TURNING TURNING abruptly into the L Money Exchange he saw the girl in the red dress coming toward the counter with a tray of mone money from the safe Her eyes were very wide very brown and she was very pale In front of the counter his back toward Todd there stood a man A tardy customer perhaps but desperation told Todd it was too late now to back out He gripped the pipe in his pocket and poked the stem of it against the cloth convincingly He curbed the fine tremor that W was S coming back to his fingers and spoke in a voice made harsh and sharp by the urgency of ot the moment S Put Put that down and raise your hands I IThe The man a aj the counter jerked I around His hand stabbed out Todd felt elt a tearing ripping sensation high in his chest even as the shrill bark of ot a small small caliber pistol hit his ears cars In a continued motion the man broke into a dash for the door feel eel her nearness the press of her body when she moved around the counter and placed arms about him to hold him erect His knees were giving away Except for her he would have fallen He was aware of other people in hi hithe inthe inthe the room But it was her voice to which he was listening listening-a a soft murmuring murmuring murmuring mur mur- kind of a voice full of com corn passion He didn't struggle when he felt the blackness coming on him It was better so It was better to togo togo togo go now in the arms of a lovely sympathetic stranger than to hang on a few tew feeble months more In a foreign land Finally to die alone and And how infinitely much better to togo togo togo go this way clean Life had given him the best of the deal after all The policemen looked down at the still figure lying in the girls girl's arms a at t the ugly purple hole high in the bony bared chest One asked the room in general Who would have thought a sick old bum would have havethe havethe havethe the guts to try to stop a holdup hold with a pipe An enigmatic smile lay across the lips of the dead John Todd That was his only answer |