A TALE OF THE TEXAS RANGERS

Anyways, I've been hangin' out here in Allen with my Ranger badge pinned inside my jacket and lookin' for Sam Bass. I even have a picture of from a wanted poster.

A TALE OF THE TEXAS RANGERS

Schoolmarm or not, Em is just pretty as a picture, but why a beautiful and educated woman like her would cotton to a no account feller like me was a mystery.

A TALE OF THE TEXAS RANGERS

Besides, holdin' a trial for Sam Bass's gal friend wouldn't set too good with folks in these parts . . . .

EDNA AND THE LOUSE

She is a secretary from up in San Francisco by the name of Edna Purviance.

EDNA AND THE LOUSE

Miss Purviance is staying in one of the player cottages here on the lot, and I've heard Chaplin has flowers delivered to her cottage every day.

EDNA AND THE LOUSE

What I saw was a shiny Pierce-Arrow roadster. I recognized it as one I saw The Great Chaplin driving around town.

EDNA AND THE LOUSE

Essanay released THE TRAMP on the eleventh of April, and within a week we all knew Chaplin's future was signed sealed and delivered.

C'EST LA GUERRE

From my assigned patrol altitude of 5,000 feet, the Albatross D-III appeared as little more than a tiny black cross against the dark green farmland west of the German airfield at Ars-sur-Mosellewe.

C'EST LA GUERRE

Lowering the nose of my Spad S.XIII slightly to gain some airspeed and lose some altitude . . . .

C'EST LA GUERRE

As I watched, my worthy foe and his ship became a smoking pile of rubble alongside a roadway.

TOMBOY

Somewhere in this country there is a depression going on, but not on Santa Catalina Island.

TOMBOY

. . . working with Nettie is just about my least favorite thing to do.

TOMBOY

The picture they waited to see was a new movie about the Great War, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT . . . .

TOMBOY

The orchestra we were hearing was that of Buddy Rogers.

TOMBOY

. . . but anyone on the dance floor who might not wish to appear in the LOS ANGELES TIMES Metro Section would be unrecognizable.

TOMBOY

"Darling, if you intend to kiss me, I suggest you do so before that nasty man with the measuring stick shows up."

TOMBOY

There was one fact, though, about which there was no question in my mind: Nettie the Tomboy was definitely not aboard the SS CATALINA that morning.

A VISIT FROM BENNY THE BUG

The suckers come out to the REX on these little boats they call "water taxis" so they can play the games . . . .

A VISIT FROM BENNY THE BUG

I nod at Faces to let him know I see Benny and Faces nods back, and then wanders off to look around for any other bad apples that might have dropped into the barrel.

A VISIT FROM BENNY THE BUG

The bogus bills is twenties and fifties—real good quality—and they are coming in from all the cashiers.

A VISIT FROM BENNY THE BUG

They must be buying chips, playing a few hands or betting on a few spins of the wheel, and then cashing in their chips.

THE HORN MAN

I finally saved enough to buy the slightly dented silver cornet . . . .

THE HORN MAN

The papers were full of news about the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in the Bay.

THE HORN MAN

"Yeah, we're playin' over in the Gayway . . . ."

THE HORN MAN

My second big purchase was a used 1934 Chevrolet Master Coupe for $400 . . . .

THE HORN MAN

. . . I was drinking a Coca-Cola at the Squeeze Inn when I first noticed the woman . . . .

THE HORN MAN

"We both work up at the Palace of the Legion of Honor fine art museum."

THE HORN MAN

The next step was carried out by Billy, who pulled up in front of Jackie's apartment at 3445 Jackson Street in a borrowed Lincoln limousine.

THE HORN MAN

Moments later, as the LURLINE's gangplank was rolled away, a steward escorted Jacqueline to First Class Cabin 126.

THE HORN MAN

"She's the P4 model. That's the top of the line with a six-cylinder 82-horsepower motor ."

THE HORN MAN

Our destination, the Dunbar Hotel, was an elaborately decorated four-story brick and concrete building . . . .

THE HORN MAN

. . . I walked into the huge Club Alabam next door to the Dunbar on Central Avenue at ten the following morning . . . .

THE HORN MAN

We also had a new home to celebrate—a two bedroom house on a tree-lined street in a new housing development called Leimert Park.

THE HORN MAN

My purpose here is to pick up from where Dexter's account of his life concludes so you can know how his story ends.

THE HORN MAN

Dex was largely a self-taught musician, but he sometimes wondered aloud how far he could have gone with a formal musical education.

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

My cab turned off Alameda Street onto Union Station's palm-lined drive a few minutes before 6:00 p.m.

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

"Yes, sir, Mister Colley, I have your ticket right here."

