Thursday, December 19, 2013
remember Bruce Rockwell sitting in his room with a major decision to
make one May night, which was, go back to Denver or go stay in New York
in advertising. I was on a bunk with a critical review in my hands. I
threw it out of my hands and it landed at his feet. “That’s what I think
of critics!” I yelled. Bruce Rockwell brooded over his destiny.
Suddenly he got up and walked out. He had decided. There was some sort
of Gen. MacArthur in him. Now he was assistant to the Mayor and rushing
around fogerishly with appointments, golf, cocktail parties and
conferences, hurried Martinis in the Brown Hotel and all that; to fatten
before his time and get ulcers and go mad in recognized sanity. “No” I
said “I think Neal is all right. One of these days he’ll go up in a
tongue of flame and something’ll happen.” I was having good times with
the Denver kids and lounging around and getting ready to go to Mexico
when suddenly Brierly called me one night and said “Well Jack, guess
who’s coming to Denver?” I had no idea. “He’s on his way already, I got
this news from my grapevine. Neal bought a car and is coming out to join
you.” Suddenly I had a vision of Neal, a burning shuddering frightful
Angel palpitating towards me across the road, approaching like a cloud,
with enormous speed, pursuing me like the shrouded stranger on the
plain, bearing down on me. I saw his huge face over the plains with the
mad bony purpose and the gleaming eyes; I saw his wings; I saw his old
jalopy chariot with thousands of sparking flames shooting out from it; I
saw the path it burned over the road; it even made its own road and
went over the corn, through cities, destroying bridges, drying rivers.
It came like wrath to the West. I knew Neal had gone mad again. There
was no chance of sending money to either wife if he took all his savings
out of the bank and bought a car. Everything was up, the jig and all.
Behind him charred ruins smoked. He rushed westward over the awful and
groaning continent again and soon he would arrive. We made hasty
preparations for Neal. News was that he was going to drive me to Mexico.
“Do you think he’ll let me come along?” asked Jeff in awe. “I’ll talk
to him” I said grimly. We didn’t know what to expect. “Where will he
sleep? What’s he going to eat? Are there any girls for him?” It was like
the
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