Junior met the first friendly
greeting he had encountered in Multiopolis, as he reached the street.
Two boys larger than he walked beside him and talked so frankly, that
before he reached his car line, he felt he had made friends. They offered
to show him a shorter cut to the car line just by going up an alley and
out on a side street. At the proper place for seclusion, the one behind
knocked him senseless, and the one before wheeled and relieved him of
money, and both fled. Junior lay for a time, then slowly came back, but he
was weak and ill. He knew without investigating what had happened, and
preferring the mercy that might be inside to that of the alley, he crawled
into a back door. It proved to be a morgue. A workman came to his
assistance, felt the lump on his head, noticed the sickness on his face,
and gave him a place to rest. Junior was dubious from the start about
feeling better, as he watched the surroundings. The proprietor came past
and inquired who he was and why he was there. Junior told him, and showed
the lumps behind his ear and on his forehead, to prove his words.
Pages:
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577