The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-23
CHAPTER xxVI


 AN answer came by return mail. -A Things weren't going well. To start with they'd discovered that the alleged trade school Don had enrolled in was little more than a racket. I'd thought SO much when Don had first told me about his plans but at the time I'd felt 1t was none of my business.
 On top of that problem Mickey had one of her own. She hadn't been able to get Q job in the public library, and so finally she'd ne- come c secretary downtown. The pay was lousy and the boss was on the make for her. She didn't dare quit, however. until Don had landed something. And the way things were l couldn't see him landing anything very quickly. Mickey had cornered the brains and personality in the family.
 Strange how much ! thought about her now. The way she walked with c graceful swing in her step The way she smiled when some thing tickled her sense of huinor, The way that rebellious curl kept tumbhng over her eye.
 MONEY continued to roll in. From 1V1 the Eastern seaboard to the Pacific the racketS were paying on In driblets and streams and then in mighty spurts the cash found itS way to Boggao's cofierS via my once which had become 8 sort of clear ing house for the tight-knit empire When lot of money passes through your hands, some Of lt sticks to your fingers. l wasn't double crossing Bogeio, but besides my salary and my ofacial cut l was allowed the scrapings from the pot And in 0 big turnover Ike this " wasn't hay. For a fellow not quite 70 I was @ success.
 But human natures funny. You'd give your right hand for some things when you haven't got them but when they become aVailaole you lose interest. I could only eat three meals a day, and l was per fectly satisfied with my place at the Towers. 1 bought another car nke the one I'd had to get rid ot in Hol- lywood but I didn't get the same kick out of 1t,
 The more restless I became the more I thought about Mickey. Ter refusal of help still intrigued me, Here was Q girl so different from all those I'd known that she might have come from another plane,
 was in the course of talk with Boggio that I finally hit upon an ida, He'd been complaining about his chauffeur who wasn't as olS- erect as he should have been. BOZ gio was willing to pay 8 top salary but he had 6 hard time finding the right man. He couldn't go out ln the open market for his help pe- cause If they got wise to his racKeVs they were liable to blackmall nm or tllrn him in. What he needed was a nice quiet young fellow who'd go about his business of driving car without sticking his nose ln ms boSS's affairs.
 JOU had to hand it to the tele- | phone company. They were efn- c,ent. It was night and was in my Apartment and had an urge to talk to a girl in Hollywood. A gir! wltn wi a lock of hair that constantly lell over her left eye. It was 1l:SO here and S:3O there. didn't know the oirl's number but it was of no hn- Dortance. All I had to know wss wsSs that she lived in the Maybens Apartments on Van Ness Avenue. ! dialed the operator. Leo haDatssh A person -to-person call. ..
 Three thousand miles of wire started humining and then . eeii rang.
 MICKEY was as excited as INAkid. .L.d
 "Where are youi" she asks0 hreathlessly.