| (Part six)(Concerning Chick Evens, Lorimar Williams | | | | and cautiously. He had left the screen-in door |
| and Howe the Police Officer, 1963)) | | | | open to the patio-porch, in case he had to make |
| LOOKING cautiously about, Lorimar Williams arose | | | | a quick run to hide from the police, but they |
| from sitting on a case of bottled beer, in the back | | | | seldom drove up that big driveway onto their |
| of Rice School, about a block away from his | | | | property, and surely they'd never tumble down |
| house, up on Garnet Street, by the Pitman Store | | | | the hundred foot embankment. Howe leaned |
| (it was owned by an old Jew that often went to | | | | downward, said earnestly: "I know you're under |
| Israel, and had retired a few years back, and sold | | | | there, are you coming out, or do I have to drag |
| the store), and he and Chick Evens had went | | | | you out?" |
| hurriedly out from behind some bushes as the | | | | Chick Evens wiggled out from under the car, |
| police spotlight shinned on them. The night was | | | | jumped to his feet, the light came onto his face. |
| warm without a single cloud in the sky, and the | | | | "Oh," said Howe, "you're one of the Evens boys, |
| stairs were everywhere, and although it was not | | | | right?" He had known everybody in the |
| yet late in the night, perhaps 10:00 o'clock, the | | | | neighborhood, and Chick's brother was of course |
| police were checking out the neighborhood, Howe, | | | | better known, and Howe was just trying to |
| the cop was driving the squad car, and he had a | | | | connect the dots, and making sure they were in |
| helper (in years to come, he'd get an presidential | | | | line. |
| accommodation for his long enduring work he had | | | | "Yes," said Chick, "I'm the younger one." |
| done in the most troubled neighborhood in St. Paul, | | | | There had been no immediate decision. He had |
| called Donkeyland, where a hundred cars a week | | | | just jumped to his feet, and the other officer, |
| were stolen, and driven up and down Cayuga | | | | younger officer hurried up to Howe's side, not |
| Street and all the crisscrossing streets there | | | | sure what to do, but eager to do whatever had |
| about). | | | | to be done, so it appeared: |
| Evens was sixteen-years old, and Lorimar, a year | | | | "We're going to take you home, to make sure |
| older, and they were half snapped, Lorimar made | | | | you get home, I know you're not one of the |
| it down the embankment, and his house was right | | | | trouble makers, and we're going to be through |
| there, he hid in the old porch attached to his | | | | street after street tonight, so it is best you stay |
| garage. The police car drove all the way down the | | | | home, avoid us because if I pick you up again, I'm |
| alleyway to the back of the school, and Chick ran | | | | taking you in, now get in the car and shut up." |
| like a team of wild horses towards the Pitman | | | | He crossed and re-crossed the roads going down |
| store, in the darkness he stumbled by a black | | | | to Cayuga Street, even though it was but down |
| sedan in an empty lot that was alongside of the | | | | a block, and to the right a half a block. When he |
| store, and rolled under the car, to hide from the | | | | passed a number of street lamps he slowed |
| police. A dog jumped from under the car, and | | | | down, he saw other faces, familiar faces, Ace |
| when the police shinned the light in that direction, | | | | was walking home, drunk, and a few of the older |
| seeing the dog run away into the night, Howe | | | | boys, the Tashney's and the Hinos all of age to |
| thought: from what? | | | | drink. He did not dare think his mind was too |
| Ace had bought the case of beer for the boys, | | | | blank, too drowsy, and sleepy. "Why not bring the |
| and took his share, six bottles, and went to | | | | kid in to jail for a night, teach him a lesson," said |
| another party-elsewhere. The young man was | | | | the other officer in the car to Howe. |
| nervous under the car. All evening he and Lorimar | | | | "Everybody knows these neighborhood kids drink |
| had gone about their drinking, he was in a kind of | | | | like fish, we'd be taking them in every night, and |
| daze. Now Howe was out of the car, and his | | | | I'm looking for the troublemakers." He said, and |
| flashlight going everywhichway. | | | | left it at that. |
| In the darkness Lorimar waited for Chick, walked | | | | "Thanks for the ride home, Howe," Chick said as |
| along the edge of his property, looking up he | | | | he stumbled out of the squad car and up the |
| could see Rice School, he looked about carefully | | | | fourteen steps to his doorway. |