The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-02-09
BILL JOHNSON ENTERTAINs
 A FRIEND

1.-TWO more moves and you're in check" l said, mo matter what you do. And what's more" I add ed, you can't play chess if your minds not on the game"
 It was last Saturday night and MT Johnson and l were having our usual battle over the chess board. As q rule we are pretty evenly matched, but that night I beat him so easily that l knew something was wrong. MT John- son felt in his pocket for his to- bacco pouch and began to reload his pipe. You're right, Doctor" he said, 'T didn't give you much of @ game, I'm afraid, but I'm wor- ried about Bill" Why. what's wrong with Bill?" asked; II thought he was looking particular. ly well these days" "Oh, he's all right physically" replied MT John son, but he's running around with that Thompson boy too much for my liking"
 Now, as it happens, I know Jack Thompson quite well. He is rather older than Bill and can best be de- scribed as tough" It's not his fault, for he has had little or no home training. In grade school he was q notorious truart. He refused to go to high school and now, at seventeen, he Is loafing around the town, spending his fathers money and looking for q job which never turns up. He brides himself on his "toughness" and has already spent one night in the town lookup for disorderly conduct. Altogether he isn't the kind of boy that MT and Mrs Johnson would choose as Q friend for Bill.
 It was not hard, therefore, to understand MT Johnson's perplex- ity last Saturday. Apparently Bill was out with Jack at that very moment and there was no telling what mischief they might be up to.
 asked Mir Johnson if he had spoken to Bill about Jack. "No, " he said, "I've been thinking 1t over, wondering whether 1t would do any good or whether 1t would only make matters worse. Bill and are good friends, and hate to play the heavy father with him" 1 agreed with him entirely. Bill Is at the hero worshipping age and any attempt to criticize Jack might well make 0 martyr of him In Bills eyes.
 It was 6 ticklish problem. MT Johnson and I smoked in silence for q while, trying to find some so- lution. At last I tapped the ashes from my pipe. Look here" said. you and Bill are unusually good friends for a father and son. Why don't you talk 1t over with him As man to man, I mean. Explain to him that you don't know Jack very well and that you're probably prejudiced by what you've heard. Try to find out what 1t Is in Jack that Bill specially admires and dis cuss those qualities honestly with him. You might suggest that Bill invite Jack, with two or three other boys, to the house for sup per some night, and that would give him q chance to see Jack against the familiar background of home. How's that for an idea?"
 MT Johnson agreed to try 1t out. When, a few days later, l saw him again, asked him if he had spoken to Bill and he said yes. He had had a long talk with him about Jack and had found. that Bill wasn't very clear why he did ike him so much. In fact, when MT Johnson suggested the invitation to Jack and the other boyse Bill had not seemed very willing. Jack was all right out of doors, he said. but he wasn't sure ho wanted him at home. But MT Johnsol had cannily persuaded him, saying that if Jack was to be an ac- knowledged friend Bill certainly owed him the courtesy of an in- vitation to meet his family. So tho party had duly taken place. It was not much of success. Jack him. self had been i'll at ease and over polite in tho strange surroundings and later had taken no interest in Bills workroom with It's carpen. ter's bench, it's photographic para. phernalia and other treasures. Bill had obviously been disappointed in