american tragedy

Chapter 25

Chapter 117
The car ride had been suggested by a friend of Hegglund's, a car driver, and the appointment was on a Sunday.Then it was suddenly announced that the plans had changed.I didn't get my hands on that luxurious Pica car that day.Available only this Thursday or Friday.The pie truck belonged to an old rich man, Mr. Kimbarker, who was touring Asia.But one thing was not true, and that was that this man was not a driver at all, but the rambunctious son of Sparsit, one of Mr. Kimbuck's ranch masters.The kid was always trying to pretend he wasn't the son of a ranger, and when he happened to be on the ranch patrol, and since he had a chance of getting a car, he decided to pick up the nicest one and take it for a drive.

Hegglund proposed to go on a trip with his best buddies from the hotel.But the invitations to everyone had been sent out, and suddenly news came that Mr. Kimback was due to return in a few weeks.So Willard Sparsit immediately decided not to use the car.In order to prevent Kimbuck from falling from the sky, it is difficult to parry.Hegglund disagreed. He had excited his friends by doing so, and he didn't want to disappoint them all in the end.Results are decided on Friday, from noon to six in the afternoon.Hortense also made up her mind to play with Clyde at this moment.

But Hegglund explained to Ratterer, Higby and the others: Since the owner didn’t get permission to use this car, it’s better to gather farther away. The man is on No. Go to the intersection of No. 17th Street and Washington Street, which is a place suitable for girls to gather.From there they hit full steam, West Pike Road, Hannibal Bridge, turn northeast to Harlem, North Kansas City, Minerville, then via Liberty Road, Mosby Road to Excelsoa Springs Rest your feet.Their principal destination was a small hotel behind the hot springs, called the Wigwam, two miles above Celsoa Hot Springs, open all year round, and functioning as a dance hall and hotel.There was a Victor phonograph and a Welchay player piano for accompaniment.There are quite a few tour groups like them there, and Hegglund and Higby have both been there and think it's a good place, the food is good, and the road to it is even better.There is a small river there for boating or fishing in the summer.When it freezes in winter, there are skaters.It is the first month of the month, and there is snow on the road, but it is not very obstructive, and the scenery is amazing.There was a small lake not far from the hot springs, which was now frozen and they could go ice-skating there, said the grumpy but imaginative Hegling:

"Listen, everyone, who advocates traveling and skating?" In his opinion, this is not a place for sports, but just for love.

"Damn it. Even if someone's proposal is a bit ridiculous, there's no need to be so cynical?" The person who proposed to go skating retorted.

Apart from Sparsit himself, only Clyde disagreed with the matter.Because in his opinion, the car does not belong to Sparser, but to his owner's family, which is inappropriate and even unreasonable.He didn't like to borrow other people's things, even temporarily.It is difficult to guarantee that it will not be detected or go wrong.

"Hey, is it dangerous to go out in this car?" He asked Ratterer a few days before departure, after finding out the condition of the car.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Ratterer, who was so used to such tricks that he didn't feel any qualms: "It's not me or you who owns the car, it's the kid's business, right? ?He told me to go, I will go! If I don’t go, I won’t go. I only worry about one thing: whether he can bring me back on time. Other than that, I don’t worry about anything.”

Higby came to agree, but Clyde was still worried.There might be an accident, or even a job loss.But the thought of traveling in a car with Hortense and the boys and girls fascinated him.

As soon as Friday afternoon arrived, everyone gathered at the agreed place on time.Hegglund, Ratterer, Higby, and Clyde gathered at No. 18 Street and West Avenue near the railway. The girls waiting at No. 20 Street and Washington Street were Hegglund's girlfriend Meta • Axelrot, Ratterer's friend Lucille Nicholas, Higbe's friend Tina Kogel, and Tina Cypour.Only Hortense told Clyde impromptu that she was going home to get her things and asked them to drive to 49th Street, where she lived on Genesee Street.They did as she asked without complaint.

It was late January, cloudy and rainy, especially on the outskirts of Kansas City.Sometimes it seems like it's going to snow, which is the funniest and most beautiful sight for these city folks.They all like snow.

"Yeah, I hope it snows," Tina Kogle said when someone mentioned the possibility of snow.Lucille Nicholas continued: "I really like looking at things in the snow sometimes." The winding road along the river with undulating hills on both sides leads to Zumdorf Mountain and Minerville.Further on, there are Mosby Road and Liberty Road. The roads along the way are good, and occasionally you can see farmhouses with small eaves and snow-covered hills, which is refreshing.

