And certainly she looked O.K., Tiger mused, surveying her. Never having really discovered the exact nature of the special something about this girl which so much appealed to him, he nevertheless loved it. The warmest instincts in him, as soon as he laid eyes on her, or, for that matter, thought of her, responded to her.
“Well, what’s new?” Tiger inquired, after she had made herself at home.
“I dreamed about you last night,” she said.
“You did, did you?” Tiger said, admiring the maid.
“It was a funny dream—” she said, moving in her chair, rearranging herself, so to speak. “You were asking me to come out for the football team.”
That was some dream. Tiger nodded, thinking about it. He had a few himself coming back to him now. He thought about them. He saw Looby Loo.
“And then—when I said no—" Peggy said, “You said I was probably too young anyhow—”
Fascinating, and how. Tiger mused.
“That sure was a funny dream,” he said at last He gazed at the lass.
“Can I sit on your lap?” She asked.
Tiger grinned, she was some kid, a sweetie and a half of a blond Polish kid, what a kid.
“Hold on—not just yet—we have Part II of this Brooder to take—”
“Oh—Brooder-pooder,” she said, pqpting at him. And then, “Do I have to take it?” She said.
“Well that’s what you’re in here for—” He said. uTiger—” She sounded so bored.
“It won’t take long.”
“Promise me?”
“My sister’s getting married—” she said, out of the blue. “Which one?” He knew three or four of them.
“Eleanor."
She was a dream.
“Oh yes,” He knew her fairly well.
“She’s twenty-two.”
292 Pretty Maids All in a Row “I remember her.’*
“She was a Majorette—Remember that too?**
“Sure I do.’*
“Can’t I sit on your lap?”
Tiger grinned again. What could he do? They’d never get through the Brooder.
He said giving in, looking at her warmly, fondly, “Better go and lock the door—”
She got up, he admired her form. . . •
53
It was after Peggy had departed that Harry Proffer phoned through with the startling news. It took a little while for him to get it out, for he was in pretty bad form. In fact, he could hardly speak. It was a series of grunts, and squeaks. Finally, having somehow and somewhat calmed him down, Tiger got the drift. In the quietest of tones, he told Proffer he would soon be around. He checked his watch—it was just ten o’clock. He hung up and just sat at his desk for a little while, he just sat, numb almost. Finally, he moved. He shook his head, slowly, from side to side. He sighed. He wrote a brief note—four or five words, at most—Back soon as poss.—placed it on his desk. He got up. He left the office. . . .
Ponce took the news like a man. He was stunned of course, and wondered just what in the hell Sawyersville and this world were coming to, but also he felt mighty glad that now without a doubt Jim Green would be released. And he knew who would be picked up. Only a few minutes ago, and incredibly enough, in fact, he had seen the freak. Ponce had given him two miles of berth, at least, and knew that before too long, everyone would. . . .
The frantic and barely comprehensible call from the school, in effect putting Surcher back to square one, was
Pretty Maids AII irt a Row 293 the first he had heard of Yvonne Mellish. And that had come on top of the call he had received a little earlier from Mr. McDrew, with his bit of news, which had set him back to square seven-eighths, at least, just possibly. For Chief John Poldaski had not bothered to contact him about the worried phone call from the father of the late Assistant Head Cheerleader last night. He had taken matters into his own hands. He had decided that. He would handle the matter himself, for he had taken the last bit of guff he would ever take from a goddamn Statie. And he had been doing that, however unsuccessfully, all night in fact. He had interviewed the distraught parents, carefully, skillfully. He had searched far and wide. And in fact, he had been making good progress there, for at the time Bill Honeywell was opening his broom closet, the Chief was just about to begin an examination of that notorious lavatory, having slipped in there very stealthily and cleverly during Assembly, the best time really, as he had concluded, for such improvised activities.. . .
He had found nothing.
54
Despite the development, and the tumult, not to mention near-furor following thereafter, Tiger managed to get back to his office in fairly decent time, after consultations and commiserations and a general review of the situation with Proffer, Surcher, and others. For he had an appointment. And above all, he hated missing appointments, though he might be late, in certain and very rare circumstances. This was one of them.
“Hi—” He said, to Marie Amis, who sat there, waiting for him. She had found the note. “What a mess—” He added.
“Did you see her?” She asked, without formalities.
“Uh uh,“ Tiger told her, sitting down at his desk.
“Will they close the school?” Marie asked, intelligently.
“Uh uh,” He said, to that bright miss.
“Think they should?"
“No, I don’t."
“It’s getting pretty dangerous though—"
“Well—in a way—” Tiger said, quietly. “But—all of life is a dangerous thing—Isn’t it?" And he paused. “Stop to think about it—Sweet Marie.” And he stopped.
Marie sat quietly a few moments, gazing at Tiger. Certainly, she appeared to be thinking about it. Tiger knew, as he sat there gazing at her, that if anyone, outside of Rochelle possibly, could seriously think about such a matter, it was this maid, this sweetheart of a girl. This dream. She had early shown a considerable talent and coolness under fire, so to speak, in her approach to the production of drama, and other matters, and life in general. And it wasn’t long before Tiger had designated her Student Director, in short, his Assistant insofar as matters in the Dramatic department were concerned. They had enjoyed a long and successful collaboration, and it was only a shame, to put it mildly, that she was graduating this year and heading for State, enrolled in the School of Dramatic Arts, no less, last report. She would do well there, Tiger knew. And one day, without a doubt, the world would hear of her—unless she married, raised kids, which was always a possibility. Which wasn’t a bad idea at all in any event, Tiger mused, gazing at her, fondly. That fundamentally, was what any normal woman really wanted anyhow, he knew. Who could deny it? Tiger knew what fulfilled them. He knew only too well the unassailable truth of that matter. It was beyond discussion, Marie knew it, he knew, within himself.
“I guess it is,” she said, sadly, keeping her gaze on him, “That leaves the Cheerleaders without any leader at all now.” She also said, quietly.
Tiger nodded, reflecting on that. Certainly it had also crossed his mind, the cheerleading squad was being decimated, without a doubt. Apart from anything else, he was certainly sorry about that. For they were vital. Who could take over? Was there a natural chain of command? What about Barbara Brook? He made a mental note to casually mention that to her. It wasn’t up to him of course, for that area didn't fall within his sphere of activities at all,
Pretty Maids All in a Row 295 well he knew. But he couldn’t help wondering about it. He loved the Cheerleading Squad, and knew how much the team did too. It filled an essential role, however you looked at it.
“You’d make a good cheerleader,” he said to Marie, almost wistfully. He knew she couldn’t fit it in.
“Would I?” She said bemused by it.