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

I took inventory of my fellow travelers aboard coach 2942.

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

The northbound Coaster was carrying a total of five chair cars in front of the dining car, which was followed by a tavern car and three tourist sleeping cars.

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

I returned to the bar car, ordered a Rye Old Fashioned from the Negro bartender . . . .

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

. . . I saw that the woman facing me was a rather stunning blonde in her twenties who wore her long hair in the peek-a-boo style made popular by actress Veronica Lake.

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

During the ten or so minutes it took the train to finally pull into the Santa Barbara station . . . .

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

. . . we jaywalked across Montecito Street and entered the Chief Hotel."

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

Other than the fact that it had a trigger and a barrel, I could see very little resemblance between the pistol in my hand and any gun I ever shot before.

NIGHT TRAIN TO FRISCO

"This mess is a perfect example of why the OSS was created."

NIGHT FLIGHT

. . .their most recent claim to fame happened about a year-and-a-half ago when 16 modified versions of NAA's B-25 "Mitchell" bomber took off from a secret location in the Pacific and bombed Tokyo.

NIGHT FLIGHT

What makes the B variant of the P-51 special is the engine behind its big four-bladed prop.

NIGHT FLIGHT

. . . there was a good chance of flying smack dab into a chunk of cumulous granite . . . .

NIGHT FLIGHT

About where the wings should have been, there was a row of three bright blue lights. Below those was another row of lights that seemed to blink back and forth between pink and orange.

NIGHT FLIGHT

. . . I was as close to a state of panic as I'd ever been in the cockpit of an airplane . . . .

E A

The cat seemed an appropriate insignia for an outfit calling itself Coastal Air Transport, or C-A-T for short.

E A

I've got a lot of respect for guys who logged their two hundredth hour trying to keep a B-24 in the air while a bunch of Krauts in Messerschmitt 109s turned the bomber into Swiss cheese.

E A

The airplanes Uncle Sam was selling so cheaply were surplus R4Ds and C-47s, the Navy and Army transport versions of the DC-3.

E A

. . . the only load he was concerned with was the one he was taking on from a pint of Old Forester.

E A

As we watched the red sun-disk turn our ocean from deep blue to fiery orange, she kissed my cheek.

E A

. . . provided pneumatic deicing boots along the leading edges of the wings and tail.

E A

The C-47's tail wheel strut extends down through a hole in the fuselage.

E A

. . . every turn of the props was pulling us deeper into the heart of the storm.

E A

She's a little younger in the picture and her hair was much shorter when the photo was made, but the eyes are the same.

A SONG FOR ALLY

In appearance, she was a strikingly attractive tall blonde who would stand out in any crowd, but she was doing her best to make herself invisible . . . .

A SONG FOR ALLY

"Mister Bishop, the thought of meeting you in person would absolutely terrify Ally."

A SONG FOR ALLY

"Back in the bad days, she used to make herself feel better by drawing pretty pictures in sketchbooks."

A SONG FOR ALLY

I had a melody that bounced, but the lyrics just were not coming to me.

A SONG FOR ALLY

She was looking at me with an odd expression that slowly turned into a smile.

BLUSEY

"That's a beautiful car, Ben, but not too practical for hauling boxes."

BLUSEY

. . . on the top floor of WB's TV office building.

BLUSEY

She handed me an owners' manual for, of all things, a 1937 Cord.

BLUSEY

She gave me a sly look. "I suspected something like that. Ben, are you doing anything this weekend?"

BLUSEY

Her large hacienda-style house sits on a rocky hillside at the east end of the Simi Valley near the old Corriganville movie ranch.

BLUSEY

. . . and parked my bright red '57 Chevy stepside in front of an old three-car garage . . . .

BLUSEY

Then I got my first look at the Cord.

BLUSEY

Fine craftsmanship was evident throughout the engine compartment.

BLUSEY

Lauren's eyes studied me for a long moment over the top of her coffee mug . . . .

BLUSEY

"We move that cute little transmission pre-selector to the neutral position . . . ."

BLUSEY

I pointed to the water temperature gauge.

BLUSEY

She gave me another grin. "I'm already doing that. Shall I start her up?"

BLUSEY

"Look, darn it, I really want to kiss you right now . . . ."

BLUSEY

I pointed the Vette toward Simi Valley.

BLUSEY

I was shocked by the realization Lauren, or at least her spirit, was still with me.

BURLINGTON BETTY

Post Costa is located in Contra Costa County east of Oakland on the west bank of the Carquinez Strait.

BURLINGTON BETTY

I was told the Burlington Hotel was not yet operational . . . .

BURLINGTON BETTY

. . . a carpet with an elaborate geometric pattern that might have been maroon at one time . . . .

