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Show page 39 "I had a professor here who could c a l l that idea a whim." He was trying to convince himself that he xras free of every semblance of logic of the devastating Tomlin. "I believe the professor intimidated you," said Elizabeth. " L e t ' s go for a walk." They l e f t , with a quiet goodbye. On-the s t r e e t The Sundown Kid walked with assurance. This g i r l beside him was a new g i r l, with a certain f l a i r , a l i t t l e like his mother, reasonably honest, extremely perceptive, and possessed of a simple p r a c t i c a l i ty that pleased him. They walked for an hour, around a mall, then onto the campus to s i t on a stone bench. He learned enough about her that he xras moved to ask, "Will you be back at the Induction Center tomorrow?" "Day a f t e r tomorrow," she said. " I ' l l see that you don't become a displaced person." She took her measure of him, as she would want to remember him, stood, offered her hand in goodbye, and dashed away across the campus to the s t r e e t. The Sundown Kid watched her departure xvith i n t e r e s t . Her sleek brown legs were beautiful. He t r i e d to c a l l after her, but words would not come. -An image of Prof Tomlin stood before him, with wagging finger of admonition and stern, reprimanding gaze. He jogged around Old Hall three times to shake the image and to feel relazed. He l e f t school the next day. He never returned to our campus. No one in the military service, to my knoxvledge, ever |
