Evening star., 1941-12-14

hood who knows anything about them.
Dan walks up and down the street,
turning hot and then cold and num-
bling to himself. Finally he figures it
out like this: II the kid wants to
double-cross him, he is double-crossed
for good, and there is nothing he can
do. But if the kid is on the level, where
does he go with wife that amt we'll?
All of a sudden Dan snaps his
fingers. 1t is all perfectly clear. What
happens is, the kid goes upstairs, finds
his wife awful sick and takes her to a
hospital. All Dan has to do is find
out which one.
In three hours he covers twelve of
them, asking at the desks for a kid
named Downes that brings in sick
wife. The nurses give him bored looks
and turn to the records and shake
their heads. Finally there is only one
hospital left This nurse is the most
bored of all She says, "Downes? He
might have been here. but we're filled
up. Try the annex. It's out in back
over the garage"
Dan tries the annex. The nurse
there says, "Downes? OF course. Last
door to the right"
LIAM runs down the hall. He pushes
open the door without knocking and
there is the kid Downes bending over
bed. looking down at white faced
little mouse who has her eyes closed
and kind of tired smile on her lips.
Dan stares at the kid and he can't
believe what he sees. He isn't the same
kid. He's smiling and happy. His
eyes are shining His shoulders are
back. Why, that kid amt scared any
more!
81 was coming to find you, "copper""
he says to Dan.
Dan mops his forehead so you
didn't cross mel! he whispers.
81 had to get her here in a hurry"
the kid says. you weren't in front
in the car. couldn't stop to leave
messages"
Dan mods and sinks into chair and
the kid comes over to him. II got
something to tell you." he says, and
his voice rings out loud and clear.
Il wasn't driving that roadster at two
O'Clock this morning. Mr.. CORTLAND
was. was walking along Bruce Street
when he drove up alongside of me-
I'D been out all night looking for
work-wrapping packages or washing
dishes or anything. MIR. CORTLAND
was drunk. but not too drunk to be
scared. He said he'd been speeding
and cop yelled at him to stop and
he wouldn't. And he was afraid this
cop took down his license number.
He said he'd been fined so often for
speeding he'd lose his drivers license
this time - and then he said any guy
that would say he was the Courtland
chauffeur and take the rap for him
could earn a thousand dollars"
1HE kid leans over all of a sudden
and pokes Dan in the chest and his
face is all twisted up. 81 said I'd take
the rap for him." he says. and he is so
excited his voice cracks. Even if
he told the truth and | knew it was
hit-andrun guess I'd have taken the
rap for thousand bucks. copper. You
know why? l was scared - that's
why. She - she was hungry. We were
getting kicked out of our room. When
it gets that bad you begin to be really
scared. You get so scared your teeth
chatter and your bones ache. You
can't sleep and you get icy cold even
in hot room. You get so scared -
but you don't know about that, do
you?"
II can sort of guess" Dan mods.
The Rid doesn't seem to hear him.
He turns and walks back to the bed,
and the little mouse opens her eyes
and smiles at him. Then the kid pulls
down the covers a little and Dan sees
a tiny head that is round and red and
1- 4 = Il.