BURLINGTON BETTY

Betty was a grand old lady . . . .

BURLINGTON BETTY

She looked up at me and said an emphatic, "Yeowp!"

MISS JOSEPHINE

I'm the same way about my vintage AT-6 trainer . . . .

MISS JOSEPHINE

The Palm Springs Air Museumh

MISS JOSEPHINE

I looked where he looked and saw a shock of very red hair above a big smile and a smart phone.

MISS JOSEPHINE

She gave me another of her bright smiles.

MISS JOSEPHINE

. . . her shark's mouth nose art looked like it wouldn't hesitate to take a bite out of anything that got too close.

MISS JOSEPHINE

"You're looking at the business ends of three point-30 caliber machineguns."

MISS JOSEPHINE

" Somebody or something just turned on Miss Josephine's master electrical switch."

MISS JOSEPHINE

. . . showering us with hot metal shell casings from the gun ejector slots under the wing.

MISS JOSEPHINE

Fifty feet away a dark red Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat woke up and blinked its lights at us.

MISS JOSEPHINE

Moira looked into my eyes with a meaning I could not misunderstand.

MISS JOSEPHINE

"Oh, good! I've always wanted to be cute!"

MISS JOSEPHINE

"One of those pilots was waiting for Miss Josephine, or at least a ship with her sequence number."

MISS JOSEPHINE

I pulled out the thirty-caliber shell casing I found in the hangar and tossed it on the floor . . . .

BEACH GIRL

Jessica looks exactly like she belongs on a beach from her perpetually wind-tousled hair to her always bare feet.

BEACH GIRL

. . . the P-1800 was Volvo's sporty GT export of the 1960s and '70s.

BEACH GIRL

Sometimes we would talk an entire afternoon away while strolling the length of beach along Front Street.

BEACH GIRL

"I mean it is actually possible to love a child too much—to love her to death."

BEACH GIRL

. . . my Hertz Shelby Mustang . . . .

BEACH GIRL

I walked across Front Street to Mister Rick's, a purveyor of spirits across from the beach.

BEACH GIRL

She also changed her outfit from a bikini that would easily fit in my shirt pocket to jeans, a burgundy turtleneck, a classy leather jacket, and shoes . . . .

BEACH GIRL

"Mitch! I just got here! Where are we going?"

BEACH GIRL

Among the items I found interesting was a framed black and white photo in the family room. It showed a woman nursing a baby.

BEACH GIRL

". . . then light from the window flashed on something in her hand and I saw the knife."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Brookings, Oregon is not at all what you would call a major metropolis . . . .

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

You don't have to spend more than a minute or two with Sharyne to know she's a country girl through and througH . . . .

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

For a moment I thought I could actually feel the man's savage fury.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"Well, she was new back in 1969 . . . ."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

. . . a Mexican food-to-go place called Cielito Lindo.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

. . . Loring's sporting goods store . . . .

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Sharyne pulled into the huge parking lot of the giant Fred Meyer hypermarket that was easily the largest store in Brookings.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"The house was where those smaller trees are now. It burned to the ground during the shootout."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Suddenly, I was on a bluff looking down at the Chetco River.

ASPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

. . . seated at a table on a wooden deck overlooking the Marina.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"My insecurities are showing. I'm sorry."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Harris Beach Marine Garden State Park

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Sharyne noticed and said, "Don't worry too much about the rules, it's the squirrels you have to worry about."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"See that big rock out there? It's called Arch Rock."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"Fourth red door on the right . . . 600 Pacific . . . six-thirty . . . suit and tie. I'll be there."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

She was wearing a sleeveless version of the traditional little black dress with two long strands of beads—one pearl gray and one black—and she literally took my breath away.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"Here's a little gilding for the Lilly."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

. . . we stood there for a long moment just looking into each other's eyes.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

The Blue Pacific Café and Lounge

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

. . . a Smith & Wesson Police Model 60 revolver.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

We sat on one of the rocks and began visually scanning the area around Arch Rock for signs of life.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

The Curry County Medical Center wasn't far.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

I followed the signs to the Medical Center's cafeteria.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"She belongs in a wide open world with blue skies, tall green trees, and waves crashing on rocks—a place like Brookings."

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Her eyes were half closed, but a big smile appeared the minute she recognized me.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

Susie picked out a colorful warm knit sweater to replace Shar's jacket . . .

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

I opened the door and we entered our private sanctuary.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"Does that mean I turn you on?"

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

. . . we took a walk on the beach among the large pieces of driftwood the waves swept on the beach during the storm.

SPIRIT GRANDMOTHER

"The two shades of gold blending together are perfect. They are you and they are me. They are us together!"