Clyde has lived in Kansas City for so many years, but he has never been too far outside Kansas City: never to the west; at most to the old forest of Subbe Park in the east; at most along the Kansas River or Missouri River. Aqin moved to Lunfu Mountain.Therefore, such long-distance travel really fascinated him.This is very different from the usual monotonous and boring life.Besides, Hortense was in high spirits this time.She sat beside him, leaning against him, and when Clyde saw that everyone else was pulling his girlfriend to hug him, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.She didn't say no! Instead, she looked up and said, "It's time for me to take off my hat." Everyone laughed.She's lively, quick-witted, and lovable.And she had a new haircut, which made her look more beautiful, and she was very happy for others to see.

"Is there a place to dance when we get there?" she called out to the others without looking back.

"Of course there is," Higby said.He had just persuaded Tina Kogle to take off her hat and was hugging her. "There's a player piano there, and a Victor gramophone. Too bad I forgot to bring the cornet, and I can play the Dexter."

The car drove across the snow-covered road at a crazy speed, and there was a large white field beside the road.Sparser claimed to be an expert driver, and temporarily claimed to be the owner of the car, so he just showed his skills and drove desperately.

The dark woods pass by.The fields are boundless, and the hills on both sides are undulating.The long-armed scarecrow swayed in the wind, its towering broken hat askew.Not far away, a large flock of crows flew up and flew straight to the gray woods in the snow in the distance.

Sparser sat in the front row next to Laura Cypour.He drove the car and put on all kinds of expressions, making people think that such a luxurious car was just mediocre in his eyes.In fact, he had a good impression of Hortense, but he had to show a little courtesy to Laura Cyprus by his side.He didn't want to lag behind in that, driving with one hand and putting his arm around Laura Cyprus.This made Clyde very disturbed.He still doubts the stability of the car.The car is driving so fast, it won't send everyone to the west.Hortense, too, noticed that Sparser was evidently attracted to her, and was compelled to pay Laura Cyprus a little attention.So whenever he pulled her by his side and asked her very angrily if she had driven a lot in Kansas City, he secretly laughed.

But Rattler noticed it.He pushed Lucille Nicholas, and Lucille Nicholas whispered to Higby to pay attention: there was a new trend in the relationship. "Are you comfortable up front, Willard?" Ratterer asked kindly.

"It's okay," Sparsit said without looking back. "And you? How's it going, baby?"

"Oh, I'm all right, too," Laura Cypher replied.

At this moment, Clyde was thinking that none of the girls here could match Hortense's beauty, almost.She was wearing a dress with black stripes on a red background and a top hat with a big red flower.The small mouth is painted with lipstick, and a little beauty mole is dotted on the left cheek, just like the beauty in the photo.In fact, before the trip, she had made up her mind to be the best, and now she knew very well that she had succeeded! Clyde naturally thought so too.

"You are the prettiest here." Clyde whispered with his arms around her.

"Hmph, you're such a misleader, boy," she yelled.Everyone in the car laughed, and Clyde blushed slightly.

About six miles past Minerville, the car came to a swampy bend.Hegglund, Higby, and Rattler drink ginger ale.Across the Liberty Road, a few miles from the Xelsoa Hot Springs side, the Wigwam Hotel came into view.It was just a two-story country building before building a highland.There are rows of bungalows on one side, but they are very new and quite large. There are restaurants and dance halls, and a part on the other side is used as a bar.There was a big fireplace, burning with a roaring fire.You can see the low-lying place on the opposite side of the road. It is not bad to say that it is a small stream, covered with thick ice.

"That's the river, don't you like it?" Higby said to Tina Kogel momentarily.He drank some wine on the way, and he was already a little excited. The creek meandered through the woods, and everyone stopped and admired it for a while. "I wanted to bring my skates and go for a while," Hegglund sighed, "but they won't, what a pity."

Lucille Nicholas suddenly saw a fire in one of the hotel windows and shouted, "Look, there's a man on fire!"

The car was parked, and they entered the hotel one by one.Higby immediately rallied and ran up, threw in a nickel, and the automatic instrument started, rattling and piercingly loud.Not to be outdone, Hegglund ran to the player piano, made a joke with everyone, and put a "Grizzly Bear" record next to it on the player piano.

Upon hearing the familiar tune, Tina Kogle yelled, "Dance to it! Stop that shit, please?" she went on.

