U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [506]
according to the police the group spent Saturday evening at Hil side Park, a Bel evil e amusement resort and about mid-night went to the bungalow. The Bagley girls retired, they told the police, and when the men entered their room one of the girls jumped from a window
But how in hell kin the old folks tell
It ain't gonna rain no more?
MARGO DOWLING
Agnes got off the sleeper dressed from head to foot in black crape. She had put on weight and her face had a grey rumpled look Margo hadn't noticed on it before. Margo put her head on Agnes's shoulder and burst out crying right there in the sunny crowded Miami station. They got into the Buick to go out to the beach. Agnes didn't even notice the car or the uniformed chauffeur or anything. She took Margo's hand and they sat looking away from each other out into the sunny streets ful of slowlymoving people in light clothes. Margo was patting her eyes with her lace handkerchief. "Oughtn't you to wear black?"
-379-Agnes said. "Wouldn't you feel better if you were wearing black?" It wasn't until the blue Buick drew up at the door of the bungalow on the beach and Raymond, the thinfaced mulatto chauffeur, hopped out smiling respectful y to take the bags that Agnes began to notice anything. She cried out "Oh, what a lovely car." Margo showed her through the house and out on the
screened porch under the palms facing the purpleblue sea and the green water along the shore and the white
breakers. "Oh, it's too lovely," Agnes said and let herself drop into a Gloucester hammock sighing. "Oh, I'm so tired." Then she began to cry again. Margo went to do her face at the long mirror in the hal . "Wel ," she said when she came back looking freshpowdered and rosy, "how do you like the house? Some little shack, isn't it?"
"Oh, we won't be able to stay here now. . . . What'l we do now?" Agnes was blubbering. "I know it's al the'
wicked unreality of matter. . . . Oh, if he'd only had proper thoughts."
"Anyway the rent's paid for another month," said Margo.
"Oh, but the expense," sobbed Agnes.
Margo was looking out through the screendoor at a big black tanker on the horizon. She turned her head and talked peevishly over her shoulder. "Wel , there's nothing to keep me from turning over a few options, is there? I tel you what they are having down here's a from turning over a few options, is there? I tel you what they are having down here's a boom. Maybe we can make some money. I know everybody who is any-body in this town. You just wait and see, Agnes." Eliza, the black maid, brought in a silver coffeeservice and cups and a plate of toast on a silver tray covered by a lace doily. Agnes pushed back her veil, drank some coffee in little gulps and began to nibble at a piece of toast.
"Have some preserves on it," said Margo, lighting herself
-380-a cigarette. "I didn't think you and Frank believed in mourning."
"I couldn't help it. It made me feel better. Oh, Margo, have you ever thought that if it wasn't for our dreadful unbelief they might be with us this day." She dried her eyes and went back to the coffee and toast. "When's the funeral?"
"It's going to be in Minnesota. His folks have taken charge of everything. They think I'm ratpoison."
"Poor Mr. Anderson. . . . You must be prostrated, you poor child."
"You ought to see 'em. His brother Jim would take the pennies off a dead man's eyes. He's threatening to sue to get back some securities he claims were Charley's. Wel , let him sue. Homer Cassidy's my lawyer and what he says goes in this town. . . . Agnes, you've got to take off those widow's weeds and act human. What would Frank think if he was here?"
"He is here," Agnes shrieked and went al to pieces and started sobbing again. "He's watching over us right now. I know that!" She dried her eyes and sniffed. "Oh, Margie, coming down on the train I'd been thinking that maybe you and Mr. Anderson had been secretly married. He must have left an enormous estate."
"Most of it is tied up. . . . But Charley was al right, he fixed me up as we went along."
"But just think of it,