banged on the door that evening, demanding the return of some things he said the children had stolen from his basement.
Gertrude told him be was knocking at the wrong door, and they argued on the porch. She called the police, telling them she had found Hanlon halfway through her window. The police locked him up on a burglary charge.
Mrs. Vermillion and her husband had witnessed practically the whole scene from their car, parked in the street. When Mrs. Vermillion heard the youth could get a 10-to-20-year sentence for burglary, she became concerned. As a witness, she helped free him of the charge.
Jenny saw her older sister, Dianna Shoemaker, in the park twice in September, but no one was too concerned about Sylvia then. When Jenny did become concerned, she was too frightened to tell anyone.
6
NO FRIENDS IN NEED
LITTLE JENNY Likens was confused. Staring her in the face, from the top of her wooden desk in her eighth grade general science class, was something she understood to be a “tuition.” Gertrude had told her never to bring a “tuition” home with her “because I won’t pay it.” But the teacher had told Jenny, as she understood it, that since her parents did not own any house or furniture, she would have to pay tuition. It was $165. She could not take it home to Gertrude, and the teacher would not let her go home without it.
“Maybe I should take it to Grandmother Grimes,” thought Jenny. “She doesn’t live too far away, down near Southeastern Avenue. I could probably get there before suppertime. But if Gertrude found out, I’d get the belt. And if I don’t get home right after school, Sylvia will get the belt. I’d hate to leave Sylvia alone there. I wish Sylvia were with me now so we could both go to Grandmother Grimes.
“Sylvia was always so good to me,” Jenny’sthoughts continued. “I remember the times she took me to Rollerland. She knew I couldn’t skate, so she made me put a skate on my good foot, and she gave me her hand and pulled me around the rink. Sylvia was so nice to me. I just couldn’t go to Grandmother Grimes and leave her alone at Gertrude’s. Something awful might happen. But I can’t take the tuition home. Gertrude’ll hit the ceiling. I’ll get the belt, or the board. Oh, what’ll I do!”
She took the “tuition” home. Gertrude’s reaction was not so violent as expected. She just laid the “tuition” on a high shelf and said she would give it to Sylvia and Jenny’s daddy.
Lester Likens never paid the tuition. As events proved, his daughters never got their full year of school anyway.
The last time Jenny and Sylvia had seen their older sister Dianna in the park was a hot, still day in September. The smell of autumn had not yet pervaded the air. They told Dianna that Sylvia had it pretty rough. Every time something went wrong, they said, it was “Paula, get the board!”
But Dianna thought they were exaggerating. Their own father had used a belt himself to keep his girls in line, and usually they deserved it. Once in California, Sylvia and Danny had gotten it for staying out all night. Back in Indianapolis, Sylvia and Jenny got it for fooling around in the supermarket when they should have been on their way home. Dianna had felt that sting of leather herself. So she didn’t pay much attention, even though Sylvia and Jennyinsisted that Sylvia was getting it for things she had not done.
Sylvia did not see Dianna again. She and Jenny were not sure where Dianna lived. They saw her in the park a lot, and they thought she lived on Tuxedo Street or Sherman Drive or around in there. But she moved around a lot. The police found her for Jenny the night of October 26 so that Jenny would have a place to spend the night.
In the house, Sylvia and Jenny liked Stephanie and Shirley the best. Both of them were friendly and “real nice girls,” Jenny thought. They were not really mean like the others. Like Johnny, for instance. She thought of the one time after
Gertrude told him be was knocking at the wrong door, and they argued on the porch. She called the police, telling them she had found Hanlon halfway through her window. The police locked him up on a burglary charge.
Mrs. Vermillion and her husband had witnessed practically the whole scene from their car, parked in the street. When Mrs. Vermillion heard the youth could get a 10-to-20-year sentence for burglary, she became concerned. As a witness, she helped free him of the charge.
Jenny saw her older sister, Dianna Shoemaker, in the park twice in September, but no one was too concerned about Sylvia then. When Jenny did become concerned, she was too frightened to tell anyone.
6
NO FRIENDS IN NEED
LITTLE JENNY Likens was confused. Staring her in the face, from the top of her wooden desk in her eighth grade general science class, was something she understood to be a “tuition.” Gertrude had told her never to bring a “tuition” home with her “because I won’t pay it.” But the teacher had told Jenny, as she understood it, that since her parents did not own any house or furniture, she would have to pay tuition. It was $165. She could not take it home to Gertrude, and the teacher would not let her go home without it.
“Maybe I should take it to Grandmother Grimes,” thought Jenny. “She doesn’t live too far away, down near Southeastern Avenue. I could probably get there before suppertime. But if Gertrude found out, I’d get the belt. And if I don’t get home right after school, Sylvia will get the belt. I’d hate to leave Sylvia alone there. I wish Sylvia were with me now so we could both go to Grandmother Grimes.
“Sylvia was always so good to me,” Jenny’sthoughts continued. “I remember the times she took me to Rollerland. She knew I couldn’t skate, so she made me put a skate on my good foot, and she gave me her hand and pulled me around the rink. Sylvia was so nice to me. I just couldn’t go to Grandmother Grimes and leave her alone at Gertrude’s. Something awful might happen. But I can’t take the tuition home. Gertrude’ll hit the ceiling. I’ll get the belt, or the board. Oh, what’ll I do!”
She took the “tuition” home. Gertrude’s reaction was not so violent as expected. She just laid the “tuition” on a high shelf and said she would give it to Sylvia and Jenny’s daddy.
Lester Likens never paid the tuition. As events proved, his daughters never got their full year of school anyway.
The last time Jenny and Sylvia had seen their older sister Dianna in the park was a hot, still day in September. The smell of autumn had not yet pervaded the air. They told Dianna that Sylvia had it pretty rough. Every time something went wrong, they said, it was “Paula, get the board!”
But Dianna thought they were exaggerating. Their own father had used a belt himself to keep his girls in line, and usually they deserved it. Once in California, Sylvia and Danny had gotten it for staying out all night. Back in Indianapolis, Sylvia and Jenny got it for fooling around in the supermarket when they should have been on their way home. Dianna had felt that sting of leather herself. So she didn’t pay much attention, even though Sylvia and Jennyinsisted that Sylvia was getting it for things she had not done.
Sylvia did not see Dianna again. She and Jenny were not sure where Dianna lived. They saw her in the park a lot, and they thought she lived on Tuxedo Street or Sherman Drive or around in there. But she moved around a lot. The police found her for Jenny the night of October 26 so that Jenny would have a place to spend the night.
In the house, Sylvia and Jenny liked Stephanie and Shirley the best. Both of them were friendly and “real nice girls,” Jenny thought. They were not really mean like the others. Like Johnny, for instance. She thought of the one time after
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