"
There was no need to consider dignity after that. We hustled
Carpenter to the nearest of the busses, and put him in; the Grand
Imperial Kleagle followed, and the rest of us clambered in after
her. Sitting up beside the driver, watching the scene, was T-S,
beaming with delight; he got me by the hand and wrung it. I could
not speak, my teeth were literally chattering with excitement.
Carpenter, sitting in the seat behind us, must have realized by now
the meaning of this scandalous adventure; but he said not a word,
and the white-gowned Klansmen piled in behind him, and the siren
shrieked out into the night, and the bus backed to the corner, and
turned and sped off; and all the way to Eternal City, T-S and I and
Old Joe slapped one another on the back and roared with laughter,
and the rest of the Klansmen roared with laughter--all save the
Grand Imperial Kleagle, who sat by Carpenter's side, and was
discovered to be weeping.
LVIII
T-S and I had exchanged a few whispered words, and decided that we
would take Carpenter to his place, which was a few miles in the
country from Eternal City.
Pages:
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264