"Of course, until he finishes driving himself," explained Ratterer, laughing. "There's no other way to stop it than putting nickels in it."

The waiter came and Higby asked if they needed anything.At this time, Hortense stood in the middle of the room, imitating the walk of the grizzly bear, so as to show everyone her charm.She's well-liked, interesting, and graceful.Seeing her alone in the middle, Sparser wanted to attract her attention, so he followed behind to imitate.Hortense saw that he danced well, and she was eager to dance, so she stopped imitating Grizzly, but held out her hand to him, and danced a cheerful one-step dance.Clyde, who couldn't dance, stared angrily.He couldn't understand that it was unreasonable for him to be so enthusiastic about her, but she was left aside at the beginning.But she became interested in the more mundane Sparser, but forgot the existence of Clyde.She danced with the man she had just conquered, and Sparser's dance skills were worthy of her.The others picked up partners at once: Hegglund and Mehta, Rattler and Lucille, Higby and Tina, thus keeping Laura Cyprus and Clyde together.But he doesn't like her.She is not very beautiful, she is chubby and very fleshy.Clyde was not a good dancer, and while others slid and swayed very lightly, they danced only the old-fashioned one-step.

Clyde, furious, watched as Sparser held Hortense tight, and looked her in the eyes, and she let him do so.It was worse than being shot.Had she fallen in love with this pompous fellow? She had promised to like him now.He felt that she was capricious, and maybe he was nothing in her heart.He even wanted to interrupt the dance and pull her away from Sparser, but there was nothing he could do before the record was over.

Just after the record was played, the waiter came in with trays and put cocktails, ginger ale, sandwiches, etc. on the three red small tables put together.Everyone stopped dancing and came forward except Sparser and Hortense.Clyde saw this early on.She was nothing! She didn't love him at all, not at all, and had only recently seduced him into convincing him that she loved him just to trick him into buying her a top.fuck you.He wants revenge.He was still waiting for her! It was tolerable, and what was not tolerable! But Hortense and Sparsit, when they saw the company round the fireside table afterwards, stopped dancing and came forward.Clyde was pale and gloomy.He stood aside and watched coldly.Laura Cyprus had noticed his tantrums, knew why, and had slipped up to Tina Cogle to tell him.

Immediately afterwards, Hortense noticed his face, and walked over imitating the steps of a grizzly bear.

"Oh, that's great!" she said, "I love dancing to this music."

"Of course you are very happy!" Clyde replied with an unhappy tone.

"What's the matter with you?" She was almost angry, pretending not to know why he was angry, "Aren't you angry because I didn't dance with you? It's so boring! You don't come to dance with me yourself. He was standing next to me How could I have the nerve to refuse him?" Say yes!

"Hmph, of course you can't," Clyde sneered at her, but lowered his voice for fear that others would hear, "but you don't have to stick to him and stare into his eyes to dream about something!" Angry: "You don't have to evade, I saw it with my own eyes."

After hearing this, she gave him a strange look.Not only because he knew how angry he was, but also, this was the first time he dared to treat her like this.He must have been too sure.She was too gallant.However, she knew that it was not yet time to express to him that she did not love him.After all, that leather jacket hasn't arrived yet!

"It's outrageous!" she said angrily.This is mostly because what he said was true, which aroused her resentment. "You are always so angry, you are so jealous, and I have nothing to do. What did I do wrong, didn't I just dance with him for a while? What's so angry about it?" She twisted her body, as if to Go away, but thinking about their agreement during this period, if you want to avoid messing things up, you must let him calm down first.He pulled his coat so no one could hear, and said to Clyde:

"Don't be so angry. I really didn't mean anything else just now. Now everyone dances like this, and no one has any other meanings. Do you like me to treat you as I said before?"

Her winking eyes looked straight into his, as if he were the only one she liked of all those present.She poked her mouth up on purpose, looking particularly charming.This is her habitual skill, her lips move, as if she wants to kiss him.

"Well, well," he said, looking softly at her, "maybe I'm mistaken, but I did see you like that just now, and you know I'm crazy about you. I can't stand it, Hortense." Hold it! Sometimes I wish I could hold it in." He looked at her sadly.She knew she had great fascination with him, and it would be too easy for him to change his mind.She replied, "If you are obedient, I will give you a kiss when no one is around." At this time, she found that Sparser was looking at her, apparently quite attracted to her, and her liking for him, Also better than anyone I have come into contact with recently.

(End of this chapter)