| Description |
He looped the rope around the metal rod that ran across the front of the radiator between the large, bulbous headlamps. Pulled each end so as to form a cross over the beds and tied them to the rear bumpers. "There. That should hold it. I've got it tight. It's gotta be done just right. I know how to drive so it won't all fly off. It takes skill. Just like throwin1 a baseball. You have to aim It straight into the wind." What a sight. The oar looked like a rummage sale on four wheels. Stuffed into the back seat were kaleidoscope-colored patchvork quilts, smooth cotton sheets, feather pillows, terry towels, two plump oxblood leather suitcases, one large and one small, a big brown crinkled leather athletic-style valise, a radio, a small cast iron skillet, an enamel v/ash basin with matching water pitcher, dish pan, kettle, dishes and flatware. In a F:hoe box were a few sandwiches, prepared ahead to eat on the way. They were wrapped in the saved waxed paper from bread bags. A couple of cans of condensed milk for the baby and a mason jar full of water to drink. Also onboard, a few baseballs, bats, Mel's beloved baseball mitt, cleats and grey uniform with black pinstripes. i&ch item had a story of its own. 2ven the six-year old car v/as purchased only two months previous from a dealer in Salt Lake City. It had cost 3135.00. They paid the full amount in cash, which was extracted from the money they had frugally saved. These were the days when the nation was struggling to get back on its feet after the mighty blow that the Great Depression had delivered. Erma had worked as a nanny and a housekeeper while going to Heneger's Business School priar to their marriage. Mel worked a variety of job», between baseball seasons. Many of these were only temporary. His last job, which he had just quit, was in Ogden at a downtown restaurant. He earned em.ugh to keep his wife 70 |
