“What else could happen?” Tiger couldn’t help ask.
“Well—all kinds of side developments could take place —the race problem, for example—” He paused, taking another drag—“The parent problem—’’ He said—“All kinds of things.” He stopped.
Tiger nodded. Was the Captain waiting to be prodded? He ventured, “I see what you mean.”
“I thought you would,” Surcher now said, “And that’s one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you—” Tiger nodded. The Captain talked on, “You know Jim Green pretty well, Mr. McDrew—”
“I hope I do.”
Surcher said, not without the hint of a grin, “I’m pretty
sure you do.”
Tiger waited.
“What do you think of him?” Surcher asked-“In what way?” Tiger answered.
“Well—in a general way—first of all.”
Tiger answered, carefully, “I have a high opinion of him.’’ He paused, keeping his eyes on the Captain. “He’s a good student, a fine athlete—I hope you don’t lose me an athlete—” He grinned—
“I don't want to,” Surcher told him, also grinning, in his way.
“And as a person, I like him. All in all, I think he’s a fine kid. A credit to his race.”
Surcher nodded, slightly. Then he said, “What do you think—could he have done it?”
Tiger shook his head, slowly, “I’d say no—” He paused —“Unless proved otherwise—of course.” A pause—“You’d have to show me ironclad proof, I’ll tell you though.”
Surcher nodded, and waited. He had finished his cigarette. He put it out in an ashtray. He looked up from it, at Tiger.
“I'd like to ask you to do me a favor, Mr. McDrew—” He said.
“What’s that?”
“Have a talk with him.”
Tiger nodded, “Sure—I’ll be glad to.”
“I mean really talk with him—” Surcher paused. “See what he tells you.”
“Sure. Any time. Captain. I’d be glad to.”
“1 appreciate that”
Pretty Maids All in a Row 207 “Tell you what—” Tiger said, “Send him over during lunchtime—I’ll pick up some sandwiches from the cafeteria—we can have lunch over it”
“That sounds great.”
“O.K.”
“I’d like to know what he says.”
“I’ll let you know.”
“I'll send him over.”
“Lunchtime.”
“O.K.”
There was silence.
“Get him back to me when you’re through—O.K.?” The Captain said.
“I’ll bring him back to you.”
“That’s great.”
Silence, again. And Tiger sat there, thinking about the development, in fact thinking a whole host of things, and wondering what to say. Right now he was hoping the Captain wouldn’t drag out his visit too much longer, for he didn’t want to be late for his Civics class. He glanced nonchalantly at his watch. Five minutes to go.
“I’ll let you know, don’t worry—Captain,” He said, finally.
Surcher stirred, “It might be a big help to us. Just might be, Mr. McDrew. That kid likes you, he thinks the world of you—it’s all a hell of a thing, in a way—but—this thing is too serious to play around with. You know how it is.” He paused. “I have to try everything—even if I hurt somebody a little bit, along the way.”
Tiger nodded, surveying the man, “I know—” He paused—“So everything else is a blank?”
Surcher said, “Right now it is—I don’t mind telling you.”
“A hell of a thing.”
“You know it.”
“Well—don’t worry. I’ll let you know what he says.”
“You having Practice tonight?” Surcher asked.
“Right.”
Surcher grinned his grin, “Tell me something—how do you do it?”
Tiger also grinned, modestly, “It’s the material here.” He paused. “I mean it, Captain.”
Surcher replied, “Yeh—I’ll bet it is. They could sure use you at Kitston—let me tell you—” He still grinned.
“Joe Palone is a fine coach—” Tiger said.
“Except when he bumps into Sawyersville—”
“Well, we’ve been lucky—that’s all—” Tiger grinned broadly.
"How lucky would you be without Jim Green?” Surcher asked.
Tiger still grinned. “Don’t tell me that’s your game—”
The Captain got up, not making Tiger too unhappy, of course. “Could be—” He said, kidding, of course. He looked around, starting to leave, “Nice office you’ve got here—" He said.
“Not too bad,” Tiger said.
“You’re a busy man,” Surcher said, opening the door, “I’ll see you—and thanks.”
“So long," Tiger said, watching him leave. He sat back in his chair a few moments, wondering, musing over things. He thought about Jim, that poor kid, who wouldn’t be coming to Civics class today, probably. Or football practice. Tiger felt definitely irritable now, at that, and Surcher, that bungler. How long would he screw around with that kid? He wondered. A confession. He could laugh, under any other circumstances. It was something. Would he be able to use him in the game with Carverton? That was something to think of, as if things wouldn’t be tough enough. Tiger grew more irritated, at the bungler. He hoped Looby Loo would give him a call, during lunch hour. That w-ould cheer him up, if nothing else did. It would be one job and a half, he mused, for Ponce and him to find a replacement for Jim. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He hoped that by tomorrow, at any rate, or the next day, the latest, Surcher would have come to his senses. Once the civil rights people and their lawyers got into this, he wouldn’t be long in his clutches. Should he call them? No, Tiger decided, better stay out of it—for the present. He pushed himself back from the desk and got up. He put his folders and other things away. It was something he always did. He said “Ho Hum—” and yawned, and stretched a little. He stood still a moment, then grabbed a few books, and walked out of there. He was well on his way to his Civics class, without a doubt one of his favorite classes. . . .
“Here we go—” Tiger said, as usual, detaching himself from a small group of students he had been talking to, and striding up to the front of the class. He deposited his books on the desk there and looked over the class, as usual, a moment or two. Jill’s seat, where she usually sat anyway, was unoccupied, he noted. He couldn’t blame them.
“Dink—” he said, addressing Sawyersville High’s brilliant quarterback, “What were we saying last time about referendums?”
The boy stirred, looked around, then at Tiger. “Weil—a lot of things—” He said, “Every body seemed to be saying a different thing.”
The class giggled, and Tiger grinned, at that one.
The boy went on, “Some said the referendum was the logical and most perfect method for the people to express themselves in a democracy—in fact, I think a majority of the class said—or felt that way—” He paused—“Some said just the opposite, that is, the referendum had no place in a true democracy, because—uh—it meant—well—uh—it meant that the people elected to decide things and formulate policies weren’t to be trusted—they said, what was the point of electing representatives of the people and other officials and then not trust them to know what’s best to do, in situations, in issues—in other words, how could they do their job, what they were elected to do—” He paused—“It was a—contradiction in terms, I think they said—”
“What do you say?” Tiger asked.
“I haven’t decided.”
That brought another round of giggles, and laughs, which Tiger joined in, heartily.