Evening star., 1941-04-20

then went on little slower she looked where
his eyes we're looking and she saw them. 1t
was that nasty Meenan boy. Butch, they
called him. And three of the funny looking
crowd he went around with They were stand
ing in front of the drugstore the way they
always had, ever since she'd known them
at high school, five years ago standing
there matching pennies probably, or just
idling and talking about the horses and max
ing remarks about the girls who passed.
Her fingers squeezed Dawes arm, and he
turned to her with sort of a twisted smile.
His eyes were blinking like something hurt.
When he spoke she could tell what was hap
pening to him by the sound of his voice.
Look, Jeanie," he said. How about
going to the other drugstore? You know, the
one we went to last week.
She tilted her head thoughtfully.
well -" she said. drawing it out.
81 had soda at this one yesterday" he
said, pointing to the one down the block
and talking in that quick, nervous way. 1T
wasn't so hot They - they got new soda
jerk. guess he doesn't know his stuff. Let's
60 to the other one, huh?"
She didn't answer. 1t gave her kind of
sinking feeling to hear him talk like that.
She tried not to let him see that she was on to
anything.
"Okay?" he asked, after moment. His
voice came out sort of high and pinched. If
she hadn't known him ever since they were
kids together and if she didn't feel the way
she did about him, she could have pitied
him. almost No, she didn't pity Dave. She
just understood him, that was ALL 1t was the
people like Butch Meenan who were really
towards.
Dave said, Hey. Jeanie, what do you
say?"
0HE could hardly bear it, hearing him
sound like that. She still didn't answer, and
now she pretended she was sort of laughing
to herself. He blushed.
What's so funny?" There was a hint of
suspicion, of quick hurt anger in his voice.
Nothing" She held his arm tight. Moth
ing, Dave. was just thinking of something"
"Yeah?" he said.
II was thinking about that horid boy
who lived next door to you when we were
going to high school. Remember"
What made you think about him?" He
was blushing again.
II don't know =" She looked at the new
traffic light they'd put up on Center Street.
If they walked slowly enough it, would turn
red by the time they got to the corner.
"- Well, yes -" she said. II guess it was
that truck backfring minute ago. 1t made
me think of frecrackers. You know, the
Fourth of July. Do you remember when he
tied firecracker on your dog and you gave
him black eye? Remember, Dave?"
"Oh that" Dave said Yeah, l remem-
ber." His eyes went anxiously down the
block again. That was lousy thing to do
to dog, he said.
"You certainly got mad at him."
Dave chuckled nervously. "Yeah?"
''You certainly gave him an awful punch
in the eye"
That was lousy trick to play on dog"
he repeated, absently. "A mean thing to do"
Jeanie said, II remember the way
he ran down the street. bawlng and
holding his hand over his eye. He
was running away but he kept
hollering, Wait till get you'll"
She laughed outright. Il guess you af>1
surprised him. He used to pick on
you at school and you were always
So" She hestated, and while she
WAC lookiuo for the right word word that