Show t l f TRICK ON A TRUCK 2 c i J f. f By Ono no Lathrop j MARY f ARY BENTLEY walked down the alley behind their home and surveyed the new home across from them Hm window Picture-window at the back looking back looking right out on their old garage made from a house chicken-house and the 1940 truck Sam kept parked beside it That must be a beautiful view for the new neighbor moving ins in Shed She'd prod Sam about It once more Sam when are you you going to get rid of that old truck You know you'll never use it again I should think you'd want to get what you could out of it We might get enough to rebuild the garage Sell the truck I should say not Never know when I 1 might need th that t again g ln l untied her apron and folded it It neatly Now Sam you know very w well ll y you'll ull never truck again What in has bas got Into you ou Mary Mrs Saunders is moving in tn to to to- day I 1 just walked the along alley and nd noticed what pretty things she has Ill I'll bet she hates the view of that old sided lop-sided house chicken garage of ot ours and that old truck right out her picture window Sam snorted Well then why didn't she put her window picture-window on the front same as everybody else does Mary could see she was getting nowhere Sam was stubborn The next day she met the new Mrs Saunders in the alley So youre you're moving in And fixing fixing fixing fix fix- ing up your back yard so pretty Yes lc I think Im I'm going to like it Mrs Saunders looked about doubtfully It will take time of ot course to get things growing But Dut eventually I hope to have a screen of shrubbery across here I like the privacy of at my room living-room at the back Mary cast an appreciative eye in inthe Inthe inthe the direction she was looking I Itell Itell Itell tell Sam we ought to clean this up now that your windows face here but hes he's a slow stubborn soul GivIng Giving ing log up that old truck would be like taking a little boys boy's red wagon away He likes to tinker with It and imagine hell he'll run it again though Im I'm sure the tires Ures are shot and the engine wouldn't go Maybe Mayb some day though to she added You mean he keeps it there aUthe all aU the time I thought thought- Mary smiled ruefully My yes its it's been sitting right there for years now DOW and I cant can't get Sam todo to todo todo do a thing about it How Id I'd love lov loveto to make my back yard pretty tool But I dont don't dare say much much Sams Sam so stubborn I often otten wonder if it he had a go good d offer offer but but then I cant can't do a thing about it it The next evening the telephone started ringing About five times in ina a h hour half came the same same qu query ry You got a truck for tor sale How much do you want for it IU S Sam m looked wildly at Mary What in goes on Who said I had a truck for sale He stormed about until Mary guiltily looked through the For Sale ads inthe Inthe in inthe the evening paper Why Sam here it is Didn't you run this ad Its It's our address and telephone number Sam snatched the paper I 1 did noU Mary didn't you do this Because Because Be Be- cause if you did Ill I'll never sell the truck Foxing me like that thaU Sam Bentley I did not noU There was a knock at the door A bushy head appeared and the huge shoulders of a trucker filled the doorway Just been lookin at your truck Give you a good price for it t. t Need an extra one just now Sam stared then asked an improbable Improbable improbable im Im- probable price The trucker pulled out his check-book check and filled tilled in the amount Ill be by tomorrow to toto toto toto to tow it away he said Mary wiped of off a smile that threatened Well Now at last we can rebuild the garage and fix up our back yard Ive I've been waiting years for this moment I dont don't know who did it it but if it it was a mistake it was a good one But Dut down in her heart she wondered wondered won won- dered if It the widow was as mild and gentle as she looked or if It she owned part interest in to a trucking company 1 I |