Evening star., 1940-04-21
Illustrated by Gsoffrsy Bisgs

Il Short Story Complete in This Issue
Yr the first Thursday of the month"; and Joe Bell kept
thinking of Lille Lille always visited him the after
noon of the first Thursday Joe Bell made two trips in the
truck before taking jute bags and gray blankets down
to city freight Office and bringing back supplies and was
on the second trip the little with the derby hat
alongside the truck at the freight office and whispered briefly
The whispering took away Joes appetite for the meal
Straight from Camgrande, this is the little with the
derby had whispered Joe Bell had hunch what Camgrande
would want He thought of his parole and what might hap
pen to and him. He trusty allowed to drive
the truck and his parole coming the grapevine SAID
There prison. The grapevine knew everything
"Okay, Big Shot'
Joe Bell came attention In daze he'd had his truck
loaded in the delivery alley signed out at the first gate and
the guard waving him grnning and asking whats
the matter Big Shot - thinking about that gMl?
Joe Bell forced smile he drove through the gate He
noticed for the first time months the machine IN the
guard tower In way prison reminded Joe Bell of Frampon
where he'd grown up. Like all tiny farming communities
Frampon had no secrets everybody knew everybody bus
And here at the prison everybody called him Big Shot,
though he'd never said word Everybody knew he con-
fessed to crime he didn't do and serving veoten
chore Camgrande and they knew why and 50 they called
him big Shot" though he'd never said a word.
AS into town, Joe began breathing had II was
against the truck or detour on the route to
the freight office Joe Bell wanted to obey rule now with
aroe coming up But he had the whispered order straight
from Carngrande; he along Fourth Street he
turned left at the intersection of Claiming instead of going
straight ahead He blocks along Charming and turned
into Junk yard He drove along lane between piles
of Junk and into corrugated iron she'd greasy slid the
big door shut got his eyes not adjusted to the semi
darkness The greasy and the little man with the derby
who had whispered climbed onto the truck and began doing
something with the load of jute bags
"Joe my boyw Camgrandes great souchy figure was there
and he was bigger than Joe remembered him. massive
numbering who pressed his expensive suits or sent his
silk shirts to laundry Have cigarette Joe Camgrande
was saving he put heavy on Joes shoulders
Joe struck match his pants Then he noticed the other
truck in the shed and stared until the match flame burned his
fingers.
Dmy came Camgrandes chucke. Seeing that truck Joe
knew his h1ch right So far he could the truck
was exactly like the one had driven the she'd 1t the
same gray color with the number the door of the cab
and the letters "SD.PL"-State Department OF Penal
Institutions the number The right fender dened
the same way the were the and that same bar of
the radiator grill missing Those trucks were outwadly
identical The greasy and the little with the derby
we're changing the load of ue bags from Joes truck to the
truck that exactly like his
Pretty neat eh, Joe?" Camgrande was saying All you
got to do is drive this ringer truck back the prison. and then
bring here next trip to town this afternoon and
pick up your wagon That's ALL Joe Just little chore
Joe. And don't worry won't forget
Joe GUIDED He'd always felt he cut out to be big shot
He'd lett Frampton because of feeling that way The city was
the place. After the city had knocked him around awhile he
had figured that the way be big shot was to tie up with
Camgrande Going prison for another man. as choe for
Camgrande hard but not too hard for big shot, was
proving he had what it took And was ne got OFT
with ve-toen first offender when the other guy would
have taken life as treetime loser That using his head
That was showing he willing to put in we'll as take out
And Camgrande had promised he wouldn't forget But two
wears in prison are lot of days - and nights.
Gee Mr. Camgrande l. wish wasn't in this, Joe Bell
plped His throat dry Il - amt losing my nerve - but