Evening star., 1941-02-09


that quart of Scotch. 1t had stood in
the pantry ever since he was in the
third grade. Now Pop had killed it.
Pickles figured he must have done
too good job of reminding. He got
dressed, and it was just like old times.
He made the rounds of all the hot
spots the way he used to when Pop
was hitting it steady. But the bars
we're all closed. Pop wasn't anywhere
to be found. Pickles was stumped.
He had to find him. 1t must be pretty
near daylight. Pop mustn't be seen
in that condition.
All of a sudden he did find him. Not
half block from the boss's house.
Pickles was scared. Gee. Suppose he
just hadn't looked there and the boss
had come out to get the morning
paper and found Pop curled up in the
parkingi
Next thing was to get him home.
He was really out. Pickles couldn't
move him alone. Then who could he
get that wouldn't blab about it? Right
away Miss Hunter popped into his
head. He knew where she lived.
They'd been there once. A little du-
plex apartment three blocks away.
TIE RANG her doorbell and she came
to the window in a pink kimono and
with her hair around her shoulders.
Listen" he said. MY Pop needs
lots of help to get home. 1t doesn't
matter so much if you know about it,
but don't want anybody else to-"
"Oh," she said. "I'll get dressed
right away"
She took it swell. And she was
dressed right away, too. They went
down the street to where Pop was,
and between them they got him on his
feet and kept him there somehow.
1t was getting light but they didn't
meet anybody. luckily. 1t would have
been terrible if anybody had seen
them. Pop hadn't hit the liquor for a
long time. Not till tonight. They had
Pop home before Pickles linked up
Miss Hunter with his getting drunk.
"Okay." he said. You've done
about enough, l guess. 1t was big of
you to help me bring him home"
She looked hurt, and that made him
feel mean. But she was just another
dame, so he showed her to the door.
1t was daylight by this time. Mrs.
Burbridge was putting out her milk
tickets.
You'd better leave Pop alone,
Miss Hunter" Pickles said. 1--WE were
doing fine before you came along"
She looked more hurt and scared,
and just went away. He felt sort of
sick. He didn't know why.
He stood on the stoop and watched
Miss Hunter go down the street. Mrs.
Burbridge was watching too. He was
sure glad she didn't see Pop in the
condition he was in.
Pickles held ice on Pops head, fed
him canned tomatoes and took note
around to the boss that Pop had a bad
cold and couldn't work that day.
Then he went to school.
Miss Hunter seemed sort of absent
minded. Two or three times he knew
she was looking at him, but he kept
his face in the History of American
Civilization. About the first time he
ever read a page, he guessed.
At eleven MIR. Corkly, the Prin-
cipal, came in and whispered to her.
Miss HUNTER said, Susan, will you
take charge of class till my return?
Hear the reports on the Japanese
project" Susan Spangler was teach
er's pet and wore glasses and got "a"
in everything. They made her life
miserable for the next fifteen minutes.
Then Miss Hunter came back. She
saw chalk lying all over the floor and
knew Pickles must be mostly to blame
and told him to stay after school as
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